Stung by their anti-India activities and secessionist statements abroad, the Centre has decided to get tough with Kashmiri separatist leaders.

Sources in New Delhi say that the government has decided to reverse its policy of being liberal in enabling the separatist elements to travel abroad and participate in conferences and other meetings. Several of them undertake foreign trips on medical grounds and use the opportunity to carry out anti-India campaigns, they say.

A dossier submitted to the home ministry names Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Yasin Malik and Sheikh Abdul Aziz among those against whom action has been proposed by way of either impoundment of passport or refusal of permission to travel abroad.

The document accuses the Mirwaiz, former Hurriyat chairman, of meeting expatriate pro-Pakistani Kashmiri groups, Inter-Services Intelligence operatives and other anti-India elements and espousing the right of 'self-determination' of Kashmiris.

It says that the Mirwaiz tried to influence the general secretary of the Organisation of Islamic Countries in New York to impose 'economic sanctions' against India for its 'illegal occupation' of Kashmir.

In September last, during a visit to the US, the Mirwaiz had meetings in the state department and national security council. He also met Pakistan Ambassador to the US Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, according to the dossier.

In April 2001, he had reportedly met ISI Director General at Sharjah, where he had gone to participate in a meeting.

The Mirwaiz says the allegations are 'baseless' and that he never asked the OIC to impose trade sanctions on India.

The dossier also cites the case of JKLF leader and senior Hurriyat functionary Yasin Malik, who has been issued documents on medical grounds, allowing him to travel only to the UK and the US.

Malik is said to have addressed a number of conventions and seminars in the US and even compared Kashmir to Afghanistan at one such meeting.

Regarding People's League leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz, the dossier says that when permitted to go to Pakistan with family in 2001, he was seen kissing the tarmac of the Lahore airport.

In press statements, he had claimed that the 'movement' in Kashmir is aimed at its accession to Pakistan.

In the light of this, the Centre has decided to toughen its stand against such leaders and show cause notices are being served on them, the sources say.

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