NIA issues third summon to Mirwaiz in terror funding

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing terror funding to Kashmiri separatists and militants, has issued a third notice to moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in an alleged militancy funding case.

Sources told Deccan Herald that Mirwaiz has been asked to present himself on April 8 at the Delhi headquarters of the premier probe agency for questioning. A summon notice has been sent to the separatist leader, they said and added the notice says that Mirwaiz’s security concerns in New Delhi will be taken care of.

The Hurriyat chairman had through his counsel, refused to travel to Delhi on earlier two occasions, citing fears for his security in view of “conditions of hostility.” But he promised complete cooperation with the NIA provided he was questioned in Srinagar.

The anti-terror probe agency is investigating a case related to terror funding in Kashmir through hawala channels. The agency carried out a series of raids on separatists, including the Mirwaiz in February. The agency claimed to have recovered several incriminating documents, including letterheads of different terrorist organisations as well as high-end communication systems, during the raids.

The NIA had questioned two maternal uncles of the Mirwaiz—Molvi Manzoor and Molvi Shafat—and his close aides last year. Both Manzoor and Shafat are retired senior government officers.

The NIA has arrested nearly a dozen people, including seven separatist leaders, a high-profile businessman and a son of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir based Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salah-ud-Din. The probe agency has also questioned octogenarian separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani's sons, Dr Nayeem and Naseem, though both have been let off after several rounds of interrogation in New Delhi.