IIOJK: NIA revives three-decade-old case against late Syed Ali Gilani, Shabbir Ahmad Shah and others
Jammu: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), India’s infamous National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against six pro-freedom leaders, including martyred veteran Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Gilani and senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Shabbir Ahmed Shah, in a fabricated case dating back nearly three-decades.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the chargesheet was filed before the NIA Special Court in Jammu. Besides Syed Ali Gilani and Shabbir Ahmad Shah, it names late Abdul Ghani Lone, late Mohammad Yaqoob Wakeel, Javed Ahmad Mir and Shakeel Ahmad Bakhshi.
The NIA has invoked provision of the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the erstwhile Ranbir Penal Code against the Hurriyat leaders.
The agency said the proceedings against Syed Ali Gilani, Abdul Ghani Lone and Mohammad Yaqoob Wakeel have abated following their deaths. However, it claimed that they had played a role in the alleged conspiracy.
The case originates from an FIR registered at Shergarhi Police Station following protests during the funeral procession of martyred pro-freedom leader Hilal Ahmad Beigh at Naaz Crossing in Srinagar on July 17, 1996. The NIA alleged that Syed Ali Gilani, Shabbir Ahmed Shah and other Hurriyat leaders delivered pro-freedom and anti-India speeches that incited people to protest and engage in stone-pelting. The agency took over the investigation in April 2026 on the directions of India’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
Political observers in IIOJK said the revival of a 30-year-old case reflects New Delhi’s sustained campaign to target and criminalize the Hurriyat leadership through politically motivated prosecutions. They said the continued use of draconian laws such as the UAPA reflects India’s policy of suppressing pro-freedom voices and dissent in the occupied territory through legal intimidation.
