Chapter 29
Pakistan's ISI and Kashmiri Terrorists
Big organisation of third world
The report of the American Gongress, a special report prepared by the Union Home Ministry, Government of India, and the documents recovered from the arrested Kashmiri and foreign terrorists have confirmed reports that the ISI was spending one-fifth portion of Pakistan's budget on creating disturbances in Kashmir. According to a former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Jagmohan, in 1992 the ISI had three thousand million dollars which it had earned through drug narcotics trade. This amount is equal to five defence budgets of Pakistan. This boosted the morale of the ISI which succeeded in extending organised terrorism to Kashmir. In supporting and organising terrorism in Middle East, West Asia and Kashmir the ISI is the biggest organisation in the third world. About 20,000 people are getting monetary benefits from the ISI for intensifying terrorist activities and for supporting them. Some are on regular pay roll. The Task Force of the American Congress has, in its report, clarified that the ISI initially tried to kick up trouble in Kashmir with the help of Afghans present in Pakistan. Then it started supplying arms to Kashmir. In a clever way Pakistan secured services of Hizbe Islami Afghan leader, Gulbadin Hikmatyar. According to this report, abetting and promoting terrorism have become an essential part of Pakistan's political doctrine.
Spread of terrorism
A Kashmiri journalist, Mr. Gazanfar Butt has, in his recent report published through CNF feature agency, said that the agents of this intelligence agency of Pakistan are active in strengthening the struggle for liberation in Kashmir. The plan is to malign the name of the Indian security forces, especially the Army in Kashmir. In order to achieve this goal, the Pro- Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen outfit has issued directions to people to register cases against the Army in local police stations wherever search operations are carried out and keep on tarnishing the image of the Army by accusing it of committing excesses and rape. Villagers have been warned against assisting the Army and defaulters have been threatened with death.
The ISI has issued secret instructions under which all Kashmiri militants, trained in Pakistan and Occupied Kashmir, be pushed into the Valley. More arms and ammunition be supplied ta the rebels in Kashmir. Since infiltration and arms smuggling from the Line of Actual Control was not easy because of security measures adopted by the Indian troops, supply of weapons and sending of trained terrorists to Kashmir be done from Rajasthan and Gujarat, border where the routes were comparatively open.
Under the ISI instructions Assembly elections in Kashmir have to be prevented at any cost. In this context any Kashmiri leader trying to talk about elections and the restoration of political process would have to be killed. Besides this, terrorists have to extend their activities to Jammu and Ladakh regions and later on rebellions be started in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, north-east region, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Foreign mercenaries in Kashmir
The ISI and Jamait-e-Islami of Pakistan have started recruitment of Pakistani citizens so that they too could participate in "Islamic Jehad" in Kashmir. Youths are selected and then recruited in Pro-Pak Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit and other similar organisations. After this, they are sent into Jammu and Kashmir for indulging in bomb explosions in Srinagar, Rajouri, Jammu and other areas. They have been given instructions to kick up terror by blowing up passenger buses, trains, roads and bridges. After the end of Afghan war, Afghan Mujahideens and other terrorists and fundamentalists from Algeria, Sudan, Egypt and Saudi Arab, living in Pakistan, are imparting arms training to Kashmiri terrorists. But the overall control, supervision, support and facilities to the terrorists are in the hands of the ISI. This intelligence agency sleuths summon Kashmiri terrorists to the Indo-Pak border for giving them new instructions and guidance.
The Indian security forces had recovered some documents from Kashmiri militants at the time of their arrest. These documents shed enough light on Pakistan's involvement in terrorism in Kashmir. On March 25, 1991, one Ashfaq Hussain Lone was arrested in New Delhi and a letter was recovered from him. The letter had been written by Mohd. Yusuf Shah alias Salauddin of Hizbul Mujahideen to his college teacher Assan Dar. The letter contained information regarding arrangements made by Pakistan for training and for supply of sophisticated weapons and communication apparatus to Kashmiri terrorists. Salahuddin had instructed Assan Dar to recruit more youths and send them across Pakistan for training so that no area in Jammu and Kashmir was free from terrorism. Also, the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir should be in the grip of severe terrorism so that Lok Sabha elections could not be held in this northern State. The letter had informed Dar that Rs. 2.20 lakh had been made available through Ashfaq Hussain.
