NIA should summon me and issue it in my name if they are serious about knowing the truth,” the JKLF chief told .
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik on Sunday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA), asking it to summon him to New Delhi to “know the truth” and to stop demonising the family members and political colleagues of pro-freedom leaders, and the businessmen of Kashmir.
Malik’s statement comes close on the heels of NIA’s summons to Front’s zonal president Noor Muhammad Kalwal.
Kalwal has been asked by the investigating agency to present himself at its New Delhi office on August 28.
“NIA should summon me and issue it in my name if they are serious about knowing the truth,” the JKLF chief told Greater Kashmir.
He said the reality is that New Delhi, through the NIA, started the media trial of-- Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and others-- and later cast its net on the family members and political colleagues of these leaders.
“The Investigating agency also involved the businessmen of Kashmir and summoned them to Delhi,” he said.
The NIA has arrested six Hurriyat leaders, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Shahidul Islam, Ayaz Akbar, Mehrajudin Kalwal and Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate.
Also, senior Shabir Ahmed Shah has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. All the arrested leaders have been lodged at Delhi’s Tihar jail.
The JKLF chief said that for a long time, the NIA has been summoning political activists and businessmen to Delhi and quizzing them for hours.
The JKLF chief said that NIA has arrested many leaders and businessmen and is continuing its “media trial” against Kashmiris.
“Delhi and its agencies want to slander the resistance leadership under the garb of terror funding. Instead of directly questioning the top leaders, the NIA started terrorising their kith and kin, friends and families,” he said.
Malik asked Delhi that if the NIA was sure about charges levelled against the leaders, then it should refrain from 'targeting' the family members and friends of the leadership.
“For us, Kashmir struggle is sacred. It has been nourished by the blood of innocent people and in spite of propaganda, intimidations, threats and torture we will keep the flag and flame of this struggle high and will leave no stone unturned to take this struggle to its desired goal,” Malik said.
On the summons issued by NIA to JKLF leader Kalwal, the Front chairman said that summons are actually a ploy to intimidate the pro-freedom leaders.
“Kalwal is a known political leader whose social and political life is an open book,” he said. “He is living a modest life and is known for his integrity, simplicity, selflessness and commitment towards peaceful means of resistance.”