Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir coalition government has launched a crackdown on resistance leadership to scuttle a joint press conference scheduled on Monday.
A statement issued by Hurriyat Conference (M) said that a meeting was to be held at Hyderpora today.
Hurriyat patriarch Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik were scheduled to attend the meeting following which the joint resistance leadership was planned to address a press conference.
Geelani lives at Hyderpora where from All Parties Hurriyat Conference and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat operate.
“Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has once again been put under arrest since late yesterday evening. Mirwaiz was to attend the joint resistance meeting at veteran leader Syed Ali Geelani’s residence today and later address a joint press conference,” the statement said.
It may be recalled the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a crackdown on the residences of members of pro-freedom groupings in Kashmir and some businessmen.
A JKLF spokesperson told the FreePressKashmir that Muhammad Yasin Malik was detained from his Maisuma home this morning.
The raids followed interrogation of Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bita Karate and Javaid Ahmad Baba alias Gazi in New Delhi by the top investigating agency. Khan has ever since been suspended from Geelani led Hurriyat Conference.
The raids follow allegations of Hawala money received by the resistance leadership from Pakistan.
“But the anti-Kashmiri state resorted to its usual tactic of curbing the leadership through force, once again showing that Kashmir is ruled by the forces’ might,” the Hurriyat Conference (M) statement concluded. Its media advisor, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, too has been detained in his home.
Sources in Hurriyat Conference led by Geelani said that several of its members have been detained.
The FreePressKashmir tried to contact Hurriyat Conference (G) spokesperson, Ayaz Akbar, but he did not respond to repeated calls and messages.
Geelani continues to be under house arrest since 2010. He has only been allowed to move to Delhi for medical check-ups.
On Sunday, Akbar’s residence was one of the five locations raided by the NIA in J&K.
“Muhammad Ashraf Khan alias Sehrai, Imtiyaz Hyder, Muhammad Ashraf Laya, Umer Adil Dar and others have been detained,” a member of the Hurriyat Conference amalgam said on the condition of anonymity.
Since Saturday, the NIA raided at least twenty eight places across Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi and NCR. The places included those of Kashmiri businessmen as well.
In Jammu, yesterday, the NIA raided a fruit trader. He is part of the cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade.
A JKLF member told the FreePressKashmir that NIA raids “must have been on the agenda” of the joint meet which was scheduled at Geelani’s residence-cum-office in Hyderpora.
