NIA to question Geelani's son, 29 other Kashmiris (Second Lead, correcting name in para two)

The NIA on Thursday issued summons to the elder son of Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and 29 others to question them on charges of receiving funds from Pakistan to sponsor terror activities and protests in the Kashmir Valley.

Sources in the National Investigation Agency said the summons were issued to Nayeem Geelani, a doctor who was once based in Pakistan, and others including those accused of pelting stones at security forces.

"We have issued summons to Syed Ali Shah's elder son and 29 others including some Hurriyat leaders, their relatives and some identified stone pelters to question them as part of our ongoing probe in Pakistan-sponsored terror funding," a NIA official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

The official said some of the 30 had been called to appear at the NIA headquarters in Delhi and some in Srinagar.

The summons came three days after the NIA arrested seven key Kashmiri separatists in connection with the case.

Those arrested are Nayeem Khan, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Aftab Hilali Shah alias Shahid-ul-Islam, Ayaz Akbar Khandey, Peer Saifullah, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal and Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate. All of them are uner 10-day NIA custody.

Altaf is the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who advocates Jammu and Kashmir's merger with Pakistan.

The NIA official also did not rule out the possibility of issuing summons to other Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and JKLF leader Muhammad Yasin Malik.

The NIA had registered a case on May 30 against separatist leaders, including members of the Hurriyat, who it said were in connivance with militants from outlawed groups like Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others for raising and receiving funds.

Investigators said the funds were received by the separatists through illegal means, including hawala channels, for funding terrorist and other activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

--IANS

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