The separatist Hurriyat Conference, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has suspended its provincial president Nayeem Khan after he admitted to organise the unrest in Kashmir for money. The admission by Khan and two other separatists has led the National Investigation Agency(NIA) to initiate a probe against the three.
A team of NIA has reached Kashmir and contacted one of the three separatists for questioning.
The NIA is likely to summon Khan and others for questioning and investigate the claims by the three about taking money from Pakistan to fuel unrest in Kashmir.
Kashmir has been in the throes of violence after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed by security forces last July.
Khan,whose party, the National Front, is a Hurriyat constituent, was recently caught on tape, admitting that separatists take money from Pakistan to organise stone pelting and arson in Kashmir.
He was seen telling two undercover reporters of a private channel, who posed as businessmen, that they organise the unrest in Kashmir for money like in 2016.
Soon after the tape was played by the channel, Khan went incommunicado.
The development sparked off an outrage on social media with many people criticising Khan and separatists for defaming the movement in Kashmir.
On Saturday, Khan called a press conference and said the tape was doctored and attempts were being made to malign them.
He did not answer any questions but said he better be judged by the people of Kashmir and its leadership.
Geelani in a statement said: Though Nayeem Ahmad Khan in a press conference has raised questions over the veracity of the said video clip, in pursuance of special power vested in me as chairman and until the clarification of all related issues come to fore, the membership will remain suspended".
Geelani said it is his moral duty, and as the supreme head of forum he is obliged to fulfill assigned duties. "lt is my duty to aware my nation that Indian media is a biased and not trustworthy. They are working for Indian agencies and as mouthpiece for fanatical forces," the statement said.
