Neutralise activities of Shabir Shah: Defence Expert

New Delhi [India] May 7 (ANI): Defence expert Wing Commander (Retd.) Praful Bakshi has said that activities of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party president Shabir Shah need to be neutralised in order to curb the separatism in the Valley. Reports say that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) every month sends fund to Mehboob Ahmed Sagar, who is well connected with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit. In turn, Sagar sends money to Shabir Shah and other Hurriyat functionaries. Wing Commander (Retd.) Bakshi said that it was necessary to put Shabir Shah to task and neutralise his activities. "Shabir Shah is the centre of controversy of funding. He has got lots of support of Hurriyat. He is the person who is involved. Now his sources have to be tapped and he has to be put to task. If the activities of people like Shah are not neutralised then this will continue," he told ANI. He added that funding is a must to continue separatist movement and people like Shah are helping this cause. "It is an incontestable fact the funding of Hurriyat and Kashmiri separatists is being done by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). This has been an ongoing process. Until and unless the security forces clamp down on these elements, especially those funding the separatists in Kashmir, it remains a very serious issue," said Wing Commander (Retd.) Bakshi. He hoped the Indian government would ensure that no more funding comes to Kashmir. "I believe Indian government is taking very strong steps in this direction to ensure that no more funding comes to Kashmir. It needs to be investigated that who is organising it. We have to physically eliminate these sources. Going to the world and giving their names actually won't help," said the defence expert. (ANI)