NIA arrests separatist leader Shabir Shah

An NIA team on Tuesday arrested another senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah here. Mr. Shah, who heads the Democratic Freedom Party, was arrested from his Sanatnagar residence. Earlier in the day, Mr. Shah was placed under house arrest.

Mr. Shah, who was taken to police post at Humhama, is the eighth separatist leader to be arrested by the NIA in the past 36 hours. Sources said more arrests are in the offing as the agency probes the terror funding network in



Kashmir.

A shutdown call of the Hurriyat against the arrest of seven separatist leaders evoked a mixed response on Tuesday, even as the authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in the city.

The response also reflected how the Hurriyat was losing ground in the Valley.

The BJP hailed the people “for defying the strike call” and showing “they have no interest” in the “dirty” Hurriyat politics.