In an unprecedented and bold move, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday ordered the attachment of property belonging to Pakistani agent and terror-linked advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom.
Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat directed the attachment of Qayoom's residential property in Srinagar in connection with a 2009 case related to an anti-India seminar allegedly addressed by several separatist leaders.
According to an order issued by the DGP on December 31, 2009, the Shaheed Gunj Police received credible information that a seminar marking the death anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah was held at Hotel Jahangir, Srinagar. The event, organized by Feroz Ahmad Khan of the Muslim League, was attended by several separatist figures, including Aasia Andrabi, Shabir Ahmad Najar, and Mian Abdul Qayoom, who allegedly delivered anti-India speeches and raised inflammatory slogans.
During the investigation, police recorded witness statements confirming that participants had made provocative remarks, incited the audience, and advocated the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India.
The order noted that a subsequent search of Qayoom's residence, conducted after obtaining a magistrate's warrant, led to the recovery of banned literature, a Hizbul Mujahideen letterhead with a seal impression, a press note-style document, a letter from Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin addressed to then U.S. President Bill Clinton, and another Hizbul Mujahideen seal in Urdu. The search was conducted in the presence of independent witnesses and an Executive Magistrate.
Investigators further established that Qayoom had allegedly used his two-storey house and adjoining land measuring over two kanals at Bulbul Bagh, Barzulla, to conceal incriminating material and facilitate unlawful activities, officials said.
The property, registered under mutation number 338 in Qayoom's name, has been categorised as "proceeds of terrorism", and authorities have approved its attachment under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Mian Abdul Qayoom is currently lodged in jail in connection with the murder of advocate Babar Qadri.
A prominent separatist sympathizer, Qayoom, served as President of the Kashmir High Court Bar Association (HCBA) 18 times. Under his leadership, the HCBA adopted a controversial constitution in the 1990s describing Kashmir as a "disputed territory" and declaring that one of its objectives was to internationalize the Kashmir issue.
The Mian Qayoom-led HCBA was among the founding members of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC). Under his direction, the association frequently forced court shutdowns in response to calls not only from the APHC but also from banned terrorist organisations such as Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The Bar Association even organised seminars and symposiums within court premises, openly supporting the so-called "Kashmir Tehreek" and "Kashmir Jihad", and inviting figures from banned outfits, including Yasin Malik (JKLF) and Asiya Andrabi (Dukhtaran-e-Millat).
Sh Nalin Prabhat, DG-P, orders the attachment of the property of Pakistani agent and terrorist , Mian Qayoom !@KashmirPolice @SrinagarPolice pic.twitter.com/jI61kX2ILA
— J&K Police (@JmuKmrPolice) November 12, 2025
Advocate Mian Qayoom also allegedly intimidated and assaulted lawyers who defied his diktats. Advocate Babar Qadri, who publicly criticised Qayoom and the HCBA, had received threats from terrorists. Before his murder, Qadri released a video plea seeking protection from Mian Qayoom, but he was shot dead six hours later by terrorists in Srinagar.
This latest action by the Jammu and Kashmir Police sends a strong message across the Valley — that the era of using institutions and professional platforms as sanctuaries for terrorism and separatism is over. The law is reclaiming its institutions, marking a long-overdue assertion of justice against decades of fear and infiltration orchestrated by Pakistan-backed networks.
Mian Qayoom was Arrested in 2020
Former J&K High Court Bar Association president Mian Abdul Qayoom was arrested in 2020 by police for his alleged involvement in the murder conspiracy of advocate Babar Qadri.
A prominent figure linked to the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, Qayoom, was taken into custody after the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the J&K Police, which took over the case in July 2023, gathered substantial evidence against him.
