The Hindu : 'Evidence' on Pak. embassy involvement

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 29, 2002

National

National

'Evidence' on Pak. embassy involvement

By Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI JUNE 28. The Union Home Ministry today claimed that a ``good number of cases'' could be cited, pointing to the involvement of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi in funding anti-India activities.

Top Home Ministry sources claimed that at least half a dozen cases indicating the ``involvement'' of the Pakistan High Commission's involvement in channelling funds for fomenting terrorism in Kashmir had been brought to the notice of the meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee held here on Wednesday.

Responding to Islamabad's denial of the allegations levelled by the Home Minister, L. K. Advani, that the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi was channelling funds for anti-India activities, Ministry sources provided details of specific cases, which the law enforcing agencies had stumbled upon recently.

At the Consultative Committee meeting, the Ministry claimed ``significant achievements'' in detecting the funding channels of several terrorist organisations, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad, the Al-Badr and the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The MPs were apprised of the routes of illegal hawala channels, fake currency rackets and cases of large amounts of money coming in through the banking channels as well.

Sources claimed that a person, identified as Ghulam Nabi War, was arrested on October 1, 1993 in Delhi and his questioning had shown that the Pakistan High Commission had given Rs. 60 lakhs to the then chairman of the Muslim Conference.

On June 6, 1999, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Deputy Director of the Institute of Kashmir Studies, associated with the Hurriyat Conference, visited the Pakistani High Commission. There was definite intelligence input that he would receive Rs. 10 lakhs from the High Commission and head straight to the airport to take a flight for Srinagar. He was intercepted at the airport and Rs. 10.5 lakhs was reportedly recovered from him. Mr. Bhat explained that the money was actually handed over to him by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, then Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference. The explanation was untenable as Mr. Bhat had proceeded straight to the airport from the High Commission and Maulvi Umar Farooq denied having given any money to him. On March 26, 2001, Shaukat Ahmad and Majid Sheikh, both activists of the Rehmani group of the People's League, were intercepted by police at Kathua in Jammu, while travelling to Srinagar from Delhi in a car. In a hidden cavity of the car, police found Rs. 19 lakhs. The duo admitted having received the money from an unidentified employee of the Pakistan High Commission about which they had been instructed by their PoK-based leaders.

A resident of Alwar district in Rajasthan, Idris Khan, was arrested on February 10, 2000 and he revealed he had been in touch with the High Commission officials since 1995 and was regularly paid money for ``anti-India activities.'' Yet another resident of the same district, Jhuru Khan, was also arrested and his interrogation showed the same modus operandi, the sources said.

The latest example, cited by the sources, was a joint raid on June 9 this year by the Income Tax and Jammu and Kashmir police at the Srinagar residence of Syed Ali Shah Geelani which yielded Rs. 10.5 lakhs and $10,000 along with a diamond-studded watch with an inscription of the Pakistan Government.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National