NIA Takes Action in Hurriyat Terror Funding Case, Attaches Properties of Accused

13-06-2023 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken further action in the Hurriyat terror funding case in Kashmir by attaching two properties belonging to another accused. This development comes just a day after the attachment of 17 properties owned by terror financier Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali. The properties that have been attached this time belong to Mohammad Akbar Khanday, a separatist leader associated with the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC).

The attached properties include nine kanals of land and a two-story house located in Srinagar. The Special NIA Court in New Delhi ordered the attachment under section 33(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Khanday, who is currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail and facing trial in the terror funding case, served as the spokesperson and media advisor for the Hurriyat Conference (G).

Investigations conducted by the NIA have revealed that Khanday was involved in raising and collecting funds through illegal channels, both within India and abroad. These funds were used to sponsor and promote separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Khanday had close connections with other separatist leaders within the APHC and operated in collaboration with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), a proscribed terrorist organization. He played a key role in collecting funds for unlawful and violent activities.

Furthermore, NIA investigations have exposed Khanday’s active involvement in activities aimed at the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India. The case, initiated by the NIA in May 2017, focuses on the terrorist and secessionist activities orchestrated by ISI-backed banned terrorist organizations in the region. These outfits, including Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), have been exploiting the APHC as a front for their operations, as revealed by the NIA.

In the Kashmir valley, the outlawed groups have been committing acts of violence and inciting terror against both civilians and security personnel. These organizations have used the APHC as a conduit in their efforts to promote and carry out assaults. The NIA has so far brought charges against 17 people in connection with the case. Hafeez Saeed, the head of Jamaat-ud-Dawah and LeT and a terrorist on the UN’s list, and Mohd. Yusuf Shah, also known as Syed Salahuddin, the leader of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), are among those charged.