SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday issued summon to Kashmir Bar Association chief Mian Abdul Qayoom into the ongoing probe into militancy and separatist funding in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said Qayoom was served summon by NIA and asked to appear before its Delhi headquarters on Wednesday in the militancy and separatist funding case.
“The summon has been issued to Kashmir Bar president for the purpose of answering certain questions relating to case RC 10/2017/ NIA/DLI, 120B, 121, 121A of IPC and 134, 16, 17,18,20, 38, and 40 of UA(P) Act,” they said.
Sources said Qayoom has been summoned for his proximity to separatist leaders.
Reacting to the NIA summon to Kashmir Bar association president, the lawyers across the Valley stayed away from the courts today.
The Bar Association has described the NIA summon to Qayoom “highly deplorable and condemnable” as it is aimed to harass and demonize the lawyer’s fraternity.
“We feel that since the Association has taken a stand before the Supreme Court with regard to use of pellets in Kashmir and is also getting arrayed a party to the petition filed by an NGO before the Supreme Court for striking down Article 35-A of Constitution of India, therefore, the NIA has issued a notice to the Bar President so that the cases, which are now pending before the Supreme Court are not prosecuted and defended by the Bar Association,” a Bar spokesman said.
He said the Bar Association would hold a general body meeting tomorrow morning to chalk out the future strategy.
“The work in High Court and subordinate courts shall remain suspended on Tuesday also,” the spokesman said.
The NIA is probing the militancy and separatist funding in Jammu and Kashmir and has already arrested nine people including seven separatist leaders, Sikh lawyer from Jammu and a leading businessman in the Valley. Among the arrested separatist leader includes hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Gelani’s son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah alias Altaf Funtoosh.
Besides, the NIA is also questioning Naeem Geelani and Naseem Geelani, sons of Syed Ali Geelani in the militancy and separatist funding in the Valley.
The NIA had registered a case on May 30 against separatist leaders for acting in connivance with militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and other groups and woman separatist group Dukhtaran-e-Millat for raising, receiving and collecting funds through various illegal means including hawala for funding separatist and militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NIA raids and arrests of separatist leaders took place after three separatists Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate, Nayeem Khan and Gazi Javed Baba had in an expose by India Today TV purportedly acknowledged of receiving money from Pakistan government, Hafiz Saeed and militant groups for fomenting unrest in Valley and creating chaos by burning schools, government institutions, panchayat ghars and police stations.