ISI sets up camps close to border

JAMMU, JANUARY 5: The Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has set up camps across the international border (IB) with a large numb...

JAMMU, JANUARY 5: The Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has set up camps across the international border (IB) with a large number of terrorists waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the State.

Stating that the ISI has started pushing in terrorists through the IB after finding it difficult to cross the Line of Control (LoC) in the State, the Chief of Staff of Nagrota Corps, Major General H S Kanwar, told mediapersons here on Tuesday that these camps were set up in the area between Sialkot and Zaffarwal. The ISI, in an attempt to expand terrorist activities in the otherwise peaceful areas from Udhampur up to Kathua district, was busy establishing its network of overground workers, he added.

Giving instances, he referred to the abduction and subsequent killing of three village defence committee (VDC) members at Dudu as also attack on a police party near Sudh Mahadev. Besides, reports of terrorist activities were also received from places like Vijaypur (Jammu) and Hiranagar (Kathua), he added referring to the killing of a terrorist by some VDC members at Chilla Danga near Samba.

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Gen Kanwar admitted that though the militants were demoralised in the first half of 1999, the equation changed after the Army coup in Pakistan. The ISI has become more responsive to the Army after the taking over of General Parvez Musharraf as the chief executive of Pakistan, he added. “We have reports that terrorists who were disillusioned after the withdrawal of Pakistani troops from Kargil, had been jubilant over the Army take-over,” he added.

After the Army coup in Pakistan, the terrorists had started forcible recruitment of local youth especially in Kishtwar and Bhaderwah areas of Doda district. They were doling out huge sums of money to lure parents of the local youth and also the touts helping them in the recruitment drive, the Chief of Staff of Nargrota Corps said.

For all this, the terrorists were, however, using fake Indian currency with the twin purpose of enticing civilians to win their favours and also to destabilise the country’s economy, Gen Kanwar said. He also pointed out that some forest contractors were also offering money to terrorists.

Pointing out that they have no cause, he said the terrorists have been killing innocent civilians, kidnapping and raping females in the name of jehad.

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Apart from violence and fake Indian currency, these terrorists also carried a potential threat of AIDS. The Chief of Staff said ISI has pushed in a large number of foreign mercenaries including Nigerians and they were positive HIV carriers. After sneaking into the State, they have been indulging in rapes, he said while referring to the recovery of condoms and birth control pills from a number of militants killed by Army troops from time to time.

About the allegations of human rights violations, Gen Kanwar said these are being raised only to embolden terrorists and crush Army initiative against them. Of the 955 allegations of human rights violations, the troops initiated investigations in 822 cases and found 788 of them as false. While the charges were found to be true in only 24 cases, another 133 cases were still under investigations, he said and added that 56 Armymen have so far been punished on charges of human rights violations.

Referring to the recent stepped up attacks on security forces camps, he said this was aimed at getting publicity. “Otherwise, we want to seek encounters with the terrorists, but the latter are generally avoiding it and looking for soft targets,” he added.

The ISI aim was to make us defensive which was why they were expanding their area of activity.