Jammu and Kashmir: 18 separatists, 155 politicians lose security

The security cover of these separatist leaders and politicians has been withdrawn in addition to the six separatists who lost their security on February 18. This was done in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack on February 14 in which over 40 CRPF troopers were killed.

Saima Siddiqui
Published on: 21 Feb 2019 11:20 AM IST
Jammu and Kashmir: 18 separatists, 155 politicians lose security
X
Jammu and Kashmir: 18 separatists, 155 politicians lose security

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government late on Wednesday issued orders to withdraw security provided to 18 separatists and 155 politicians, including PDP leader Wahid Parra and IAS officer Shah Faesal, calling it a wastage of resources.

The security review meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of state chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, took the decision as it was felt that providing security to these separatists is a "wastage" of scarce state resources which could be better utilised elsewhere.

The new list of the leaders whose security has been downgraded and withdrawn includes names from the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. Few names among them are: SAS Geelani, Aga Syed Mosvi, Maulvi Abbas Ansari, Yaseen Malik, Saleem Geelani, Shahid ul Islam, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Farooq Ahmed Kichloo, Masroor Abbas Ansari, Aga Syed Abul Hussain, Abdul Gani Shah and Mohd Musadiq Bhat.

The security cover of these separatist leaders and politicians has been withdrawn in addition to the six separatists who lost their security on February 18. This was done in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack on February 14 in which over 40 CRPF troopers were killed.

Through this, over 1,000 police personnel and over 100 vehicles are freed to do regular police work, they said.

"Over 1,000 personal security guards and 100 vehicles provided to the secured persons are being withdrawn," officials said here.

On Monday, the security cover of senior separatist leaders Mirwaiz, Abdul Gani Bhat, Fazal Haq Qureshi, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Shah was withdrawn.

The decision to cut down heavily on separatist leaders' cover was taken in the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack in which nearly forty-five CRPF personnel were killed and several got injured, on February 14, in one of the deadliest terror strikes in the Valley where a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden vehicle near their convoy of 78 vehicles.

Saima Siddiqui

Saima Siddiqui

Next Story