[FBIS Transcribed Text] NEW DELHI, July 27: Pakistan's Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) is employing new strategies to revive militancy in
Punjab and putting pressure on the remaining militants to "undertake some
sensational terrorist actions", according to official sources here.
"Pakistan-based Punjab militant groups, particularly Khalistan Commando Force
(Panjwar) (KCF-P), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and International
Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), are under pressure from ISI to undertake
some sensational terrorist actions here," they said.
KCF-P chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar is believed to have sent two
consignments of explosives to Punjab, they said, adding two of his
confidants -- Paramjit Singh and Kulwinder Singh -- have sneaked into the
state from Germany via Nepal with a specific purpose of targeting VIPs
[very important persons].
At least 29 leaders of various Punjab militant organisations are
presently believed to be in Pakistan getting active support of ISI.
The sources, citing the recent incidents of militant strikes in Punjab
and neighbouring states, said that the ISI has embarked upon a new
strategy to revive the atmosphere of terror in the state.
"The reason for this seems to be the lack of support of the people to its
machinations," said an official of the Punjab government here.
As part of the new strategy, stress is being laid on coordination among
militant groups of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir and various
fundamentalist organisations, they said.
NEW GROUPS: The intelligence agencies have also discovered the emergence
of new militant groups, comprising splinter groups like Dal Khalsa,
Babbar Khalsa (Parmar) and Tiger of Sikh Land, the sources said. A
Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) activist Keval Singh Rajput was arrested
on March 28 this year and he reportedly told his interrogators that he
was sent with instructions to cause explosions at public places in
Punjab.
Police also recovered from him 32 kgs of RDX [explosives], four hand
grenades, 1.38 revolver and nine pencil fuses, they said.
Prior to that Punjab police arrested one Mandeep Singh and recovered from
him letter pads of KCF-P containing threatening letters demanding ransom,
they said.
Another indicator of efforts aimed at reviving terrorism in Punjab came when
three suspected Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) activists and a local
contact were arrested by Baroda police on June 11 last. During their
interrogation, it came to be known that they had contacted BKI chief
Wadhwa Singh in US and that a consignment of weapons was being brought
from Pakistan by some smugglers.
BKI militant Balwinder Singh was arrested in Hoshiarpur in Punjab on
June 16 last and 8 kgs of RDX, 20 electronic and non-electronic
detonators and two pencil timers were recovered from him, the sources
said.
His interrogation revealed that he along with one Bittu and a Pakistani
national had entered India from Pakistan through Samba sector of Jammu
and Kashmir in January this year and had brought five AK-47 rifles and
some explosives.
The whereabouts of his two associates were not known, they said, adding
Balwinder Singh had received three weeks' training in handling arms and
explosives before entering India.
Intelligence agencies have also discovered recent emergence of narco-terrorism
with growing nexus between people involved in smuggling of drugs and
Punjab militants.
Besides, militants released from jails are being "re-used" for terrorist
activities in Punjab and elsewhere in the country, the sources said.
In addition to these, ISI has intensified its efforts to propagate the
cause of "Khalistan" and Sikh jathas [meaning not known] visiting
Pakistan have been subjected to "high pitched anti-India and
pro-Khalistan" propaganda, they said.
Pointing out to the appointment of former chief of ISI as President of
Pakistan Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (PGPC) [Sikh temple committee],
the sources said "the brazen move has obviously undermined the prestige
of Sikh clergy in Pakistan who actually had the right to assume the job."
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