SRINAGAR: The J&K Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam and religious organisations have called for a shutdown in Kashmir on Saturday against the NIA summons to separatist leader and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
“The NIA summons to Mirwaiz is unacceptable. All religious organisations have condemned it,” said Mufti Nasir while addressing a press conference, here He said if NIA wants to examine Mirwaiz, they should question him in Srinagar.
Mirwaiz through his counsel had written a letter to the NIA to inform the investigation agency that he would not travel to Delhi for questioning due to security reasons and the NIA should question him in Srinagar. The NIA had sent summons to Mirwaiz to appear before NIA headquarters in New Delhi on March 11 in alleged terror funding case. Mufti Nasir called for a shutdown against the NIA notice and ban on socio-politico-religious party Jamaat-e-Islami.
The shutdown has been supported by Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of various religious organisations. Meanwhile, traders also belonging to various trade bodies staged a protest against NIA and harassment of other leaders. Addressing a press conference of various trade and business organisations, KCCI vice-president Abdul Hamid Mir said the government must act cordially to avoid harassment to Kashmiris.
“Mirwaiz’s family has remained torch bearers providing a platform for imparting education, inculcating of spiritual and moral values besides social services. Not only do the Muslims of Kashmir but even the Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs have high esteem towards this dynasty since centuries,” he said. Hamid said traders in Kashmir condemned the attempts at the politicisation of the situation in Kashmir.