Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin chargesheeted for helping terror activities
What's the story
The NIA has filed a chargesheet against 12 people including Hizbul Mujahideen head Syed Salahuddin and Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed. The 12 have been charged with conspiring to wage a war against the government by funding terror and helping secessionist activities. Apart from these two terrorist outfit chiefs, separatist leaders, alleged stone pelters and a businessman have also been chargesheeted.
Profile
Who is Syed Salahuddin?
Salahuddin has been arming and training youth since the early 80s fuelling anti-India militancy in Kashmir. He also heads the United Jihadi Council, an umbrella body of terrorist groups in Kashmir set up in the 90s. He has blatantly been against India-Pakistan dialogue on the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue and claims responsibility for the 2014 explosion which claimed 17 lives in Kashmir.
Information
How are Saeed, Salahuddin and other Pakistani handlers involved?
According to the NIA, Salahuddin, Saeed and other Pakistani handlers supervise leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, "who have established a network of cadres throughout Kashmir Valley who incite the youth to attack all symbols of Indian sovereignty" including Indian security forces.
Process
How does Pakistani funding work?
Officials had said earlier that funding from Pakistan to Kashmir comes via other places, including the gulf countries. Separatist leaders then distribute the money among youths for creating unrest: stone-pelting, damaging government buildings and more. Stone-pelters are allegedly paid Rs. 500-1,000 everyday for disrupting peace. Separatists are suspected to have spent hundreds of crores in 2016-17 to keep the unrest going.
Evidence
A huge cache of incriminating material and witnesses
The NIA had initially registered an FIR in the case last May. The judicial custody of 10 arrested ended today. Filing its chargesheet, the NIA said it had raided over 60 places across J&K. Delhi and Haryana, and examined more than 300 witnesses. Almost 1,000 incriminating documents and 600 devices had been seized. Analysis of the material established involvement of the accused, it submitted.
Others
The full list of those chargesheeted
Others chargesheeted include Shahid-ul-Islam, media advisor/strategist of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference; Fantoosh, PRO at Tehreek-e-Hurriyat; Nayeem Khan, chairman of National Front; and Farooq Ahmad Dar, chairman of JKLF. Mohammad Khanday, Hurriyat spokesman; Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Hurriyat fund-raiser; and Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat secretary, have also been named. Then there's Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Shah Watali and alleged stone-pelters Kamran Yusuf and Javed Ahmed Bhat.