Seemingly encouraged by the US, Jammu and Kashmir police has started preparing grounds for getting Interpol’s Red Corner notices issued against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, Hizbul Mujahedeen supremo Syed Salah-ud-din and Kashmiri separatist turned ISI agent Ghulam Nabi Fai.
The police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the senior superintendent of police (SSP), to look into the cases against the trio in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We are constituting the SIT today at Budgam to carry forward the cases of these people. These cases will be carried, investigated and taken to their logical conclusions. It includes issuance of Red Corner notices and other steps which are to be required in this regard,” said Kuldeep Khoda, director general of police (DGP), Jammu and Kashmir.
“These operatives who are connected with J&K situation and have figured prominently over the years (in different cases related to militancy) need to be probed. We have found that certain past activities need to be further probed,” he said.
Khoda said certain records available with them indicate that Fai was involved in anti-national activities before he disappeared from Kashmir in the early eighties. “During the course of investigation, SIT will find out whatever actions are required to be taken,” he said.
Fai, executive director of Kashmiri American Council (KAC), was sentenced to two years in jail by US court for allegedly working for the ISI. The US has put a $US 10 million bounty on Jamat-ud-Dawa patron and LeT chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed.
Mohommad Yousuf Shah alias Salah-ud-din is the chief of Hizb-ul-Mujhadeen and head of the United Jihad Council - an umbrella group of 13 militant outfits based in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir - is the most wanted militant in Jammu and Kashmir.
The decision to reopen cases came on the day when Kashmir observed partial strike against the conviction of Fai. The call for hartal was given by Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani to protest against the “motivated” conviction.
Geelani also came in open support of Hafiz Saeed, saying that the $US10 million bounty was against international law and diplomatic niceties.
“Neither has the American court convicted Hafiz, nor has any Pakistani court found anything against him. And therefore announcing bounty for him has no basis. The US is just trying to bully and nothing else,” said Geelani.
