NL Correspondent
New Delhi, Oct 06
The National Investigation Agency has established the role played by the Pakistan High Commission in Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.
The foul role of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi supporting the separatist and other networks through transfer of funds via financial conduits and in providing directions for continued unrest in Kashmir valley has also been clearly established, the NIA said.
It may be recalled that in April the Enforcement Directorate had seized assets worth Rs 6.19 crore belonging to Kashmiri businessman, Zahoor Watali.
ED officials said that the Pakistan High Commission was one channel of funding for the separatists in Kashmir. The probe agency also said that Watali's role in raising funds and acting as a financial conduit had been established.
The ED during a search recovered a document that suggested that Watali was receiving funds from the ISI, Pakistan High Commission at New Delhi and Hafiz Saeed, the chief of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba through various illegal channels.
The agency learnt that after receiving the funds, Watali was remitting the same into the accounts of Hurriyat leaders. The separatists in turn used the money for their personal gains and also to fund stone pelters and terrorists, the agency also learnt.
“Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, the most active terror outfit in Kashmir, has also been responsible for funding terrorist and secessionist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.” “Headed by Syed Salahuddin, its self-styled commander based at of Rawalpindi in Pakistan, it funds terrorism on Indian soil through monies organised by a trust called JKART (Jammu and Kashmir Affectees Relief Trust) in alleged connivance with the ISI and other Pakistan-based entities,” the ED said in a statement.
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It said the probe found that “terror funds” were being sent to India through hawala – illegal way of routing money by skirting banking channels, barter trade and human carriers. “The funds are illegally distributed to the next of kin of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, active and dead,” it said. The US government had in August, 2017 designated Hizbul Mujahideen as ‘foreign terrorist organisation'. Besides heading Hizbul Mujahideen, Salahuddin is the chairman of the United Jehad Council (UJC), a conglomerate of terrorist outfits operating in the Kashmir Valley.
