Alam revealed rift among separatists over funds: NIA

The NIA, probing terror funding cases in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday claimed that the poster boy of the 2010 unrest, Masarat Alam had revealed that there was a rift among the separatists regarding the collection and use of funds pumped through the ‘hawala’ route.

“Muslim League chairman Masarat Alam Bhat revealed in the investigation that Pakistan based agents routed funds through hawala operators which were transferred to the separatists including Syed Ali Geelani. Alam said that there were rifts in the Hurriyat regarding collection/use of funds,” a spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a statement.

The premier probe agency said these revelations were in continuation of a terror funding probe in a case registered by it in 2017.

Separatist leaders, including JKLF chief Yasin Malik, Dukhtran-e-Miliat chief Aasiya Andrabi, Shabir Shah and Masrat Aalam are in NIA custody regarding the terror funding case.

The NIA spokesperson said that Malik has confessed that the ‘Joint Resistance Leadership’ comprising himself, Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq “collected funds from the business community as well as certain other sources and ensured that economic shut down and violent protests continue to disrupt the daily life of common citizens in the Kashmir Valley in 2016”.

“Yasin Malik was instrumental in bringing together the disparate factions of Hurriyat and formed JRL which spearheaded the 2016 agitation in Kashmir. The JRL issued protest calendars leading to economic shutdown for over four months and also caused death/injuries to civilians and security forces in the valley,” he said.

The NIA's investigation has also revealed that Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali is one of the main ‘hawala’ conduit who used to generate and receive funds from Pakistan, ISI, UAE and had floated various shell companies to disguise foreign remittances for further transfer to separatist leaders and stone pelters in the valley, the statement said.

The NIA has also said that Asiya Andrabi has admitted that she had been collecting funds and donations from foreign sources and Dukhtaran-e-Millat had been organising protests by Muslim women in the valley.

“Asiya Andrabi was confronted with evidence regarding the funding of educational expenses of her son in Malaysia from 2011 onwards through foreign remittances made by Zahoor Watali,” NIA said.

The NIA said that the agency has already approached the concerned authorities for providing evidence relating to certain bank accounts used by Mohammad bin Qasim (son of Asiya Andrabi) while he was studying in the University.

During the investigation conducted so far, the NIA has charge sheeted 13 accused, including Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, and seven second rung separatist leaders, two ‘hawala’ conduits and some stone-pelters.

The NIA said that the investigation, in this case, is continuing.