Sri Nagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday issued orders to withdraw security of five separatists, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, officials said.
Besides Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the security cover for Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Shah has been withdrawn, they said. However, there is no mention of pro-Pakistan separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the order.
According to the order, all security and vehicles provided to the separatists will stand withdrawn by Sunday evening. No security forces or cover will be provided, under any pretext, to them or any other separatists. If they have any other facilities provided by the government, they are to be withdrawn forthwith.
Reacting to the withdrawal of security from the separatist leaders, the Mirwaiz-led All Parties Hurriyat Conference spokesperson said, that the separatist leaders had never asked for security and that they had repeatedly said that the government can withdraw it.
The order comes two days after Union home minister Rajnath Singh visited Kashmir on Friday to review the security situation in the Valley after the Pulwama attack.
After reviewing the security situation in Kashmir, Rajnath Singh had said that security given to people being funded by Pakistan and the ISI should be reviewed.
About 45 CRPF personnel were killed and five were injured on Thursday in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Pulwama of Jammu. A Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber blew up an explosive-laden vehicle near their bus. The bus was part of a convoy of 78 vehicles carrying CRPF personnel from Jammu to Srinagar.
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