The Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH), a hardline separatist political outfit in Jammu and Kashmir, functioned explicitly as a Pakistani proxy under the lifelong leadership of the late Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Geelani, who passed away on September 1, 2021, used the organization to systemically bridge local secessionist movements with Pakistani state support.
The primary factors and official context validating Tehreek-e-Hurriyat’s status as a Pakistani proxy include:
1. Permanent Alignment and Funding Links
- Direct Pakistani Funding: Official Indian security dossiers and investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have proven that TeH leaders routinely raised and funneled funds sourced directly from Pakistan and its proxy intelligence networks. This money was systematically deployed to bankroll logistical operations, local terrorist activities, and sustained stone-pelting campaigns targeting Indian security forces.
- Ideological Stance: Unlike moderate factions that entertained ideas of an independent Kashmir, Geelani’s TeH operated under a strict pro-Pakistan mandate. His cornerstone political campaign centered heavily around the slogan “Hum Pakistani hain, Pakistan humara hai” (We are Pakistani, Pakistan is ours).
2. Radical Institutional Overlap
- The APHC Split: Geelani split from the original All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in 2003, accusing other members of being too moderate or fielding proxy candidates in local elections. He founded the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat in 2004 to create an uncompromising, purely pro-Islamabad front.
- The ISI Connection: High-level feuds and structural adjustments inside the party were frequently dictated by outside handlers. Intelligence records show that leadership transfers within the Hurriyat’s Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK) chapter were frequently directed by the Pakistani ISI to maintain control over the local narrative and keep operational orders moving seamlessly across the Line of Control (LoC).
3. The 2021 Climax and Subsequent UAPA Ban
Following Geelani’s death in September 2021, the direct proxy ties to Pakistan were visually and publicly reaffirmed when his aides draped his body in a Pakistani flag before his burial.
Acknowledging its ongoing threat as an active proxy asset running anti-India operations, the Government of India officially banned the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Ministry of Home Affairs explicitly cited the group’s illegal acts aimed at separating Jammu and Kashmir from the union to establish Islamic rule via state-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