Home Ministry in receipt of Intelligence Agency report
The Union Home Ministry has already received reports on several black deeds, inhuman activities and human violations committed by terrorists in Kashmir in the name of Islamic Jehad. The Vice-President of BJP, Mr. Krishan Lal Sharma, President of J&K unit of BJP, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta and Mr. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, former Chief Executive Councillor, have demanded that the Government should place on the table of Parliament the report, prepared recently by Union Home Ministry, on the victims of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir so that the world came to know about the inhuman and black deeds of Pakistan and her agencies in Kashmir. This report carries details, submitted by the intelligence agencies and the police which confirm reports of direct involvement of Pakistan in sending foreign mercenaries and terrorists to Kashmir not only for loot and guerrilla warfare but also for mercilessly defiling the prestige and honour of the nationalist families.
Mr. Dinesh Sharma, a journalist, has in his report, given a startling information. According to him activists of all small and big militant outfits, whose number is around 150, have raped girls and some of them have been tortured with weapons and with hot iron rods. This is a slap on the face of those human rightists who cry loud in the international political circles while accusing the security forces for human rights violations. It is worth maintaining here that while the Union Minister of State for Internal Security, Mr. Rajesh Pilot, who keeps on paying frequent visits to the valley, claims improvement in the situation in Kashmir, on the other hand the reports being received by his Ministry reveal that Kashmir is gradually becoming a hell.
Muslim women too victim of repression
The report of the intelligence agencies was presented a detailed account of the killing and rape of Hindu and Muslim girls by the terrorists. The report carries details of the gang rape and killing of one Sajda Hussain Sajda whose body was recovered from river Jehlum in Baramula. On September 17, 1991. Sajda, a Muslim girl, had been abducted by terrorists and after gang raping her, they killed her and threw her body in the river. There is mention, in the report, about a 17-year girl, Shamma Mufti, who had been kidnapped from Doda district. She had been taken to Anantnag by the kidnappers and she was rescued later by the security forces on December 19, 1991. In a similar way terrorists abducted Mohd. Sultan's daughter, Zarifa, and her brother, Bashir Ahmed, because they had pressurised Zarifa's parents to agree to marry their daughter to one of the militants. When Mohd. Sultan refused to marry his daughter to a militant, she and her brother were kidnapped. Her brother, Bashir Ahmed, was killed and later Zarifa was forcibly married to one of the terrorists. Another Sakeena of the same area, was abducted. After raping her for several days the tyrants cut her private parts. Later Sakeena's body was recovered from Pattan in Baramulla. Hasina of Bandipore too suffered the same fate. Her body was recovered by police from Iqbal Park Srinagar, on October 23. One militant belonging to Al-Umar outfit abducted one Muslim woman and her daughter from their house at Saja Kadal in Srinagar. The mother and her daughter had been charged with acting as informers leading to the arrest of Al-Umar chief, Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar alias Latram. Their house was set on fire by the activists of this outfit on May 8, 1992. Similarly Dolly of Baramulla, Gudi of Miskeen Bagh (Srinagar), 18 year old Rafiqa, daughter of Asadullah of Kalashpora, Aisha Ameen, District Education Officer and 400 other women were abducted, many were raped and killed.
