Shahbir Shah has links with Lashker-e-Taiba: Police

Sumir Kaul

Srinagar, Jul 5 (PTI) In a confidential report, Police in
India's northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir has accused
moderate Hurriyat Conference leader Shabir Ahmed Shah of
having links with Pakistan-based terror group Lashker-e-Taiba.

In the report to the state home department, the police
have suggested some pro-active measures to curb the
anti-national activities of separatist leaders and also
slapped the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against
pro-Pakistan leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

In its report, the police alleged that Shah was in
constant touch with Furqan of Lashker-e-Taiba and used to take
orders directly from him, official sources said.

The report, which has been sent to the Home department to
confirm the Public Safety Act on Shah, has accused him of
hatching a conspiracy with LeT cadres in destablising the
peace in the state.

The name of Furqan first surfaced during the probe of
Hurriyat leader Sheikh Aziz's killing. He was shot dead in
North Kashmir during "Muzzafarabad Chalo" (in
Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir) by militants.

During investigations, it came to light that Furqan was
in constant touch with Shah on a mobile not registered in the
name of the separatist leader, the police claimed in its
report.

Shah was also accused of receiving funds from abroad
through hawala channel which was, in turn, handed over to
Lashker cadres through over ground workers, who have also been
picked up by the police, the sources claimed.

Police also claimed to have gathered electronic evidence,
including some e-mails, pointing towards his involvement in
Lashker-e-Taiba's nefarious designs to destabilise the
functioning of the state government.

Shah, who has been in custody of the state police since
past six weeks, also acted as a go-between to bridge the
differences between Geelani and moderate Hurriyat leader
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, the sources claimed.

This, according to the report, was being done at the
behest of Lashker-e-Taiba which wanted a united platform for
the separatist leaders.

Besides Shah and Geelani, host of other separatist
leaders, including Nayeem Khan, Aysa Indrabi, Mohammed Saleem
Nanaji and Ghulam Nabi Sumzi -- majority of whom are Geelani
supporters, have been detained. PTI SKL