ED notice unjustified, politically motivated: APHC

Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference while terming the so-called notice issued by New Delhi’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) as unjustified and politically motivated has said that the authorities are plotting to tarnish the stature of APHC Chairman Syed Ali Gilani and his colleagues.

An APHC spokesman in a statement issued in Srinagar said the move is an attempt to pressurize and intimidate Gilani and the resistance leadership. The ED had served a notice to Syed Ali Gilani and others in a fifteen-year-old fake case. “The notice is a pressure tactic aimed at deterring the pro-freedom people from advocating their just cause. No foreign exchange was recovered from Gilani’s house in the raid of 2002,” he said. Refuting the charges levelled by Indian agencies, the spokesman said that counsel for Gilani in person has filed the rejoinder.

He said, “Delhi has tried all its moves to cow down Gilani’s resolve and these state-sponsored tactics won’t deter us from pursuing our mission nor will these coercions, suppressive and aggressive measures make us to surrender”. He said though much hype was given to these raids, nothing was recovered. “Despite fifteen long years, nothing substantial was proved. No foreign currency or objectionable material was recovered from the residence of Gilani or his relatives.”

Terming the raids as vengeful act, the spokesman added it was unjustified, immoral and illogical. “Even now, the NIA has started a malicious campaign against Syed Ali Gilani and his colleagues and these agencies are trying to disturb and harass him on one pretext or the other.” He said Kashmir is a political and human issue and it has an international status, and added that India was creating hurdles in its peaceful resolution thus creating impediments to restoration of peace and stability in South Asia.

Meanwhile, Syed Ali Gilani has expressed deep grief over the demise of wife of Sami Ullah Malik, who passed away after a protracted illness. Gilani in his condolence message said, “In this hour of grief, we stand with the grieved family and pray for eternal peace to the departed soul.”

Meanwhile, an aide of Hurriyet forum Chairman, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and a businessman from Kashmir have been questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The NIA has been questioning Shahid-ul-Islam, a close aide of the Mirwaiz, and businessman, Zahoor Watali for last three days about the alleged assets possessed by them.