Under pressure to act against JKLF chief Yasin Malik, the Centre is making all efforts to frame him for sharing the dais with LeT founder and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed during a recent visit to Pakistan.
Sources, however, said they would be in a position to establish whether Malik’s meeting with the terror chief was part of a larger conspiracy to carry out anti-national activities only after interrogating him.
“The evidence needs to be examined thoroughly before any action (is taken). At the moment, available evidence appears to be insufficient to book Malik.”
“Officials in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are discussing what action should be taken against Malik and they are also examining the various Sections under which he could be tried for sharing the dais with Saeed.
“More details would emerge only after his interrogation and then only a decision would be taken on revoking Malik’s passport. Security agencies will also examine the video available and all the details of his meeting,” they said.
Union Minister of State(MoS) for Home Affairs R P N Singh said a thorough inquiry is currently under way into Malik’s cross-border visit. “When the report comes, we will take appropriate action against him (Malik ).” According to sources, the passports issued to the Kashmiri separatist leaders have a validity period of just one year and its renewal depends on the green signal from the MHA, which is based on the no objection certificate (NOC) provided by the various security and intelligence agencies.
It was also revealed that Malik’s passport would expire next month and the present case would be factored in, while taking a decision on granting a renewal.
Meanwhile, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin made it clear that the MHA should take the necessary action to revoke Malik’s passport and “if those agencies have given an NOC based on certain understandings that have been worked out, it is for those agencies to bring it to our attention that the NOC was based on that premise, and that premise now does not hold, and therefore necessary action should be taken; and we will certainly consider it at that stage.”
And MoS, Union Ministry of External Affairs, Preneet Kaur condemned Malik’s meeting with Saeed and said “When an Indian meets a terrorist, we condemn it”.
It has also emerged that Malik’s passport had been renewed in March and he had visited Pakistan on March 24 and stayed there till May. According to officials, he had again gone on a private visit to Pakistan on January 26 to meet his wife and kid.
Sources said the passport of another moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, which expired recently, is unlikely to be renewed soon. “Their last meeting with Hizbul Mujahideen(HM)chief Syed Salahuddin in Pakistan is being investigated by the agencies. There are reports that they met some ISIofficials also, which is being looked into,” sources added.