Separatists from Kashmir reject NIA chargesheet

SRINAGAR:

Separatist leadership on Thursday termed the National Investigation Agency’s chargesheet in an alleged terror funding case against ten Kashmiris as ‘tamasha’ and ‘dhoka’ aimed to browbeat those fighting politically for the region’s right to selfdetermination.

Moderates leaders Mirwaiz Umar Faooq and Yasin Malik talked to the media at the former’s residence while hardliner Syed Ali Geelani, who has been under house detention for past many years, addressed journalists over phone.

“We reject this. We demand unconditional release of these political prisoners who have been falsely chargesheeted by NIA,” said Mirwaiz

Mirwaiz alleged that the government of India was persistently trying to portray Kashmir’s struggle for right to self-determination as “terrorism sponsored from outside”.

“The chargesheet has still been kept open. It is a very clear indication that they are going to browbeat the leadership and the people as we have seen last year how a ‘tamasha’ (spectacle) was made. How NIA teams would raid people’s houses, call our relations, friends and family to intimidate them. They try to give an impression that the leadership (of the movement) or people are seeking monetary benefits. Let us make it clear that people are dying in Kashmir, our educated youth are laying their lives and still the government is viewing the situation as a law and order problem and as a sponsored struggle,” Mirwaiz said.

He said that Kashmir ’s struggle for right to self-determination is an indigenous struggle. “Militancy is a part of it but to give an impression that the whole struggle is militant is wrong. People of Kashmir have been fighting for their rights from 1931,” he said. The trio termed the arrest of seven separatist leaders, a businessman and two alleged stone pelters as “kidnapping”.

“They (NIA) have no proof that these persons have worked outside of any law or they were involved in any funds transfer as

›

NIA has no proof that these persons have worked outside of any law or they were involved in any fund transfer as alleged. The charges are completely unsubstantiated. We reject these charges.

SYED ALI SHAH GEELANI, Hardline separatist

alleged. The charges are completely unsubstantiated. We reject these charges,” said Geelani over phone while Mirwaiz and Malik listened during the press conference.

The NIA on Thursday filed a chargesheet against 12 people, including Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafeez Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen head Syed Salahuddin, in a case related to alleged funding of “terror and secessionist activities” in the Kashmir valley.

The chargesheet also said that the separatist leaders and stonepelters formed strategies and action-plans to launch violent protests and communicate the same to the masses in the form of ‘protest calendars’ released through newspapers, social media and religious leaders.

Yasin Malik said that the ‘protest calendars’ were issued by the trio (addressing the press conference) after “killings of civilians who came out to participate in Burhan Wani’s funeral” in 2016.

“The calendar was in our name. The case should have been against us. What role did these people have in the agitation. Some of them were in jails even then. It is purely a kidnapping,” Malik said.

The JKLF leader said that the motive of government of India for this move was to ‘blackmail us for a photo session with them’. “The interlocutor was sent around the same time when NIA was making arrests,” Malik said.

Malik said that they would “accept” India as a democracy when Kashmiris would be allowed to hold a plebiscite. “We would be observing coming January 26 as black day,” he added.