Massive crackdown in Kashmir: Jamaat leaders, Yasin Malik arrested

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik. (File Photo: IANS/PIB) Yasin Malik | PTI

After the government withdrew security of several separatists leaders, several members of Jamaat-e-Islami were arrested last night across Kashmir. The move reflects the hardening of stand by the Centre and state administration against separatists and like-minded parties.

The police arrested Yasin Malik of pro-independence JKLF from his residence at Maisusma in Srinagar last night. Malik is part of the Joint Resistance Forum (JRF) that also include Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The Jamaat in a statement condemned the arrests by police and other agencies of its members.

The statement said, “During the intervening night of 22-23 February 2019, police and other forces launched a mass arrest drive and raided many houses in the valley wherein dozens of its central and district level leaders have been arrested. Those detained also include Jamaat Ameer (chief) Dr Abdul Hamid Fayaz, spokesman-advocate Zahid Ali, Ghulam Qadir Lone, Abdur Rouf, Mudasir Ahmad, Abdul Salam, Bakhtawar Ahmad, Mohammad Hayat, Bilal Ahmad, Ghulam Mohammad Dar.”

The arrests were made from Anantnag, Chadoora, Pahalgam, Tral and several other places.

The statement termed the move as something fishy as the hearing for the special status to Jammu and Kashmir was listed for hearing in the Supreme Court within days. The statement said that the way the forces unleashed the spree of mass arrest and detained dozens of Jamaat members prior to the hearing made it seem like something was being planned behind the curtains. It said that any attempt to erode or temper Article 35(A) is unacceptable for people of Jammu and Kashmir. It said, that the administration, at the behest of anti-Kashmir forces, have malicious intent towards Jamaat-e-Islami.

The arrest of Jamaat members came in the wake of Centre's decision to rush 100 companies of paramilitary forces to the valley. There were speculations that the additional deployment was aimed to buttress the security forces in Kashmir to quell any unrest in view of reports that the Centre was planning to abrogate Article 35(A) through an ordinance.

The crackdown on separatists come in the wake of the withdrawal of security of several separatists leaders and 155 protected persons after the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF men were killed on February 14.

Unconfirmed reports said the arrested persons could be shifted to jails outside Kashmir.