The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday chargesheeted three men, including a Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen operative, in a case pertaining to funding of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir allegedly through NGOs.
The accused chargesheeted by the NIA include Khurram Parvez, the Programme Coordinator of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS), Irfan Mehraj (associated with JKCCS), and Ghulam Hassan Bana, an alleged Hizbul Mujahideen operative, who is also allegedly a key member of United Jehad Council. Ghulam Bana has been chargesheeted as an absconder.
According to an official NIA release, the case relates to a conspiracy allegedly hatched to fund various proscribed Kashmiri terrorist outfits “in a clandestine and circuitous manner through NGOs, Trusts, Societies and welfare organisations”.
“These NGOs etc have been collecting funds domestically and from various foreign countries in the form of donations and business contributions, as well as in the name of carrying out religious, charitable, and various other welfare related activities. Such funds were being routed to Jammu & Kashmir through hawala channels with the help of hawala traders based in Delhi, J&K and other parts of India in order to sustain and promote terrorist and secessionist activities in the Kashmir Valley,” the NIA release said.
According to the NIA, NGOs and other organisations involved allegedly included Jammu Kashmir Affectees Relief Trust (JKART), Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), Falah-e-Trust (FAT), Darul Khair Trust, JK Youth civil societies, J&K Yateem Foundation (JKYF), Iqbal Memorial Trust (IMT) and Anjuman-e-Sharie-Shain (AeSS).
“Khurram Parvez and his co-accused were involved in publication of various manipulated reports, wherein they played with facts, subtly and even brazenly, by putting out information without context or out of context… Investigations have further revealed that the funds for the unlawful and nefarious activities flowed from the proscribed terrorist organisations through Ghulam Hassan Bana and other terror outfits and operatives based out of Pakistan,” the NIA said.
“Part of the funds received by Khurram Parvez and his co-accused… were given to the stone-pelters in the Kashmir valley to keep them motivated. Funds were also given by the accused to the family members of killed and active terrorists,” it added.