Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik detained; Syed Ali Geelani's house sealed over terror funding allegations

Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik was detained while the road leading to Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's house was sealed in an attempt to foil their meeting that was called to discuss the raids conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday over terror funding allegations.

At least 14 locations in Jammu and Kashmir, and eight locations in New Delhi were raided by the NIA on Saturday morning in connection with terror funding, allegedly involving separatists and Hurriyat leaders. The locations that were raided were residences and offices of Hurriyat members and big hawala traders suspected to have acted as conduits for terror funding in Kashmir.

A spokesman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was quoted by the Hindu as saying that the police surrounded his residence on Sunday evening. "The Mirwaiz was to attend the joint meeting at veteran leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's residence on Monday and later address a joint press conference."

The meeting was scheduled in the wake of NIA raids on separatists and their backers, especially those involved in money transactions through hawala.

Before conducting the raids, the NIA had registered a case alleging that funds were being allegedly sourced from Pakistan-based terror outfits, like Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT), to fuel unrest in the Valley through incidents of stone-pelting and targeting of school and public property.

The investigation agency had also questioned Hurriyat leaders Naeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Daralias Bitta Karate and Javed Ahmed Baba alias Gazi in Srinagar and Delhi regarding their involvement in collection of terror funds in Kashmir.

NIA has estimated that Pakistan-based terror groups are financing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir by generating millions in donations through their charity organisations.