NIA summons Geelani’s son for questioning

SRINAGAR: National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani’s son for questioning prompting harsh reactions from Hurriyat Conference, which termed it “psychological crackdown by India”.

In a statement, the separatist body said, Geelani’s elder son Dr Naeem Geelani has been issued a notice from NIA to report to their interrogation centre in Shivpora for questioning. It was not clear as to why the junior Geelani has been called for the questioning.

A team of NIA investigators has been camping in Srinagar for the past four days probing what reports said was some “suspicious transactions” of various bank account holders in the Valley over the last few months. The NIA investigators want to know whether the trial of funds was in any way linked to militancy or anti-national activities during the current unrest.

The investigation was launched after India accused Pakistan of fanning the unrest in Kashmir valley following the killing of Hizb-ul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. As many as 68 civilians and two cops have lost their lives in the unrest. The Hurriyat Conference said many leaders including Mohammad Ashraf Sehraie, Peer Saifullah, Altaf Ahmad Shah and spokesman Ayaz Akbar were questioned during their detention.

Naeem (52), a doctor by profession, spent around 12 years of his life living in Pakistan before returning in 2010. After his return, there were speculations that Geelani will nominate Naeem as his political successor, which were later denied by the Hurriyat Conference. The Hurriyat statement on Monday said Geelani and his family was being “terrified and maligned in a well-knit conspiracy of Indian imperialist agencies and their local faces provide them an ample support and encouragement for these acts”.

“After miserably and humiliatingly failing to curb and contain the current mass uprising by all the military might, Indian government is frustrated to the extent that they frame and arrest the pro-freedom leaders and activists on the pre-planned psychological crackdown, so that they surrender and stop voicing sentiments of their nation, thereby covering and shielding their atrocities and barbarism against common people,” the separatist organization said.