This treatment had been earlier meted out to Kashmiri Hindu girls. One Pandit girl, Sarla Bhat, who was kidnapped, is still untraced. She was a nurse in Soura Institute of Medical Sciences. It is said that she was killed and her body was thrown on Srinagar road. But some informed sources say that she is being used to carry out illegal activities. In the same way one 33-year old Prana Ganjoo and her husband, Prof K.L. Ganjoo has been abducted from Sopore on April 19, 1990. Later, both of them were killed and their bodies were seen floating in the river. Not only this, one Babli Raina of Sopore was killed in front of her family members on May 7, 1990. Prior to her killing she was subjected to cruel rape as per the police records. On August 13, 1990, one Asha Koul of Anantnag was kidnapped and later her body was recovered from a deserted house in Srinagar. On March 30, 1992, militants entered into the house of one Mohan Lal in Srinagar where his wife and daughter were first raped and then all the three were shot dead. The abduction of Deepa, belonging to Batala in Punjab and later her sale to several insurgents and their supporters in Kashmir is no longer a secret. In a similar way abduction of a 12-year school girl, Shallu, and Girja of Dadipur in Kupwara is registered in the Home Ministry records. Girja was sawed to pieces.
Militants love for luxury
After the migration of Hindu families from Kashmir, militants started kidnapping girls belonging to Muslim families in order to satisfy their lust. It is learnt that thousands of Hindu-Muslim girls have migrated from Kashmir and have been staying with their relatives in Delhi, Jammu, Udhampur, Calcutta, Lucknow, Bombay, Bangalore. Some of them were pregnant. According to Government figures, while on one hand overone lakh Hindus migrated from Kashmir, on the otherover 40,000 Muslim families too have been forced to leave the valley by those very Pakistani agencies and Kashmiri militants who were proclaiming to liberate Kashmiri Muslims and are engaged in disinformation campaign against India in international circles. The unfortunate part of the situation is that militants have been encouraged by the crocodile tears shed by several world human rights organisations over the action of the security forces in Kashmir. Had these human rights organisations and Muslim fundamentalist leaders opposed activities of the militants, there would have been curbs on such ignominous acts ? The directionless policy of Government of India is also responsible for such despicable acts.
The above mentioned acts of these colourful Muslim terrorists, which are ostensibly against the tenets of Islam, are being Preparated in the name of Islam. These acts have demoralised those foreign guerrillas who had been sent to Kashmir by the ISI. The foreign guerrillas have, after enraged, starting killing such Kashmiri militants. This information has been given by a Jammu-based known journalist, Mr. Harbans Nagokay, of a prominent newspaper, Dainik Jagran, after completing his tour of Kashmir. According to him, when these foreign mercenaries saw the luxurious and vivacious life style of Kashmiri militans they became highly annoyed and enraged. They could not see Islam in danger anywhere. These foreign guerrillas conveyed their impression to the ISI. These foreign mercenaries have sought full command of the operations against the security forces.
These foreign mercenaries have come to know of the love for luxury and expected infirmity of Kashmiri terrorists. The foreign money, latest weapons and Islamic fanaticism have introduced gun culture among the Kashmiri youth, but they have not altered the inherent cowardice in them. That is why these foreign guerrillas are annoyed with Kashmiri militants. Recently these foreign guerrillas framed a plan with Kashmiri militants under which an attack had to be launched against the security forces. As per the plan a lone Kashmiri militant was assigned the task of hurling a grenade on an Army convoy. As the Army Jawans would come out from their trucks in search of the saboteurs, the six foreign mercenaries would open fire to register a big kill. It had been decided that the foreign guerrillas would kill all the Army Jawans. The Army convoy passed that side but the Kashmiri militant did not hurl the grenade. Enraged by this inaction, the Afghan guerrilla killed all the six Kashmiri militants. In a similar way, in village Kalaterbala in Baramulla when militants were challenged by security forces the former took to their heels after handing over their weapons to the Nambardar. And they finally surrendered before the Army.
JK Armed Police
In the context of the above events one thing becomes clear that if the security forces were given orders to act, the conspiracy of the militants can be foiled. But because of lack of solid policy and will this has not been possible. The policy of appeasement and vote is a hurdle in this direction, Kashmir police and administrative officials who usually belong to one community have taken advantage of the weakness of Government of India and support the terrorists. It is because of these officials that the Pakistan intelligence agency remains aware of all the activities in Kashmir. Not only the information but Pakistani Agency also holds the strings of insurgency in the valley. Many employees and officers of JK Armed police are working under the guidance of the ISI.
