His counsel says unwise for the political leader to travel to Delhi under hostile conditions, willing to cooperate as he has nothing to hide
Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Monday responded to the NIA summon asking him to appear before the agency at its Delhi headquarters.
Responding to the summon through his counsel, Mirwaiz said: “The notice in question appears to have been issued on the basis of fallacious assumptions and misinformation solely aimed at maligning the Mirwaiz-i-Kashmir, knowing his status and position, it appears to be the outcome of considerations other than the law.”
“My client is not acquainted with the subject matter of FIR/NIA Crime No. RC-10/2017/NIA/DLI, referred to in the notice,” the counsel said in the response.
“I have been further informed that my client has cooperated with the Investigating Agencies. Recently, when his house was raided on 26/02/2019, no obstruction of any kind was caused. Many documents, personal belongings, Laptop, Cell-Phone etc. were taken away but no receipt was given. Earlier also, on several occasions, close relatives of my client were called by the Investigating Agency and as a matter of fact, they too cooperated.”
“That in order to apprise you about the activities of my client, may it be, Religious, Spiritual, Socio and Politico, I make the following statement: My client Mohammad Umar Farooq is the Mirwaiz of Kashmir,” the response said. “Embedded in the cultural ethos of Kashmir, the 300-year-old institution of Mirwaiz has nurtured the spiritual and religious identity of Kashmir, fostering its tradition of harmony and goodwill within and amongst communities. They have been pioneers in spreading education in Kashmir and always stood for human, social and political rights of the people of Kashmir.”
“In keeping with this tradition, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who is the 13th Mirwaiz of Kashmir is committed to the abiding tradition of upholding truth and justice to represent the aspirations of the people of J&K. The Mirwaiz is highly revered and a large section of people have a deep emotional connection with him.”
“Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s stand is clear. He has always stated that the Kashmir issue is a Political and human issue which needs a political resolution either through the implementation of UN resolution or through dialogue amongst the three stakeholders India Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir. He has always stated that amicable relationship between India and Pakistan are imperative for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue and for peace and prosperity in the entire region of south Asia.”
“It is on record that in 2004 and 2005 Mirwaiz and his colleagues from the Hurriyat Conference engaged in a dialogue initiated by the then PM of India Atal Behari Vajpayee and continued by his successor Manmohan Singh. The Government Of India facilitated the travel of Mirwaiz and his colleagues to Pakistan to pave the path for a peaceful resolution of the issue.”
“Mirwaiz is being victimized solely for his political views advocating the cause of Kashmir. This is evident through the vicious media campaign /trial carried on the basic of unsubstantiated and adhoc leaks of information from the investigative agency which has vitiated the atmosphere in India. This has also led to violent verbal and physical assault that Kashmiris are facing across India.”
“Under the prevailing conditions of hostility wherein there is a threat to the personal safety of my client it becomes unwise for my client to travel to Delhi. If the NIA wants to examine my client Mirwaiz Umar Farooq they can do so in Srinagar. He is willing to cooperate as he has nothing to hide. So having regard to the above, obviously there are a few serious and vital concerns, which are as follows:
(i) The security of my client in case your Agency insists that he travel to Delhi.
(ii) Resultant situation which may emerge in the Valley.
(iii) The possible disturbance of fragile situation for its obvious reason that the religious sentiments of the people of the state will be aggrieved.
“In the totality of the circumstances, it will be reasonable and prudent, if contemplated examination is conducted at Srinagar. Needless to state that my client has been following centuries-old traditions and legacy of his ancestors for last several decades, as such, all his activities and initiatives have been transparent and known to the people which are already in public domain.
“Be that as it may, in view of the prevailing environment of insecurity and the delicate situation in Jammu and Kashmir I as the counsel, on behalf of my client above named, would request you to change the venue and hold the examination in Srinagar. This response is being sent without prejudice to the rights of my client,” the advocate in his response to NIA said. (GNS)
Comments are closed.