HVK Archives: Pak admits 38 terrorist camps exist
Pak admits 38 terrorist camps exist - The Indian Express
A. K. Dhar
()
12 May 1997
Title : Pak admits 38 terrorist camps exist
Author : A. K. Dhar
Publication : The Indian Express
Date : May 12, 1997
A confidential Pakistan ,government report submitted to the erstwhile Benazir
Bhutto government had admitted the existence of 38 terrorist training centres from
where recruits were regularly sent on jehad missions to Kashmir, Bosnia. Palestine
and some African countries, media reports here said.
The report had claimed "because of broad spectrum of warfare activities, these
centres are on the hit list of Israeli Mossad and Indian Raw agencies." The report
vindicates India's consistent claims of the existence of such training camps for
Kashmiri terrorists on Pakistani soil, something Islamabad has been vehemently
denying. The report was apparently prepared by the then deputy commissioner of
Sheikhupura at Ms Benazir's behest in view of the growing sectarian violence in
the country, according to a local Pakistan daily News International.
"The report, placed before Ms Benazir, interior minister Nasserullah Babar and
director general of Inter Services intelligence had highly perturbed her, "the
paper claimed. The markazs (centres) set up specifically to "prepare Mujabideen
for jehad throughout the world were now being used by rival religious groups in
the country to settle personal scores," the report says.
Drawing an alarming picture of the gun culture that has creeped into Pakistan's
body polity, the report says, "various religious organisations backed by
neighbouring Muslim countries are now engaged in a no-holds barred conflict to
gain domination in Pakistan and official authorities like the police are scared of
interfering in these camps." So far 28 suet, centres were functioning in Punjab,
two in Baluchistan, three in Sindh and five in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the
report said.
In addition, in Karachi alone, 43 centres exist mostly in universities and medical
colleges. The camps are a fall out of a no-holds barred struggle between the Ahle
Hadith and Deobandi school of theology on one side pitted against the Brelvis and
Shia school of thought, the report said.
Back
Top
|
