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In this picture taken on February 20, 2019, goods trucks are pictured at the border town of Chakothi in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, some 3 km from Line of Control (LoC). Image Credit: AFP
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Jammu: Security cover of 18 separatist leaders and 155 Jammu and Kashmir politicians has been withdrawn in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack on February 14 in which around 49 CRPF troopers were killed.

An order issued by the Home Department late on Wednesday said security cover of separatists and some mainstream politicians was also being withdrawn/downgraded apart from those that were initially withdrawn on February 18.

As per the new order, the new list includes names from the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

Some of them are Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, former IAS officer Shah Faesal and PDP leader Waheed Para.

“Over 1,000 personal security guards and 100 vehicles provided to the secured persons are being withdrawn,” officials said here.

The security cover of four senior separatist leaders — Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Shabir Shah, Professor Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Lone were already withdrawn on Monday.

The decision to cut down heavily on separatist leaders’ cover was taken in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack when an explosive-packed SUV rammed into a bus of a Central Reserve Police Force convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar highway killing 49 paramilitary troopers on the spot in the worst-ever terror attack in the state since militancy struck there in 1989.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday condemned the withdrawal of security cover to mainstream politicians in the state in the wake of the suicide bombing.

“Withdrawal of security to mainstream political workers and office bearers is a retrograde step that will only weaken political activity in the Kashmir Valley,” the National Conference leader said.

“At a time when mainstream political parties should be encouraged to step up their activities and build greater contact with people to counter the forces that have supported radicalisation and violence, this will have the opposite fallout,” he said.

Abdullah asked Governor Satya Pal Malik to reconsider the step. “If it is not revisited, we will approach the courts and ask them to intervene.

“I have no doubt this step was taken without taking into consideration inputs from central and state intelligence agencies which can only mean it was been done for political purposes and there is an element of pick and choose at play here,” he added.