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Journalism of Courage
Calling it a matter of “extreme concern”, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said that Pakistan`s ISI was continuing with efforts to infiltrate the armed forces for sensitive military plans and information. He said meticulous internal investigations were on to expose the “kingpins” and unearth the espionage network.
Speaking to reporters after the arrest over the weekend of two Armymen — Havildar Ritesh Kumar and Signalman Anil Kumar Dubey — who were allegedly passing on military information to an employee of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, Mukherjee said “ISI is trying to infiltrate and subvert our armed forces”. He indicated that preliminary investigations suggested a connection with other spying rackets in the forces, spread from J&K to Delhi to Kathmandu.
“We are aware of the fact that the ISI is active and sometimes we catch the moles they have established in different organisations. But if it is in the Army, naturally we shall have to ensure that these types of things do not happen. Wherever there is leakage or laxity, that has to be blocked,” he said. “The espionage rings might have started from Kashmir. Our military as well as civilian intelligence outfits and investigating agencies have been pressed into action to bust the rings and find the kingpins.”
Investigations into ISI-backed spy rackets come weeks ahead of the likely resumption of Indo-Pak talks.
