In pursuits of its aggressive stance against Pakistan and to snap its perceived nexus with separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, the government on Sunday unleashed a multi-pronged strategy and withdrew security cover to five separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Shabir Shah, who is already cooling his heels behind bars.
The move – administratively taken by the Jammu and Kashmir government – clearly has the backing of the Modi government as Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad endorsed it openly.
The major hint about the decision had come on Friday itself when Home Minister Rajnath Singh had visited the state in the wake of unprecedented Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based JeM that claimed lives of as many as 40 CRPF personnel.
The moderate Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq, however, remained unmoved and said withdrawal of security was a non-issue for them.
“Security cover is a non-issue for us, it was government’s decision to keep it and their decision to remove it”, a spokesman of the Hurriyat said.
“All security and any vehicles provided to them will stand withdrawn by today evening,” a state government release said.
Besides Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Shabir Shah, the security and facilities provided to three others — Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Abdul Ghani Bhat — were also withdrawn.
The state police headquarters in Srinagar have been directed to “review if there are any other separatists” who have government security or facilities and subsequently all these will be withdrawn immediately.
The 46-year-old Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is the chairman of the Awami Action Committee, one of the two key factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. Recently, he was in news for having tele talks with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Shabir Shah is under Enforcement Directorate and NIA custody and at present lodged in Tihar jail, sources said.
“No security forces or cover should be provided, under any pretext, to them or any other separatist,” sources said adding if they have any other facilities provided by the government, they are to be withdrawn forthwith.
During his visit to Srinagar on February 15 after the dastardly Pulwama attack, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said: “There are elements and forces who take money from Pakistan and the ISI. I have asked the officials concerned to review their security”.
Bilal Lone is brother of Sajjad Lone, a former minister in PDP-BJP coalition government from the BJP quota. Bilal Lone also hit headlines recently when he said he will ‘permanently’ stay in the “pro-freedom politics as that was the right path”.
Hashim Qureshi is accused in 1971 hijack of Indian airlines plane to Pakistan.
Chairman of hardline Huriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani has no security. However, he remained under house arrest for months and security forces and state police personnel remained deployed outside his Hyderpora residence to prevent him from moving out.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad backed the move and said – “We welcome this decision of the Jammu and Kashmir government. This step should have been taken earlier”.
Toeing predictable lines, Congress leader Saifuddin Soz expressed his reservation on withdrawal of security to the five top separatist leaders.
“This move was like a narrow vision of Kashmir. I have also said earlier that the Huriyat leaders never promoted violence,” Mr Soz was quoted as saying by television channels.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina, however, welcomed the government decision.
“The hurriyat people are the real enemies of the Kashmiris ….If J&K state is facing militancy today it is because of people like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabir Shah and Yaseen Malik,” he said.
