Misuse of 'draconian' UAPA, says Mehbooba after NIA arrests Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj

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Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday censured the "National Investigation Agency" for arresting a Kashmiri journalist and editor Irfan Mehraj in Srinagar.

Mehbooba said that draconian laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA are being "abused constantly" to ensure that the process itself becomes the punishment. She tweeted: "While conmen are given a free run in Kashmir, journalists like Irfan Mehraj are arrested for doing their duty by speaking the truth. Draconian laws like UAPA are abused constantly to ensure that the process itself becomes the punishment. (SIC),"

On Monday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Mehraj from Srinagar. The agency alleged that he was a close associate of a human rights activist, Khurram Parvez and was arrested in connection with its ongoing investigation into an "NGO terror funding case".

"Mehraj was a close associate of (human rights activist) Khurram Parvez and was working with his organisation, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS)," PTI quoted an official as saying.

The agency alleged that the investigation revealed that the JKCCS was funding "terror activities" and had also been propagating a secessionist agenda in the Valley.

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The official said some NGOs, both registered as well as unregistered, have been noticed collecting funds domestically and abroad under the cover of doing charity and various welfare activities, including public health and education.

Parvez was arrested in November 2021 by the NIA and chargesheeted on May 13 next year along with six others for alleged "anti-national activities" including collecting information regarding vital installations and deployment and movement of security forces, procuring official secret documents and passing the same to LeT handlers through encrypted communication channels for monetary consideration.

Meanwhile, Journalist Federation of Kashmir, a journalist network based in Kashmir, has condemned Mehraj's arrest.

The journalist network said that this is not the first time journalists from Kashmir have been "arrested/harassed/questioned". "Summons for questioning and denial of their fundamental right to travel for professional, academic and personal reasons is part of the tactic."

In a thread of tweets, the press body said that three journalists from Kashmir - Asif Sultan, Sajad Gul and Fahad Shah - are already in jail. "JFK strongly condemns the pattern of intimidation and views it as continued attacks on freedom of press in Kashmir.

"For a vibrant press to flourish in a society, authorities have to move beyond hollow claims of respect for press freedom and work towards a conducive environment where a journalist can report the facts on ground, express opinion on social media without fear, threat of arrest."