New Delhi, May 11
A Delhi court today set free Hurriyat Conference’s Delhi-based spokesman Shabir Dar after the government withdrew POTA charges slapped on him last year as part of the dialogue initiative with the amalgam.
His release was ordered by designated POTA judge J M Malik after taking note of public prosecutor’s plea that his release would be beneficial for the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir initiated by the Centre earlier this year.
He is the fourth senior amalgam leader against whom the government withdrew charges following repeated requests from Hurriyat leaders during their meetings with Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on January 22 and March 27.
The Hurriyat leaders had made it clear that such a step (withdrawing cases against these four) would help in further strengthening the scope of dialogue.
The Delhi Police had moved the court on May 4 seeking its consent to withdraw the cases against Dar.
Besides Dar, the designated POTA court had released Ghulam Mohiudeen Bhat, alias Raja Haider, after the government withdrew the case against him. The other Hurriyat leaders released were Ghulam Nabi Sheikh and Saifuddin Bhat, who had been arrested in the capital last year for waging war against the country.
Dar was arrested from Hurriyat’s South Delhi-based office in February last along with Rs 2 lakh.
He was named by Zamrooda Begum, who had been booked along with Dar on February 7 last year as one of the
recipients of Rs 3.75 lakh that she was carrying out from the Pakistan High Commission.
— PTI
