Author: Sanjeev Pargal
Publication: The Daily Excelsior
Date: February 7, 2002
URL: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/02feb07/news.htm#3
Top ultra got Pakistani visa on
APHC chit
The State Intelligence agencies
have come across a very 'conclusive evidence' linking a top leader of All
Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) with a hardcore militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba
(LeT) outfit.
The Lashkar militant, who was presently
in the judicial lock-up alongwith a Government official (a Forester) and
two other ultras of Farooq Rehmani's People's League outfit, has made 'very
important' and 'sensational' disclosures during his interrogation by the
Intelligence agencies.
The disclosures were 'sufficient'
to link the pro-Pakistan and fundamentalist Hurriyat leader with the LeT,
official sources in the Intelligence agencies told EXCELSIOR.
They identified the arrested militant
as Farooq Ahmed, who hailed from Bandipore village of Baramulla district
and the Forester as Haji Ghulam Ahmed, also a resident of Bandipore and
posted in Srinagar at the time of his arrest. Presently, the Forester was
under suspension and facing trial in the judicial lock-up.
Two other militants, arrested by
the Intelligence agencies, were Ayub Ahmed of Bandipore and Habibullah
of Srinagar. Habibullah was an old man and his role was confined to providing
overground assistance to the militants. While Farooq Ahmed and Haji Ghulam
Ahmed were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit, Ayub and Habibullah
had links with People's League supremo Farooq Rehmani, who was presently
operating from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sources said Farooq Ahmed was arrested
by a special team of the Intelligence agencies from near the Jammu Airport
sometime back when he was about to board an Indian Airlines flight for
New Delhi to get the connecting flight to Islamabad. Farooq was in possession
of a valid passport and Pakistani visa despite the fact that he was a hardcore
Lashkar cadre and had participated in several actions against the army
in Srinagar and Baramulla districts of the Kashmir valley.
Farooq Ahmed, arrested on a specific
tip off, was subjected to sustained interrogation, where he confessed his
links with the APHC leader. Infact, Farooq had been issued the visa by
Pakistani embassy on the recommendations of the Hurriyat leader while the
passport in his possession had been managed by the Forester.
Sources said the Lashkar leadership
of the Kashmir valley wanted to depute Farooq Ahmed to Pakistan on an 'important
mission'. Since he had injured his leg in one of the operations against
the security forces in Baramulla, he was unable to cross over to Pakistan
through the Line of Control (LoC).
The LeT leadership utilised the
services of its over-ground worker in the Forest Department Haji Ghulam
Ahmed in procuring a passport for Farooq Ahmed. The Forester with the help
of Ayub Ahmed stole the passport of one Nazir Ahmed, also a resident of
Bandipore, who had died few days back, the sources said.
The duo then proceeded to Bangalore
where they tampered the passport with the help of a sophisticated electronic
equipment by replacing Nazir Ahmed's photograph with that of Farooq Ahmed.
And for securing visa, the outfit took the services of Hurriyat leader,
they said.
This particular Hurriyat leader,
whose chit is taken as an order in Pakistan's embassy, obliged Farooq Ahmed
despite knowing well that he was a hardcore militant of LeT outfit having
his involvement in a series of subversive activities including the killings
and action against the security personnel across Kashmir valley.
The Hurriyat leader also knew that
the passport in the possession of Farooq was tampered. He was also aware
of the fact that Farooq Ahmed had been to Pakistan thrice (breaching the
LoC) for training and bringing the consignments of sophisticated weaponry
to the Valley. The chit helped and Farooq Ahmed was given visa by Pakistan's
embassy in no time.
According to sources, the Intelligence
agencies succeeded in getting an 'advance information' of Farooq Ahmed's
visit to Pakistan and laid a trap for him. Farooq was apprehended and the
tampered passport and Pakistani visa besides some other 'important documents'
were recovered from his possession.
Subsequently, the interrogation
of Farooq Ahmed led to the arrest of Forester Haji Ghulam Ahmed and two
other militants Habibullah and Ayub Ahmed, the sources said, adding all
of them have been sent to the judicial lock-up and a challan presented
against them in the Session Court.
The sources said Farooq Ahmed also
made 'very important' disclosures regarding the Hurriyat Conference leader's
links with the LeT outfit but declined to share them. Asked why the Hurriyat
leader was not arrested when there was an evidence to link him with the
militant outfit, the sources gave no answer.
