‘If summons are not executed, arrest warrant may follow’
Despite a massive uproar in Kashmir, the National Investigations Agency on Thursday issued fresh summons to moderate Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.
In a notice, the Hurriyat leader has been asked appear for questioning at the probe agency headquarters in connection with a terror funding case that was filed by the agency in 2017.
According to the notice, the Hurriyat chief has been asked to appear at the NIA headquarters in the national capital on March 18.
On February 26, the agency carried out searches at the residences and office premises of various Hurriyat leaders, including Mirwaiz, in connection with the case related to financing of militancy and separatist activities in Kashmir.
The agency had earlier issued a summon to the moderate Hurriyat chief to appear before investigators on March 11. Mirwaiz had however refused to oblige the summon, saying that he had nothing to hide and that the agency can question him in Srinagar if it desires so.
The counsel of Mirwaiz had written to the agency, stating that his client would not be in a position to travel to the national capital in view of the prevailing situation across the country.
"Under the prevailing conditions of hostility wherein there is a threat to the personal safety of my client, it becomes unwise for my client to travel to Delhi," counsel for the Mirwaiz, Aijaz Ahmad Dhar, had said in a letter to the NIA.
“If the NIA wants to question the Mirwaiz, it can do so in Srinagar and he is willing to cooperate as "he has nothing to hide", the letter had said.
The letter states that Mirwaiz was not acquainted with the “subject matter of the FIR referred to” in the NIA's notice and the notice “appears to have been issued on the basis of fallacious assumptions and misinformation solely aimed at maligning the Mirwaiz".
"He (Mirwaiz) has always stated that the Kashmir issue is a political and human issue which needs political resolution either through implementation of UN resolutions or through dialogue amongst the three stakeholders -- India, Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir," the letter states.
A senior government official told Brighter Kashmir that in case the fresh summon is not executed and Mirwaiz doesn’t present himself before the investigators, an arrest warrant may follow, “That is the procedure of the courts,” the official said.
Earlier, the agency has arrested dozens of Hurriyat leaders and prominent businessman Zahoor Wattali in connection with the case. The agency had also searched residences of some of the separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz, Syed Ali Geelani’s son Naseem Geelani and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chief and senior separatist leader Ashraf Sehrai.
The agency has already questioned two maternal uncles of Mirwaiz and his close aides last year in connection with the case. He had been asked to appear before the NIA on March 11 but the Mirwaiz had expressed his inability to join the investigation in the national capital fearing for his security in view of "conditions of hostility".
‘If summons are not executed, arrest warrant may follow’
Despite a massive uproar in Kashmir, the National Investigations Agency on Thursday issued fresh summons to moderate Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.
In a notice, the Hurriyat leader has been asked appear for questioning at the probe agency headquarters in connection with a terror funding case that was filed by the agency in 2017.
According to the notice, the Hurriyat chief has been asked to appear at the NIA headquarters in the national capital on March 18.
On February 26, the agency carried out searches at the residences and office premises of various Hurriyat leaders, including Mirwaiz, in connection with the case related to financing of militancy and separatist activities in Kashmir.
The agency had earlier issued a summon to the moderate Hurriyat chief to appear before investigators on March 11. Mirwaiz had however refused to oblige the summon, saying that he had nothing to hide and that the agency can question him in Srinagar if it desires so.
The counsel of Mirwaiz had written to the agency, stating that his client would not be in a position to travel to the national capital in view of the prevailing situation across the country.
"Under the prevailing conditions of hostility wherein there is a threat to the personal safety of my client, it becomes unwise for my client to travel to Delhi," counsel for the Mirwaiz, Aijaz Ahmad Dhar, had said in a letter to the NIA.
“If the NIA wants to question the Mirwaiz, it can do so in Srinagar and he is willing to cooperate as "he has nothing to hide", the letter had said.
The letter states that Mirwaiz was not acquainted with the “subject matter of the FIR referred to” in the NIA's notice and the notice “appears to have been issued on the basis of fallacious assumptions and misinformation solely aimed at maligning the Mirwaiz".
"He (Mirwaiz) has always stated that the Kashmir issue is a political and human issue which needs political resolution either through implementation of UN resolutions or through dialogue amongst the three stakeholders -- India, Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir," the letter states.
A senior government official told Brighter Kashmir that in case the fresh summon is not executed and Mirwaiz doesn’t present himself before the investigators, an arrest warrant may follow, “That is the procedure of the courts,” the official said.
Earlier, the agency has arrested dozens of Hurriyat leaders and prominent businessman Zahoor Wattali in connection with the case. The agency had also searched residences of some of the separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz, Syed Ali Geelani’s son Naseem Geelani and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chief and senior separatist leader Ashraf Sehrai.
The agency has already questioned two maternal uncles of Mirwaiz and his close aides last year in connection with the case. He had been asked to appear before the NIA on March 11 but the Mirwaiz had expressed his inability to join the investigation in the national capital fearing for his security in view of "conditions of hostility".
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