J&K administration withdraws security of separatist leaders

NEW DELHI: The Jammu & Kashmir government on Sunday ordered withdrawal of State security and all other government facilities to separatist leaders, namely, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Shah.
The crackdown comes days after home minister Rajnath Singh, during his visit to Srinagar on Friday, had said security given to people getting funds from Pakistan and its snooping agency ISI should be reviewed."Some elements in J&K have links with the ISI and terrorist organisations. Their security should be reviewed," the home minister had said after reviewing security in the aftermath of dastardly terror attack in South Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen had killed Umar's father, Mirwaiz Farooq, in 1990 and Abdul Gani Lone in 2002.
Incidentally, the other two top separatist leaders in Kashmir - Syed Ali Shah Geelani of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat people and Yasin Malik of JKLF - are not on the list because while Malik does not have any security cover or government facility, Geelani is under house arrest.
According to the order issued, all security and vehicles provided to the separatists will stand withdrawn by Sunday evening. No security forces or cover will be provided, under any pretext, to them or any other separatists. If they have any other facilities provided by the government, they are to be withdrawn forthwith, the official said.
Police will review if there are any other separatists who have security or facilities which will be withdrawn immediately, the officials said.
Forty CRPF personnel were killed and five injured on Thursday in one of the deadliest terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden vehicle near their bus in Pulwama district.
The bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.
Hurriyat spokesman termed the government order a propaganda and said it has no bearing on the Kashmir dispute or the situation on ground and it can in no way change the reality.
"With or without these police personnel at the Hurriyat residence, everything remains the same," the spokesman said in a statement, adding, the whenever an issue was made, the Mirwaiz announced from the pulpit of the Jamia Masjid that the government can withdraw the security cover.
The Mirwaiz is one of the religious heads in Kashmir valley.
The spokesman said the Hurriyat leaders had never asked for security
"In fact, it was the government that insisted on keeping the personnel based on what they said was their assessment of threat perception. It was the government's decision at that time, today it's their decision to remove it. It's not an issue for us," the statement said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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