The Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Sunday decided to withdraw the security cover of five separatist leaders, including Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.
“A decision has been taken to withdraw the security cover of five separatist leaders — Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, professor Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Ahmad Shah,” state government sources said.
According to the decision, armed guards, vehicles and other facilities to the separatists will be withdrawn by Sunday evening, the sources added.
Sunday’s announcement comes after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who visited the Kashmir Valley on Friday, had said that security provided to those who “receive money from Pakistan would be reviewed.”
Shah is presently in custody in Delhi after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Srinagar on July 26, 2017, in connection with an alleged funding case.
Security cover was however, deployed outside his residence in Srinagar where his family resides.
Senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Muhammad Yasin Malik were not provided any security cover by the state government.
Govt Handout
The Government is issuing orders withdrawing all security and any government facilities provided to the separatist leaders- Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Shah.
All security and any vehicles provided to them will stand withdrawn by today evening. No security forces or cover should be provided, under any pretext, to them or any other separatists.
If they have any other facilities provided by Government, they are to be withdrawn forthwith.
PHQ will review if there are any other separatists who have Government security or facilities and will withdraw these immediately.