Jammu and Kashmir separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was on Monday questioned for almost eight hours in the terror funding case at the National Investigation Agency headquarters in Delhi and he has also been asked to be available for questioning again on Tuesday. Officials said that Naseem Geelani, son of pro-Pakistan separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was also summoned on Tuesday.
A senior IPS officer said that though Mirwaiz has joined the probe, he was not cooperating during questioning. Mirwaiz's appearance before the NIA has paved the way for a thorough investigation into terror funding and conspiracy charges against the Hurriyat leader. The officer claimed that this is a significant development as Mirwaiz had tried to evade questioning by resorting to various stratagems — not responding to the summons initially and later saying he was ready to be examined by the NIA, but in Srinagar and not New Delhi. However, he eventually caved and travelled to the national capital after being given assurance that he would be provided security upon his arrival.
He was accompanied by other separatist leaders, including Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Maulana Abbas Ansari.
The NIA had conducted raids in February 2019 at the premises of Mirwaiz and other Hurriyat leaders like Yasin Malik and Naseem Geelani. They are part of Joint Resistance Leadership who frequently organize protests, stone pelting and shutdowns in the Valley.
(With agency inputs)