The Central government may take some strict actions against both factions of the Hurriyat Conference. According to reports, the Hurriyat Conference has been continuously spearheading the separatist movement in Jammu and Kashmir for the past two decades, and it is expected to be banned under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
According to a recent investigation on the granting of MBBS seats to Kashmiri students by various Pakistani institutions, the money collected from aspirants was being misused to fund terrorist organisations operating in the Union Territory. The money collected from applicants was also believed to have been used to incite Kashmiris for separatist movements such as stone-pelting and terrorism. According to reports, each MBBS seat in Pakistan costs about Rs 10-12 lakh. In some cases, this fee was reduced on the intervention of Hurriyat leaders. Sources said that concessions were given to aspiring students based on the political strength of the intervening Hurriyat leader.
Under Section 3 (1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, both factions of the Hurriyat Conference could be banned for getting involved in illegal activities.
The Centre’s proposal to ban these organizations has been introduced as part of its zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. The Hurriyat Conference was founded in 1993 with the participation of 26 organisations, including a few pro-Pakistan and banned outfits such as Jamaat-e-Islami, JKLF, and the Dukhtaran-e-Millat. The People’s Conference and the Awami Action Committee, led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, were also present in the group.
According to the investigation, separatist leaders are suspected of being involved in the funding of terrorist groups. This includes members and cadres of the Hurriyat Conference. These cadres are reported to have raised funds from within and outside the country through various illegal means to finance separatist and terrorist activities in theUnion Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The probe further revealed that this money was used to plan and carry out criminal activities such as stone pelting at security forces in Kashmir Valley, burning schools, destroying public property, and ultimately waging war against India.
This entire investigation has been carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and several people have been arrested so far.