Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today appeared before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi in connection with a case related to terror funding. Officials said the Mirwaiz was provided security upon his arrival at Delhi airport as was assured by the NIA after he raised the issue for appearing at the agency's headquarters in the national capital.
Hurriyat Conference leaders Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Maulana Abbas Ansari accompanied the Mirwaiz. He was served a third summons by the NIA. Earlier, he had been asked to appear before the agency on 11th March and 18th March.
The NIA had on 26th February carried out searches at premises of several leaders, including the Mirwaiz. The NIA probe seeks to identify the chain of players behind the financing of terror activities, pelting of stones on security forces, burning down of schools and damaging of government establishments.
The case names Hafiz Saeed, Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), the front for banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, as an accused, besides organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference factions led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Hizbul Mujahideen and Dukhtaran-e-Millat.
