Security cover of 18 Hurriyat leaders, 155 politicians withdrawn by J&K administration

The security cover of 18 separatist leaders and 155 politicians, including PDP leader Wahid Parra and IAS officer Shah Faesal, was withdrawn by the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday.

JKLF Chief and Senior Hurriyat Leader Yasin Malik. PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: The security cover of 18 separatist leaders and 155 politicians, including PDP leader Wahid Parra and IAS officer Shah Faesal, was withdrawn by the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday. Among the leaders whose security has been downgraded and withdrawn are: Shahid ul Islam, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Farooq Ahmed Kichloo, Masroor Abbas Ansari, Aga Syed Abul Hussain and Abdul Gani Shah, Mohd Musadiq Bhat. The security review meeting, which was held here under the chairmanship of state chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, took the decision as it was felt that providing security to these separatist leaders is a "wastage" of scarce state resources which could be better utilised elsewhere, PTI reported. The security of 155 political persons and activists, who did not require the security provided to them based on their threat assessment and their activities, was also withdrawn. This includes Shah Faesal, the 2010 IAS topper from Jammu and Kashmir who recently resigned from bureaucracy, and PDP leader Wahid Parra, the officials said. Through this, over 1,000 police personnel and over 100 vehicles are freed to do regular police work, they said.

This comes days after the security cover of separatists Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi, Fazal Haq Qureshi and Shabir Shah was removed. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, during his visit to Srinagar on Friday, had said security given to people getting funds from Pakistan and its snooping agency ISI should be reviewed. "Some elements in Jammu and Kashmir have links with the ISI and terrorist organisations. Their security should be reviewed," he had said. The decision came after 40 CRPF personnel were killed and five injured on Thursday in one of the deadliest terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden vehicle near their bus in Pulwama district. The bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar. Hurriyat spokesman had termed the government order a propaganda and said it has no bearing on the Kashmir dispute or the situation on ground and it can in no way change the reality. "With or without these police personnel at the Hurriyat residence, everything remains the same," the spokesman said in a statement, adding, the whenever an issue was made, the Mirwaiz  announced from the pulpit of the Jamia Masjid that the government can withdraw the security cover. (With inputs from PTI)