JALANDHAR: The Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan is planning a major offensive in Punjab by sending suicide squads to the state with the aim of eliminating top political leaders and police officials, top BSF sources said here, on Feb.23. As part of their long-term strategy. the ISI has, of late, been organizing meetings between Afghan leader, Gulbadin Hikmatyar, and Sikh militant leaders based in Pakistan. It has also issued instructions to activists in India to induct dedicated and motivated Sikh youths to their ranks.

Top ISI officials are exerting tremendous pressure on the Pakistani. based militant leaders to persuade them to reorganize their outfits in Punjab and direct them to again start militant activity in a big way since they are displeased with the peaceful phase in the state at present.

BSF sources said the displeasure of Pakistan-based militant leaders and their ISI masters was mainly due to the effective sealing of the land border and also due to the increased vigil by the security forces by which infiltration had been completely controlled.

It is believed that the real target of the ISI is not Punjab but Kashmir where, after organizing disturbances in a big way, Pakistan wants to internationalize the issue. Due to increased surveillance Pakistan is now finding it difficult to infiltrate militants into the valley.

The militants and mercenaries are now gathered in the mountains surrounding the valley in Pakistani territory but unless they come down, they cannot do any harm. This is the reason, sources say, that ISI is interested in reviving militancy in Punjab in a big way so that the attention of the security forces is diverted from Kashmir and that would make their task in the valley easier.

The BSF sources said that Kashmiri and Sikh militants in Pakistan were still being provided training in about 17 camps that still existed there. However, the number of militants in these camps is now less mainly because organizations were unable to effect fresh recruitments in their ranks due to their disillusionment with their leaders who, they feel, have left them to fend for themselves after making.

money.

Another reason is that the increased vigil on the borders is proving to be deterrent. The sources said that there are reports that some groups were engaged in reorganizing themselves and were accumulating weapons and ammunition. This could be stopped. these sources felt, on increasing employment opportunities in the state and speeding up developmental activities.

Sources said that the militants in Punjab were fully exploiting their Kashmiri connections and using them to smuggle in arms and ammunition in the state.

Meanwhile, in Ludhiana, the ISI has stepped up its activities to promote narrow terrorism in India by using Kashmiri and Sikh militants and Muslims, including women, as conduit

Revealing this to media persons here, Inspector General of the General Railway Police (GRP), S.G. Jain, said the agency was trying to exploit links of smugglers in Jammu and Kashmir with those in Bombay to carry out its new plans aimed at destabilizing India.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 3, 1995