Author:
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 27, 2002
Anjum alias Mehrul Islam is barely
20 years old. A resident of Kotli in Pakistan, Anjum was caught by the
army on Saturday morning after a night-long encounter at Chhawa village
near here in which three other militants were killed.
Speaking to the media, Anjum said
his group, which comprised nine militants, had been asked to target the
Rajouri temple which was to be inaugurated on Saturday. Over the last few
days, hundreds of devotees have congregated at the open grounds near the
temple for the ceremony A huge cache of arms, including six AK rifles,
one pistol, hundreds of rounds, hand grenades and three wireless sets were
found at the encounter site by the army. Candies, biscuits and other eatables
made in an industrial area of Kot Lakhpat, Lahore and Korangi industrial
area in Karachi were seized from the house in which the militants had taken
shelter.
Literature, including stickers,
anti-India slogans and books terming violence against Indians as jehad,
was part of the belongings the security forces stumbled upon when they
cordoned off the area on Friday evening after receiving an intelligence
report. Most of the seditious literature was published from a press on
Temple Road, Lahore and included an Urdu book Aabad-e-Zindagi, stickers
on which Mujhe faqhr hai ki mein a ek jehadi hoon (I am proud to be a Jehadi)
and the Indian tricolour was shown burning.
Anjum said his group wanted to spread
mayhem by targeting the devotees and also create a communal divide among
the people of the town which has a mixed population. It was a joint operation
launched by the Harkad-ul-Jehadi Islami, the Hizbul Mujahideen, Al-Badar
and the Jaish-e-Mohammed, he said. Owing allegiance to the Hizbul Mujahideen,
a section of which is willing to give up violence (if certain conditions
are met) Anjum said the Pakistani army personnel were actively involved
in facilitating the entry of militants into Indian territory.
Contrary to General Musharraf's
public announcements, the ISI and most of the lower ranks of the Pakistani
army were fully committed to waging a proxy war against India, he stressed.
His group was launched by a forward formation of the Pakistani army, he
said, adding hundreds of other militants have been amassed along the Indian
border for infiltration. Briefing the media, Brigadier Rohit Kalia said
the security forces had evidence to prove that the Pakistani Army and the
ISI were aiding and abetting militants. Young boys like Anjum, who were
recruited by the ISI when he was studying in 10th class and given arms
training, were being brainwashed into becoming martyrs in the name of jehad.
