National

Shift seen in ISI strategy

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI MAY 14. As the Jammu massacre has demonstrated, Pakistan continues to train and funnel recruits into Jammu & Kashmir. But its cross-border operations being conducted through the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) have undergone a radical change in strategy, according to intelligence sources in the Defence Ministry here.

As per the new tactics, the ISI is overtly maintaining a hands-off policy in compliance with the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf's January 12 commitment to crack down on terrorism. However, on the ground, it has reactivated some training camps close to the line of control (LoC) and adopted the rather novel method of ``contracting out'' the task of running training camps, providing boarding facilities and assisting trained guerrillas to sneak into Jammu & Kashmir. Most of the `contractors' are retired ex-servicemen from the Pakistan Army, along with elements who have sought premature retirement from either the ISI or the armed forces.

According to the latest reports, the melting of snow in the passes has spurred the regrouping of militants on the other side of the border along with reappearance of training camps. Three such camps being run by ISI-supervised contractors have re-opened at Chakoti opposite the Uri sector. Reports also speak of more training camps across Kupwara, Poonch and Rajouri, the three sectors where the terrain is considered favourable for infiltration. Ever since the passes became passable, there has been no let-up in the rate of ingress of terrorists from across the border as revealed by the number of encounters in the last few months. In April, over 40 hardcore militants were killed in Poonch area alone. Militancy-related activities have registered an upward trend, especially in South Kashmir.

Reports also indicate that the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad continue to be active in Pakistan in motivating youth to join the jehad in Kashmir. Lashkar is now operating under the name of Jamaat-ud-Dava and is also publishing a weekly newspaper Ghasava.

Intelligence sources say their assessment coincides with American media perception of Pakistan's crackdown against jehadi elements having lost steam. Several militant leaders, including the heads of Lashkar and Jamait-i-Ulema, were released from jail to appease conservative forces just before the Presidential referendum in Pakistan. Apart from abetting the training of terrorists, the ISI is believed to have played an active role in the expulsion of Hizbul's J & K based commanders, including Majid Dar, Zafar Abdullah Fateh and Asad Yazdani.

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