The Modi government’s persistent efforts to curb terrorism in the Kashmir Valley is finally delivering results as the country’s most dreaded terrorists are now facing the prospect of spending the rest of their lives in jail as the investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found some shocking details. Yasin Malik, Asiya Andrabi, Shabbir Shah, Rashid Engineer and Masarat Alam are all set to be prosecuted under Section 45 of the UAPA with the Home Ministry expected to sanction their prosecution.
The likes of Yasin Malik and Co. had been masquerading as separatists since decades and the same gained prominence under the UPA rule as the Manmohan Singh led government sought to engage with them to ensure ‘peace and stability’ in Kashmir. The recent NIA report has unearthed some shocking revelations as the NIA has successfully established links between Hafiz Saeed and Yasin Malik and how the former was transferring money to Malik, Andrabi and Alam to mobilise stone pelters and spread terrorism in the valley.
The NIA report also revealed that Yasin Malik, with the help of Zahoor Watali, had taken Rs 15 lakh from Hafiz Saeed in 2015-16 through Hawala transactions. The 214-page report revealed that Hafiz Saeed sent Rs 1 crore to Syed Alishah Geelani, Shabbir Shah and Altaf Funtush. The report has also revealed that Khwaja Manzoor Chishti from Pakistan sent crores of rupees to Yasin Malik. According to an e-mail sent to Yasin Malik, Pakistan gave 2 crores in Pakistani currency for Azad Kashmir. The report further states that Pakistan used to give terror visas to the youth of Kashmir by giving legal visas through the recommissioned letter of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Yasin Malik and Omar Farooq.
The separatists who claim to be the voice of Jammu and Kashmir didn’t even spare the educational seats in engineering and medical reserved for the youth of J&K in Pakistan. The seats were sold off to the highest bidder and the money was divided between the separatists. Yasin Malik had also gone to Lashkar’s terrorist training camp in PoK and addressed terrorists and his e-mail trail proved that he had direct links with Lashkar and Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen. Asiya Andrabi, the head of the separatist organisation Dukhrane Milat (DeM) used to send crores of rupees to her son’s account. Asiya Andrabi used to collect this money through zakat in the name of terror, as well as sending the money from Hafiz Saeed’s hawala racket to her son Mohammed bin Qasim living in Malaysia. The report has revealed that Ahmed Bin Qasim, who is studying in Pakistan, has also sent one and a quarter lakh rupees through the account of HDFC Bank (AC 50100056172602) by Asiya Andrabi. Andrabi was also in constant contact with Hafiz Saeed and his two wives Umi Talha and Nur Jahan over the phone. The report also revealed that Hafiz Saeed used Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Batali to fund hawala money to Asiya Andrabi.
The NIA is slated to file the charge sheet against all the five separatists before October 4 and the Ministry of Home Affairs has given a Prosecution Permit under UAPA. The same separatists saw their clout increase in the heydays of the UPA government and Malik also used to fly to Pakistan on Indian taxpayer’s money with the then PM Manmohan Singh meeting him on multiple occasions and even asking for his help to ensure peace in Kashmir. The damage done to Kashmir during the 10 years of UPA rule is irreversible but perhaps the Modi government has sowed the seeds of a prosperous Kashmir by abrogating Article 370 and putting Yasin Malik and the ilk behind bars for the rest of their lives.