The National Investigation Agency on Thursday summoned Jammu and Kashmir MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Rashid Engineer, to New Delhi for questioning, PTI reported. Rashid has been told to appear before the agency on October 3 in connection with its investigation into the alleged militancy funding by Pakistan-based groups to stoke unrest in the Valley.
Rashid, who represents the Lagate constituency in North Kashmir, is the first mainstream politician to be summoned in the case. His name came up during the interrogation of businessman Zahoor Watali, officials told PTI. Rashid, however, has denied any involvement, and urged the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly speaker to initiate an inquiry.
So far, ten people, including Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah, have been arrested in connection with the case. In June, the agency had carried out raids across several locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Haryana in connection with militancy funding allegedly received from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Kashmir has seen over a year of violence after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by Indian security forces on July 8, 2016.
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