According to a report published in the Sunday Mail, published from Delhi, about 500 jawans of the 11th battalion of J and K Armed police are working for the ISI which includes over two dozen officers. It is because of police officials, who are acting as ISI sources, Pakistan gets in advance information about all decisions and plans of the Indian administration. After the recent police strike the Union Home Ministry had told the State Government to screen all the men of the 11th battalion and dismiss and arrest pro-Pakistan elements in this battalion. It may be mentioned here that the police strike started on April 22, 1993, after one jawan of the 11th battalion, Riyaz Ahmed, got killed by the Army during cross firing. The Armed police jawans alleged that Riyaz Ahmed was killed by the Army in presence of SSP, Srinagar, Mr. K Rajender, Under the pressure of the striking policemen Rajender has been transferred outside Kaskmir.
According to intelligence sources, some retired police officer's hand in precipitating the strike was evident. Even one former Director General Police is believed to have supported the strike. The Intelligence Department has alerted the State Government over the reports of recruitment of several pro- Pakistan elements and militants belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. Last year, during Id-ul-Zuha, about 500 police jawans had revolted in Kathua police training centre and later they had shouted pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans. Recruitment of pro-Pakistan elements in the police had first started in 1971. Then one police offlcer had formed a police union and later engineered police strike for ensuring his promotion. One Police Inspector, Tabasum, and another Sub-Inspector, Drabu, were installed President and General Secretary respectively. This very officer, later, became the police chief and disbanded the same police union which he had formed. During his tenure as police chief many pro-Pakistan elements were recruited in J and K Armed police. The majority of these jawans belonged to Jamait-e-Islami party. The activists of Jamait-e-Islami are, these days, members of pro-Pakistan outfit, Hizbul Mujahidden. Some months ago one truck driver was arrested from the Srinagar police control room when it had been found that he was smuggling AK-47 rifles for militants from Kupwara sector. This driver confessed, during the interrogation that he was working for Pakistani Intelligence agency for which he was getting handsome amount.
Kashmir University, a militant hideout
Almost all the administrative departments, educational institutions, hospitals, religious places belonging to the majority community, have become and are becoming centres for militant activities in Kashmir these days. Kashmir University has become a centre of inspiration and a major hideout for militants. There is majority of separatist forces among teachers, students and employees in Kashmir University. Under a plan pro-Pakistan elements are being employed as teachers and employees. Several anti-India demonstrations and meetings receive full patronage and protection in the University. The Government of India has filll information about it.
In May, 1993, a meeting was organised in Kashmir University, one bold woman journalist, Ms. Aasha Khosa, has captured, in the TRIBUNE, published from Chandigarh, the echo of the separatist slogans.
She writes:
"Srinagar, May 25 - Kashmir University is the latest entrant to the club of secessionist groups and organisations in the valley.
"We want freedom" was the theme slogan at the picturesque Hazratbal Campus, which was addressed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hamidi Kashmiri.
The protest sit-in by around 1500 teachers and employees of Kashmir University against the "atrocities of Indian Security Forces" was preceded by a similar organisation to commemorate the conferring of the status of "prisoner of conscience" on the outlawed secessionist leader Shabir Shah by Amnesty International. The seminar was addressed by a number of heads of departments of the University. In their high-pitched anti-India speeches, the speakers accused India of embezzling IMF funds by diverting the same for suppressing Kashmiris. Prof A.A. Wani, head of the law department, offered a piece of advice to India "India must not waste money to retain Kashmir by force. Instead it should give us our right of freedom and utilise the money for its people".
The campus has played host to scores of anti-India demonstrations by students esrlier.
"It is an extremely serious matter and the Government must not view it with its characteristic indifference," said a senior secretary of the Government. Kashmir having set the dubious precedents of a 72-day strike by government employees in which top-ranking civil servants (like Chief Secretary Sheikh Ghulam Rasool) also participated and an appeal by bureaucrats (like present Advisor to the Governor Ashok Jaitely) against "atrocities" to the United Nations, action against teachers appears unlikely. Both acts went unchecked following the Centre's interference.
