Trehgam, Kupwara, Feb 12: Police on Thursday arrested Zahoor Ahmad Bhat the brother of Maqbool Bhat who returned to the Valley on Tuesday crossing the LoC 18 years after he went to AJK.
Superintendent of Police Kupwara, Uttam Chan told Greater Kashmir that Zahoor was arrested this morning from Thregam on charges of “unlawful activities.”
Police officials wishing anonymity said Zahoor is likely to be booked for breaching Line of Control and face trial in three other cases in which he has been declared proclaimed offender. “He has been charge sheeted in absentia in three previous cases under TADA,” the officials said.
The family told Greater Kashmir that police accompanied by a large contingent of Central
Reserve of Police Force (CRPF) personnel raided their house in dawn and picked up Zahoor.
“For past two days they raided our houses after our uncle surfaced in valley. They had laid siege around yesterday and this morning they came to arrest him,” said Parvaiz Ahmed Bhat, nephew of Maqbool Bhat. He added that family will move court for justice.
Zahoor yesterday led a pro-freedom demonstration on the death anniversary of Maqbool Bhat in Trehgam. He told this reporter yesterday that he hadn’t committed any crime by crossing Line of control.
“I have not violated any law by trampling this artificial line dividing people. This may be border for India and Pakistan, but for not Kashmiris. My revolutionary brother also did not consider this as border,” he said. Zahoor said that he had crossed LOC with his wife Aminah Zahoor and four children-- Midhat Zahoor, Noful Zahoor, Zonoon Zahoor, and Abdullah Bhat aged one to eight.
