Continuing its proactive approach in restive Kashmir region, National Investigation Agency (NIA) Tuesday arrested two people including a photojournalist from south Kashmir.
The NIA described the youths “notorious stone pelters”. The investigating agency has arrested Kamran Yousuf of Pulwama. Yousuf, according to the sources, was stringer photojournalist with a leading newspaper, and Javaid Bhat of Kulgam in south Kashmir, who is stated to be day labourer.
Last month the NIA questioned nearly a dozen youth mostly from Pulwama. It seized their mobile phones.
The NIA has summoned the High Court Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom for questioning on Wednesday about "terror funding."
The move has shocked the legal fraternity here and they say it is an attempt to stop the Bar president, who is well known lawyer, from pleading cases in the Supreme Court and elsewhere.
Bar in a statement here said that it “has come as a surprise to people of our State, in particular the legal fraternity, that M. A. Qayoom, President Bar Association, has been summoned as a witness in FIR RC-10 registered by NIA.”
The Bar said the intension behind summing the Bar president is that to stop him from pleading case before Supreme Court of India in a petition against the pellet guns. The Bar said it is also an attempt to stop him from preparing a case against challenge to Article 35-A of the constitution, which is pending before Apex Court.
“We see no basis for calling him as a witness, when he has nothing to do with the allegations involved in FIR RC-10 nor is he acquainted with any circumstance of the case or investigation”, the Bar said.
“We have reason to say that for quite sometime well designed plan and conspiracy has been conceived to involve all persons who actively are seeking resolution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with wishes of the people. Registration of case followed by arrested, harassment of relatives of political leaders, public men, negative publicity intended to downgrade credibility, are all outcome of this conspiracy”, the Bar said.
The Bar members staged protest against the NIA's move. The Bar members assembled outside High Court complex here and shouted slogans against the government and the NIA. The protesting members were also holding banners displaying ‘attack on Mian Qayoom is attack on judiciary’. Senior counsel, Zaffar Shah said that the summoning the Bar association president was tantamount to the attack on the judiciary. He said that the lawyers will continue to stay away from work until JKBA president returns “with dignity” to the Valley.
