Kashmiri youth visiting Pakistan used as terror conduits: Government agency

NEW DELHI: Kashmiri youth visiting Pakistan are being imparted training in cyber-communication and used as conduits for conveying specific instructions, a multi-agency body constituted by the government to probe terrorism and smuggling of drugs across the Indo-Pak border found.

Kashmiri youth, who are either studying in Punjab or involved in some business there, are being encouraged to visit Pakistan on valid visa documents, said a report of the agency that has members from the Punjab police, Border Security Force and the Army.

ET has exclusive access to the report. It was underlined that a particular pattern with the Kashmiri youth visiting Pakistan was observed from the data of 2016. The frequent overstaying of visa period by Kashmiri youth was pointed out and it was observed that the database and details of Indians who have either under stayed or over stayed the visa period should be closely monitored and shared with all the concerned agencies.


In one such case, a resident of Kulgam was found carrying specific instructions from Saifullah Ghazi, a terrorist active in Rawalpindi, the report recorded.The youth was provided money to purchase a mobile phone and install BBM app in order to receive further instructions from his handlers in Pakistan which he was supposed to convey to his commander in Kulgam, the report said. The report expressed concern over the trend for it was done at the behest of Jaishe-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar.

The role of Azhar’s younger brother Talha Al-Saif has also come to light. It might be mentioned here that a petition pertaining to drugs and cross border terrorism is pending adjudication in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The agency has learnt about the involvement of banned Pakistani terrorist outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which the report said, has increased its training activities all across Pak and PoK particularly after Eid. Over the period of two months, three to four reports of infiltration from Gurdaspur and Amritsar area have been received.

The Indian intelligence agencies were informed that JeM student wing, Al-Murabitun (AM) organised a second annual congregation for Jihadi indoctrination titled “Islamic and Training Convention” at Balakot from July 28 to 30 which was addressed by Talha Al-Saif.

Besides, JeM inducted a batch of 12-13 students at Markaz Usman-o-Ali, Bahawalpur from July 10 to 21 in which 70 students from Peshawar, Manshera and Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa participated. Another JeM centre in Karachi was scheduled to conduct a Daura-e-Tarbiya course from July 21to 27.

In view of Eid on September 1, Al-Rehmat trust had sought donations in form of money and animal hides for meeting the costs of JeM in conducting activities including invitation of Islam, Jihad, education, relief and welfare activities and for taking care of dependants of militants killed in action.

Referring to the “Nafil Qurbani” campaign run by JeM to raise funds, JeM leader Talha Al Saif emphasised on the urgency as in the past many years the number of dependants of militants killed in action had increased. In another case, two Kashmiri youths of Pulwana district with B.tech degrees from a local college of Amritsar, Satyam College of Engineering and Technology, were found carrying instructions from official Whatsapp numbers of JuD.

Both were carrying Rs 78,000 including five signed cheques of Jammu &Kashmir Bank each worth Rs 10,000 provided to them by an unknown persons in Pakistan who has been handling an account of J & K bank.

Concern over settlement of people from different states close to border has also been raised. The record of the last five years indicates specific people coming from J&K and other parts are settled close to the border which may have “security hazards”, the report says.