SRINAGAR: Police on Friday arrested woman separatist leader and Dukhtaran-e-Millat chairperson Asiya Andrabi for waving Pakistani flags in the Valley.
“Andrabi was arrested at midnight from her residence at Soura in connection with the case registered under Section 13 of Unlawful Activities Act on August 17,” a police official said. An FIR was filed against Andrabi for waving Pakistani flags at an undisclosed place in Srinagar on Pakistan’s independence day on August 14, and addressing — over the phone — a rally organised by Jamaat-ud Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan the same day. Police sources said Andrabi has been lodged at Women’s Police Station at Rambagh in Srinagar.
Andrabi, whose husband Qasim Faktoo is serving life imprisonment, had recently called on people to defy the beef ban imposed by Jammu and Kashmir High Court in the State and sacrifice bovine animals on Eid-ul-Azha in the Valley. In April this year, hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam was also arrested for waving Pakistani flags and chanting pro-Pakistan, pro-Hafiz Saeed, pro-Lashkar-e-Toiba and anti-India slogans.
A Dukhtaran-e-Millat spokesperson condemned Andrabi’s arrest and claimed the arrest came after Andrabi asked people to defy the beef ban.