The Government's policy of indifference towards such open anti-India activities by wings of government has encouraged such activities, sources said. At present a major section of Kashmir-based government employees are members of a union which along with all major banned secessionist groups is a constituent group of the all-party co-ordination committee, militants' platform.
The university atmosphere, insiders say, had become vitiated since the killing of Prof. Mushirul Haq, Vice-Chancellor, by militants in 1990. The faculty members, some out of the commitment and others because of fear, have been dancing to the tune of militants," said a young university lecturer. Most of the university teachers, including the Vice-Chancellor, have not been paying their income tax for the past two years following the militants call for boycott of tax payments. However, sources said that senior government functionaries were much perturbed over the open pro-militant activity in Kashmir University and they are contemplating action".
Resignation of VC, Prof. Hamidi Kashmiri
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hamidi Kashmiri, resigned under growing pressure from militants when he was helpless in fulfilling all their anti-national demands. His resignation has given rise to many doubts. One section of opinion is that as Vice-Chancellor Prof. Hamidi used to bless terrorists and now after relinquising his office has made up his mind to make available his services to the separatists. The other version is that Prof. Hamidi was unable to fulfil all genuine, unjust and unconstitutional demands of the militants. Militants were dismayed over such attitude of Prof. Hamidi. He, therefore, was scared of militants fearing that he too may meet the same fate as met by Prof. Mushir-ul-Haq, a former Vice-Chancellor, who was killed by the insurgents.
Ms. Aasha Khosa's report in The Tribune of September 18, 1993 confirms it. She has written:
"According to official and University sources, Prof. Hamidi has been under tremendous pressure from the growing lobby of the fundamentalist Jamat-e-Islami, which is aiming at the total control of the university. Kashmir University has been converted into a virtual stronghold of militants.
Certain gunmen, official sources said, were behind the holding of demonstrations, voicing demand for secessionism inside the campus. Even Prof. Hamidi, they say, was asked to participate along with other Eaculty members at the gun-point in the rallies.
Insiders say at least seven Kashmir University teachers had been abducted during the past two years by militants and were forced to appoint militants in the University on an adhoc basic.
Active leaders of Jamat-e-Islami, a banned outfit, are not only teaching various subjects in the University but also conduct "indoctrination classes" to lure youth into militancy.
The Imam of the mosque inside the campus is allegedly a top ranking leader of a pro-Pakistan militant outfit and he has been appointed lecturer in the Arabic Department. He is also a member of the "supreme council" of that organisation.
According to the reports, one teacher holds regular classes on "secession and freedom movement" on Sundays inside the campus.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hamidi, himself has been kidnapped by militants twice. Prof. Hamidi had been giving advertisements in the local newspapers appealing to people (militants) not to approach him for appointments as no vacancy existed.
The sources said that one Professor in the Commerce Department had attended Islamic conference abroad during the past two years in his capacity as member of the Jamat-e-Islami.
The militants had been given special quota of 10 seats for each postgraduate course in all the departments for their nominees during the past two sessions.
The University has witnessed pitched battles on a number of occasions among various groups for supremacy and share of power.
Some militant organisations like student wing of the JKLF has been persistently condemning interference by militants in the campus.
Meanwhile, official reports say that Dr. A.A. Illqaband, Principal, Srinagar Medical College, is also facing problems on account of increasing pressure from gunmen. Militants recently sent him a gun and two bullets, threatening to face the consequences if he chose to postpone the examination dates. Militants had also tried to kidnap him while he had gone to Kashmir University two weeks ago".
The so-called secular Government of India, even being abreast of the dangerous activities, plans, intrigues, religious fanaticism and anti-national inclinations of the terrorists, continues to commit one blunder after the other which has further complicated the Kashmir problem. As a result of frequent changes in the Governors, issuance of contradictory statements, lenient attitude towards terrorists, demoralising security forces through constant accusations and failure an the part of the Government to adopt a definite and solid policy on Kashmir, are some of the dangerous mistakes which have been instrumental in converting our land of "Rishis" into a den of demons.
|
|
|
|
© 2001 Kashmir Information Network. All Rights Reserved.