Hurriyat leader asks India, Pak to desist from warmongering

Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Wednesday asked India and Pakistan to desist from warmongering, saying war will be a disaster for the entire region.

Mirwaiz, who was prevented from holding a press conference by authorities at his Nigeen residence, said dialogue was the only way forward.

"Leadership and people of Kashmir greatly urge India and Pakistan not to escalate the situation and desist from warmongering which will be a disaster for the entire region. We ask both governments that as in the past, escalation and war can never resolve the issues between them, and only talking to one another is the way forward," he said.

Referring to Tuesday's National Investigation Agency (NIA) raids on separatists, the Hurriyat leader said there was a "threatening and grave atmosphere created by the authoritarian state across Kashmir and people are being psychologically intimidated".

The NIA had carried out searches at seven locations, including on the premises of separatists like Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, in connection with a case related to funding to terrorist and separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The agency said it recovered "high-tech internet communication setup" from Mirwaiz's residence.

The separatist leader, however, Wednesday claimed that he was not provided seizure memo as required under law after the raids.

"I was not given the seizure memo of things seized from me which is the norm. When I asked for it, I was told to approach court. Later, in the NIA press release in the evening, they used the word 'incriminating evidence' which is a matter of concern. There was nothing so-called 'incriminating' that was taken. As I was not given a seizure memo, any mischief can be done," Mirwaiz alleged.

On the NIA mentioning that a high-tech internet communication device was also recovered from his residence, the Hurriyat leader said, "It is actuality a simple internet lease line by a private company which is commonly used in offices and homes for good and uninterrupted internet use.