February 21
The Jammu Kashmir administration on Wednesday withdrew security of 18 separatists and 155 politicians.
The security review meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of state chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam, took the decision as it was felt that providing security to these separatists is a “wastage” of scarce state resources which could be better utilized elsewhere.
Among the leaders whose security has been downgraded are SAS Geelani, Aga Syed Mosvi, Maulvi Abbas Ansari, Yaseen Malik, Saleem Geelani while the security of Shahid ul Islam, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Farooq Ahmed Kichloo, Masroor Abbas Ansari, Aga Syed Abul Hussain, Abdul Gani Shah and Mohd Musadiq Bhat has been snatched.
This is in addition to the six separatists whose security was withdrawn on Sunday.
The security of 155 politicians and activists, who did not require the security provided to them based on their threat assessment and their activities, was also withdrawn.
Over 1,000 police personnel and over 100 vehicles are freed to do regular police work, they said.