Srinagar, Sep 6 (IANS): Separatist leaders of the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) on Wednesday announced that they will hold a protest march to the Delhi headquarters of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on September 9 and court arrest there.

Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Shah Geelani told media persons here that they will participate in the march and court arrest to protest against the "harassment" of separatist leaders by the investigation agency.

While Farooq and Malik were present at the press conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani addressed the media on phone since he is under house arrest in the city's uptown Hyderpora area.

Geelani said the NIA had been "unleashed on the leaders of the local freedom movement" to break the people's resolve, adding that such tactics would not deter the Kashmiris from seeking their basic right to self-determination.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Malik said: "After repeated crackdowns and beating of locals, including young girls and elderly people, the government has brought in the NIA to discredit the people's movement in Kashmir."

Questioning the credibility of official agencies, Malik alleged that those detained under the Public Safety Act but ordered to be released by the High Court were booked on some other charge under the said law.

He also claimed that people in Kashmir were spending lakhs of rupees on the education of their children who were accused by the government of getting paid Rs 300 to throw stones at security forces and thus risk their lives.

"In the name of crackdowns, young girls and old people are beaten up in south Kashmir areas in order to deter people from their struggle," the JKLF leader said.