SRINAGAR: Authorities in Pakistan have arrested two relatives of a prominent Kashmiri woman separatist on charges of militancy-related activities in that country.
Asiya Andrabi, who heads the Dukhtaran-e-Millat or Daughters of the nation separatist group in this part of Kashmir, has claimed that the two are innocent.
Shoaib Andrabi, Ms Andrabi’s nephew, was arrested on Saturday after a raid on his house at Khayaban-i-Kashmir on the outskirts of Islamabad city.
According to the Dawn newspaper, the police have seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition besides four remote-controlled spy planes.
The newspaper writes that another man, Syed Irtiqaz Nabi Gilani, is reported to have escaped the raid carried out by the Islamabad police.
But Ms Andrabi says Gilani, her other nephew, was also arrested.
The DeM has not been involved in militancy in this part of Kashmir so far, but is known for its vigilantism.
The link of Shoaib and Gilani with Ms Andrabi, the Dawn reports quoting a diplomatic source, was “exposed” when Indian intelligence intercepted Hurriyat leaders’ calls after the raid.
Ms Andrabi told FreePress that she didn’t want to comment on why the two were arrested, but added that “both are innocent”.
This is the first arrest by Pakistan authorities of someone who is linked to a senior Kashmiri separatist leader.
Ms Andrabi said Shoaib is an 11th class student who had moved to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia days ago. “All of them have chosen Pakistan as their country, I dont understand why the arrest has taken place,” she said.
The Pakistani police are looking into “their international linkages and bank accounts”, the Dawn adds.
