Woman Separatist Leader Released

SRINAGAR: Woman separatist leader and chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) Asiya Andrabi was on Thursday released after being granted bail by a court.

“Asiya and her close associate and personal secretary Fehmeeda Sofi were today released in an open court after getting bail,” spokesperson of DeM said.

She said the government tried hard to fabricate her in false cases and wanted to put her behind bars for long. “However, their lies couldn’t stand and they had no option but to release her”.

She was granted bail by a court on October 1 for hosting Pakistani flags and signing Pakistani national anthem but was booked again under another case released to arms act registered against her in 2009.

She was booked for her involvement in another FIR 57 of 2009 under section 3/25 Arms Act registered in police station Nowhatta, Srinagar in 2009.

Police had arrested Asiya alongwith an associate from her residence in Soura area of Srinagar on September 18.

On August 17, police had lodged an FIR against Andrabi under Section 13 of Unlawful Activities Act for hoisting Pakistani flags and singing Pakistan national anthem at an undisclosed place in Srinagar on Pakistan independence day on August 14 and also addressing telephonically a rally organized by Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan on the same day.

The woman separatist leader had also hoisted Pakistani flags during neighbouring country’s national day on March 23.

Andrabi, whose husband Qasim Faktoo is serving a life imprisonment, had also called on people to defy the beef ban imposed by J&K High Court in the State and sacrifice bovine animals on Eid-ul-Azha in the Valley.