Malik joins Bilal Kawa family’s protest

Srinagar, Jan 15: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Mohammad Yasin Malik, on Monday said that New Delhi was “forcing” Kashmiri youth to pick up arms.
Malik, who joined the family of Kashmiri businessman Bilal Ahmad Kawa at Srinagar’s Press Colony to protest against his arrest, said, “Educated youth are joining armed struggle. These are the youth whose families were harassed in 2008 and 2010. You saw how their mothers and sisters were harassed and humiliated.”
Recently, a Ph. D scholar Manaan Wani reportedly joined Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, as his picture posing with an AK-47 rifle went viral on social media.
The JKLF chief cautioned the centre and state government about ramifications of arresting “innocent persons”.
“Police is doing it for rewards and promotions,” he accused.
Seeking immediate release of Kawa, Malik said, “He was implicated in a false case.”
“He has been doing business in Delhi for the last 25 years. He is even having a driving license issued by the authorities in New Delhi. Recently, he was arrested at New Delhi’s airport by the police, accusing him of being involved in an attack of a 20-year-old case,” he said.
The JKLF Chairman asked New Delhi police: “Why was there no FIR against him despite his frequent trips to New Delhi over the years?”
“His mother is unwell. He should be released immediately,” he added.
Meanwhile, the family of Kawa protested to seek his immediate release.
His mother, Fatima, an elderly woman, was seen crying, seeking releasing of her son.
“Please release my innocent son. If my son was involved, why wasn’t he arrested all these years?” she asked, and fell unconscious.
“He had gone there for a medical check-up and meet up the family members living in Delhi. He had never gone underground,” the family said.
J&K police has said that there was no case registered against him in the state and that no notice declaring him a proclaimed offender was received.
The family has also met Additional Director General of Police, Muneer Ahmad Khan. The police facilitated the meeting of family members with Delhi police officials through its New Delhi-based Criminal Investigation Department cell.
Kawa was sent to 10-day police custody by a Delhi court on Thursday, a day after he was arrested at Delhi airport.
He was arrested by the Delhi Police and Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad on January 11 from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on the charges of involvement in 2000 Red Fort attack case.