Pak saboteurs8217; plans foiled

AMRITSAR, OCT 11: The city police have succeeded in foiling a plan to disrupt Dusshera celebrations in the country by arresting two Pakistani nationals trained by the Inter-Services Intelligence ISI, who had recently crossed over into India.

Disclosing this to mediapersons here today, Inspector General of Police Border Range J.P. Birdi said that Rashid Ahmed and Hamid, residents of Saidoke village in Narowal tehsil of Pakistan were arrested and four kg of RDX, two pistols, 25 rounds of ammunition, five detonators and a time device were recovered from their possession. The IGP claimed that the two Pakistani nationals revealed that they had been given special training in espionage and subversive activities by the ISI for three months at a training camp in Narowal. They were also trained in handling explosives and were ordered to strike during the festive season. They had also been asked to take the assistance of Khalistan Commando Force KCF-Punjwar operatives, the IGP said.

Birdi said the duo had beentrained in identifying strategic Army and civil locations stationed in Punjab. A few maps of Indian military locations were recovered from them. He said that both Rashid and Hamid were trained to act as deaf-mutes and move around as beggars to avoid suspicion. Birdi claimed that the two had been sent to India under a joint operation plan chalked out by the ISI and the Pakistan-based KCF chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar.

The ISI had provided them a list of contacts in the city, where they were to be provided shelter and assistance and had been told to set up shoot-outs or blasts in Ram Leela functions in the cities of north India, the IGP said. Further investigations were being conducted into their local contacts, he added.

A case under the Explosives Act, Arms Act, Official Secrets Act and the Foreigners Act had been registered against them. The IGP revealed that both Rashid and Hamid had crossed over into India about 10 days back through the Jammu border.