J-K: Several accused in terror funding case shared common agenda with Pakistan: NIA court

New Delhi [India], March 19 : A National Investigation Agency court on Saturday observed that a terror funding accused and Pakistan share common agenda in their aims to promote secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NIA Judge Praveen Singh after going through the statements of witnesses said, "So from the statements of witnesses, a pattern is emerging - Pakistan or its agencies and accused share a common goal and there is an agreement on the means to be used for achieving that goal and for that funding is also being provided by Pakistan".
The court ordered framing of charges against Kashmiri politician and former MLA Rashid Engineer, Businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and several others under various sections of Indian Penal Code and UAPA including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, unlawful activities, etc.
The court after reading a joint press statement issued by Syed Ali Geelani and Mohammad Yasin Malik and others noted that the terrorist organizations and JRL/APHC not only share a common goal but from their own official words, it is apparent that they work in unison towards that goal.
The court also noted that prima facie there existed a criminal conspiracy pursuant to which large-scale protests, resulting in violence and arson at a massive scale, were orchestrated. The court according to the NIA charge-sheet, the JKLF chief Yasin Malik had set up an elaborate structure and mechanism across the world to raise funds for carrying out terrorist and other unlawful activities in Jammu and Kashmir in the name of "freedom struggle".
The NIA special Judge Praveen Singh in the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case, after discussion of the evidence, said that prima facie it is established that accused Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik, Er. Rashid, Altaf Fantoosh, Masrat and Hurriyat/JRL were the direct recipients of terror funds.
The NIA court while passing an order on framing of charges noted that money for terror funding was sent from Pakistan and its agencies and even the diplomatic mission was used to fulfil the evil design. Money for terror funding was also sent by proclaimed international terrorists and accused Hafiz Saeed.
The NIA court further said that accused Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali was one of the main conduits for the flow of this terror funding and accused Naval Kishore Kapoor had played an active part in facilitating it.
The NIA court has ordered framing of charges against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, Kashmiri separatist leaders including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam and others under various sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a case pertaining to terrorist and secessionist activities that disturbed Jammu and Kashmir.
However, the court also clarified that whatever has been expressed in the order is a prima facie opinion although, a detailed discussion of the evidence had to be done because the arguments were advanced by both sides in much detail.
According to the NIA various terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) etc., with the support of ISI of Pakistan, perpetrated violence in the valley by attacking civilians and security forces.
It was further alleged that in the year 1993, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed to give a political front to secessionist activities.
The NIA charge sheet submitted that the Central Government received credible information that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Amir of Jammat-ud-Dawah and the secessionist and separatist leaders including the members of Hurriyat Conference have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organizations like HM, LeT, etc. for raising, receiving and collecting funds domestically and abroad through various illegal channels including hawala.
The NIA also stated before the court that, this was done for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and as such, they have entered into a larger conspiracy for causing disruption in the valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, systematically burning of schools, damage to public property and waging war against India.