The Jammu and Kashmir police on Saturday announced to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged anti-national activities of Ghulam Nabi Fai, a US-based Kashmiri activist who was sentenced to two years in prison by a US court last month on charges of illegally working for Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. This could lead to possible issuance of red corner notice again him. The SIT may also be asked to investigate activities of some other overseas Kashmiri separatists and their associates and other contacts back home.
The ISI not only pumped money into Fai’s front organisation for lobbying in the US about Kashmir, but also helped him muster support of outfits and some political leaders in the Valley, senior government officials said. Government sources said Fai’s close links with some separatist leaders in J&K as well as outfits lobbying for “self-determination” for Kashmir will come under the SIT’s scrutiny. Fai’s involvement in “terror financing” by routing the money to the Hizbul Mujahidden cadres in J&K is expected to be probed by the SIT. Investigators will also probe whether any money was used to support the families of terrorists in the Valley.
J&K DGP Kuldeep Khoda told reporters in Jammu Saturday that the SIT was being constituted under the SSP of central district Budgam where a warrant issued against Fai under the tough Public Safety Act by a local magistrate way back on August 4, 1980 for his allegedly being involved in anti-national activities remains unexecuted because of his absence from the country.
“We’re constituting a SIT today under SSP, Budgam, to carry forward cases of those, including Fai, who figured in various anti-national crimes — anti-national cases or activities connected with our state,” the police chief said.
The announcement was made on a day when a partial strike against Fai’s conviction by the US court was observed in the Valley in response to a call issued by separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
While shops and other businesses and educational institutions in many parts of the Valley remained closed for the day, the strike call evoked poor response in other areas. In Srinagar and several others areas, many shops were open and public and private transport vehicles were seen running on several routes. In Pampore, a highway town on the peripheries of Srinagar, groups of youth clashed with the police disrupting the vehicular traffic for some time, reports said.