ISI sets up new camp near Punjab border

KASSOWAL PUNJAB, AUG 13: The setting up of a new camp by the Inter-Services Intelligence ISI and the construction of farmhouses on a ...

KASSOWAL PUNJAB, AUG 13: The setting up of a new camp by the Inter-Services Intelligence ISI and the construction of farmhouses on a plot across the border with Pakistan is causing concern to top border security force officials in Punjab.

The camp has been set up at Dera Baba Kartarpur just across the international border along the Kassowal bulge on the bank of Ravi and some Pakistan-based Sikh separatist leaders have been frequenting it in the last few weeks, Additional Deputy Inspector General of BSF S K Dutta told visiting journalists at a border observation post along the bulge.

He said a businessman has acquired 2500 acres of land in border area in Pakistan and farmhouses are coming up on it which can be easily used for anti-India plans.

Kassowal bulge across river Ravi, flowing northwards into the Narowal district of Pakistan, is one of the quot;most difficultquot; features to guard along the nearly 500-km Punjab stretch of the international border and developments like acquisition of 2500 acres of land by an individual in Pakistan and a new ISI camp are being quot;viewed very seriouslyquot;, Dutta said.

The BSF is keeping a close watch on the developments and intelligence agencies have been alerted, he said.

Wadhawa Singh of Babbar Khalsa International and Paramjit Singh Panjwar of Khalistan Commando Force have frequented the camp at the religious Sikh shrine of Dera Kartarpur, just 8 km from the border, a number of times since July this year, Dutta said.

8220;In the last two months, we have noticed Pakistan8217;s army deployment and even reconnaissance activity along strategic features,quot; Dutta said.

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The 32 sq km bulge with 16.13 km periphery as international border is surrounded on three sides by Pakistani territory and Ravi forming the fourth side, thus making it a difficult and vulnerable feature, particularly as the areas surrounding it are marshy.

Supply of essential commodities and storage of arms and ammunition becomes difficult in Kassowal especially when the area goes under seven to eight feet deep water, 96 battalion BSF commandant S Kumar told reporters.

8220;We have been able to bring down the infiltration from across the border to near zero level after we started dominating the area between the barbed border fence and the zero line,quot; Kumar said.

The operations to dominate the land tract between the fence and the zero-line has resulted in bringing down the infiltration, said A Aulakh, Inspector General of BSF, Punjab.

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8220;While 39 Pakistani nationals were nabbed in 1997, in 8217;99 so far only 21, who tried to cross into the Indian territory, were arrested,8221; he said. No hardcore militant was among those nabbed, he added.

Incidentally, 685 8220;exfiltrators8221; were also nabbed. Of these, 620 were Bangladeshis, four Afganis, 60 Burmese and one was an Iranian, Aulakh said.