Srinagar, Mar 14 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday issued fresh summons to senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, asking him to appear before the agency in New Delhi on March 18.

The NIA had earlier issued summons to the Mirwaiz to appear before it in the national capital on March 11 but he had stayed away, citing security reasons.

"Under the prevailing conditions of hostility wherein there is a threat to the personal safety of my client, it becomes unwise for my client to travel to Delhi," counsel for the Mirwaiz, Aijaz Ahmad Dhar, had said in a letter to the NIA.

Dhar also said that the NIA should, under the present circumstances, question the Mirwaiz here only.

The NIA has summoned the Mirwaiz for questioning in connection with the 2017 terror funding case being investigated by the agency.

On February 26, NIA carried out searches at the Mirwaiz's house at Nigeen in the city's outskirts for nearly 10 hours.

The houses of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik, and other senior separatist leaders Shabir Shah, Zaffar Bhat and Masarat Alam were also raided the same day.