Srinagar: Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq left early Monday morning for New Delhi to appear before National Investigation Agency in connection with a case registered at the behest of the government of India.
Having skipped two summons earlier, Mirwaiz will be accompanied by executive members to New Delhi and the decision was taken at an amalgam’s meeting yesterday and it also followed the central investigation agency assurance that “it would take care of his security concern,”
A spokesman of the Hurriyat Conference said on Sunday: “A crucial meeting of Hurriyat Conference Executive members which included chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Ghani Lone , Masroor Abbas Ansari was held at the residence of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq after the third summon was sent to him by NIA to come to New Delhi for questioning as witness.”.
The meeting strongly condemned the move and said that the Chairman was being deliberately harassed and there was an effort to “criminalize” leadership for their political stand, the spokesman said.They said that Hurriyat Conference is a political coalition of political parties striving for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue and to associate it with anything to do “terror is ridiculous and deliberate victimization for our political ideology.”The spokesman said the amalgam always maintains that Kashmir is a political issue that needs resolution peacefully and humanely. He said the Hurriyat Conference always worked towards that end and walked the talk in that regard by welcoming and participated in every effort at dialogue between the stakeholders.“Unfortunately rulers of the day are resorting to such tactics to harass and intimidate them under the garb of legality.”He said that despite having nothing to do with the matter, Mirwaiz through his legal council had said that he was ready to cooperate in the investigation but had asked the agency to hold it in Srinagar as he had several “genuine concerns including serious security concerns” in New Delhi. He said that NIA has refused to conduct the investigation in Srinagar but said in the third notice that it would take care of his security concern.“It is unfortunate that they did take into account the other concerns and are insisting on investigation in New Delhi,” the spokesman said, adding, “The (executive) meeting decided that they will all accompany Mirwaiz to New Delhi for the investigation.” The Hurriyat Conference said that they know that people are anguished and concerned for the Mirwaiz as their religious emotions are also attached to him as Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir, besides him being a representative of their political sentiments. The spokesman said that amalgam know that people are deeply anguished by the harassment of Mirwaiz but urged them to stay calm and peaceful .“Mirwaiz or any member of Hurriyat Conference has nothing to do with the so called funding case and it is sheer vindictiveness on the part of authorities.”
