NIA Seizes 17 Properties of Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali in Connection with Hurriyat Terror Funding Case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took a significant step on Monday by attaching 17 properties belonging to Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali, who stands accused of financing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The action is in connection with a high-profile Hurriyat terror funding case, which also involves the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) commander, Yasin Malik, currently serving a life sentence.

Alongside Malik, the case chargesheeted 17 others, including prominent figures such as Hafiz Saeed, chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, and Syed Salahuddin, commander of Hizbul Mujahideen. The NIA registered the case on May 30, 2017, citing terror activities in J&K orchestrated by Pakistan’s ISI-backed organizations, including Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), JKLF, and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). These groups were responsible for spreading terror, conducting attacks on civilians and security forces, and promoting violence in the valley.

The NIA, acting on orders from the special NIA Court at Patiala House, attached 17 properties belonging to Watali in the Handwara area of Kupwara, Kashmir, under Section 33(1) of the UA(P) Act. Investigations revealed that these banned terror outfits were using the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) as a front to carry out and support secessionist activities in the Kashmir valley. The accused, including the APHC, were found to be involved in a criminal conspiracy aimed at inciting the general public and creating a “surcharged atmosphere” leading to violence.

According to the NIA, Watali played a key role as a hawala conduit, receiving funds from Hafiz Saeed, a US-designated terrorist and mastermind behind the 2001 Parliament attack and the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks. Between 2011 and 2013, Watali received substantial foreign remittances into his bank accounts from various sources. The investigation also uncovered unexplained remittances in his NRE Bank accounts and foreign remittances in his Proprietorship Firm, M/s ‘Trisson International,’ located in Srinagar.

Further scrutiny by the NIA revealed discrepancies in the ownership of a plot of land measuring 20 kanals, which Watali had claimed to sell through his company, M/s ‘Trison Farms and Constructions Pvt. Ltd.,’ to a co-accused named Naval Kishore Kapoor. However, the revenue records indicated that neither Watali nor his company were registered as the rightful owners of the mentioned plot.

The NIA’s latest action is a significant development in the ongoing investigation, underscoring the agency’s commitment to combating terrorism and dismantling the financial networks that support it.