India spends $10 million on separatists
NEW DELHI, March 13 (UPI) -- India has said it spent $10 million on the security of Kashmiri separatist leaders.
"The government is providing high-end security to the leaders of the all-party Hurriyat conference despite their political battle against the government. In 2005, the government spent $10 million on security for them," Ghulam Nabi Azad, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, told the state assembly.
Azad said that the amount was spent on the security of 10 separatist leaders, including Maulana Mirwaiz Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani (the two top leaders of both factions of Hurriyat), Abdul Ghani Butt, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Shabir Shah, Sajjad Lone and Bilal Gani Lone.
The chief minister did not mention specific threats against the separatist leaders, but said security is provided on the basis of threat perception.
Geelani, the head of the hard-line faction of Hurriyat, has now accepted protection, having refused it two years ago. Farooq, head of the moderate faction, has the most security cover of the protected separatist leaders.
Azad said Farooq had been provided with a bulletproof car, two escorts and some personal security guards. Nearly 30 policemen guard his residence, and two observation posts and a barricade have been erected outside his home.
Sajjad and Bilal Lone, sons of slain Hurriyat leaders, also have been provided significant security cover, Azad said.
"The government is providing high-end security to the leaders of the all-party Hurriyat conference despite their political battle against the government. In 2005, the government spent $10 million on security for them," Ghulam Nabi Azad, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, told the state assembly.
Azad said that the amount was spent on the security of 10 separatist leaders, including Maulana Mirwaiz Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani (the two top leaders of both factions of Hurriyat), Abdul Ghani Butt, Maulana Abbas Ansari, Shabir Shah, Sajjad Lone and Bilal Gani Lone.
The chief minister did not mention specific threats against the separatist leaders, but said security is provided on the basis of threat perception.
Geelani, the head of the hard-line faction of Hurriyat, has now accepted protection, having refused it two years ago. Farooq, head of the moderate faction, has the most security cover of the protected separatist leaders.
Azad said Farooq had been provided with a bulletproof car, two escorts and some personal security guards. Nearly 30 policemen guard his residence, and two observation posts and a barricade have been erected outside his home.
Sajjad and Bilal Lone, sons of slain Hurriyat leaders, also have been provided significant security cover, Azad said.
posted by Marko at 3/13/2006 07:34:00 AM
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