J-K: Govt withdraws security of 18 Separatists & 155 politicians; Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders say, ‘never asked for it’

Days after Pulwama terror attack, Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday withdrew security of all 18 separatist leaders and 155 politicians in the state, including PDP leader Wahid Parra and IAS officer Shah Faesal.

According to PTI reports, the security review meeting under the chairmanship of state chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam took the decision. They felt that providing security to these separatists is a "wastage" of scarce state resources which could be better utilised elsewhere.

"Some elements in Jammu and Kashmir have links with the ISI and terrorist organisations. Their security should be reviewed,” said Home Minister Rajnath Singh, during his visit to Srinagar on Friday.

Among the leaders whose security has been downgraded and withdrawn are SAS Geelani, Aga Syed Mosvi, Maulvi Abbas Ansari, Yaseen Malik, Saleem Geelani, Shahid ul Islam, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza,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.

After government withdrew security, All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) spokesperson reacting on this said, they never asked for the security and withdrawing it won’t change the reality of the lingering Kashmir dispute or the situation the on the ground’.

“The Hurriyat leaders had never asked for it. In fact, it was the government that insisted on keeping the personnel based on what they said was their assessment of threat perception. It was the government’s decision at that time to keep it, today it’s their decision to remove it,” he said.

Earlier, on Sunday, security of six separatists was withdrawn. Through this, over 1,000 police personnel and over 100 vehicles are freed to do regular police work, the official said.

Also read: Lok Sabha 2019: ‘U-turn won’t guarantee a ticket to contest,’ BJP mocks Shatrughan Sinha for praising PM Modi