National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Sunday said that theJammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik wasinstrumental in bringing the Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani andHurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq together to spearhead the 2016agitation in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Yasin Malik was instrumental in bringing together thedisparate factions of Hurriyat and formed Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL)which spear headed the 2016 agitation in Kashmir,” NIA said in a pressstatement.
It said that the JRL issued protest calendars leading toeconomic shutdown for over four months and also caused death/injuries tocivilians and security forces in the valley.
“Yasin Malik admitted that the JRL and Hurriyat ConferenceGeelani Group collected funds from business community as well as certain othersources and ensured that economic shut down and violent protests continue todisrupt the daily life of common citizens in the valley,” the NIA said in thestatement.
It said that Muslim League chairman Masarat Aalam Bhatrevealed in the investigation that Pakistan based agents route funds throughhawala operators which were transferred to the separatists including Syed AliGeelani.
“Aalam said there are rifts in the Hurriyat regardingcollection/use of funds,” it said.
Hurriyat leaders, including Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi of Duktaran-e-Milat, ShabirShah and Masrat Aalam were taken into police custody for custodialinterrogation in 2018 regarding funding case.
“The NIA investigation has also revealed that Zahoor AhamadShah Watali is one of the main hawala conduit who used to generate and receivefunds from Pakistan, ISI, UAE and had floated various shell companies todisguise foreign remittances for further transfer to separatist leaders andstone pelters in the valley,” added the statement.
NIA also said that Asiya Andrabi has admitted that she hadbeen collecting funds and donations from foreign sources and Duktaran-e-Milathad been organising protests by Muslim women in the valley.
“Asiya Andrabi was confronted with evidence regardingfunding of educational expenses of her son in Malaysia from 2011 onwardsthrough foreign remittances made by Zahoor Watali,” NIA said.
NIA said that the agency has already approached theconcerned authorities for providing evidence relating to certain bank accountsused by Mohammad bin Qasim (son of Asiya Andrabi) while he was studying in theUniversity.
NIA said that the investigation in this case is continuing.