Overview
- A Division Bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Manoj Jain rejected pleas by Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin’s sons, Shahid Yousuf and Syed Ahmad Shakeel, along with several separatist leaders.
- The detailed judgment is awaited after the court’s oral ruling that the appeals were not maintainable.
- The challenges targeted the Special NIA Court’s March 2022 order framing UAPA charges in a case alleging a common secessionist objective under the guiding hand of Pakistan’s establishment.
- Other appellants included Masarat Alam Bhat, Shabir Ahmed Shah, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali and Nayeem Ahmad Khan, with the court issuing a common decision across multiple NIA prosecutions.
- NIA alleges cross-border funding via hawala and remittances, including transfers linked to Saudi Arabia and Western Union, as trials continue and the agency’s separate appeal seeking the death penalty for Yasin Malik remains pending.