The brother of late JKLF leader Maqbool Bhat was arrested along with 22 others while making an unsuccessful attempt to cross over to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) from Kupwara in North Kashmir.
Zahoor Bhat, a resident of Tregham in North Kashmir, was arrested along with his family and others when they were making attempts to cross over to PoK in the wee hours of yesterday, official sources said here today.
Zahoor is the brother of JKLF leader Maqbool Bhat who was hanged in 1984 for his involvement in anti-national activities.
Giving details, the sources said the Army apprehended a group of 23 people near Tagndhar when they were attempting to cross the LoC and subjected them to questioning.
During questioning, it was found that one of the persons was carrying an identity card by the name of Bashir Ahmed. However, later in sustained interrogation, he turned out to be Zahoor Bhat who was involved in many cases including stone pelting during the 2010 agitation, the sources said.
There were six ladies in the group and all of them were actually residents of PoK and had entered Kashmir through Nepal.
During interrogation, they also told the police that they wanted to visit their relatives in PoK as the government had refused passports to them.
After formalities, the police placed four men, including Zahoor Bhat, under arrest and released eight women and 10 children.
