M A I N   N E W S

Combing operation in Chamba
Pro-Pak cassettes seized; ultras seen
From Tribune Reporters

CHAMBA, Sept 23 — The security forces have intensified vigil along the Kehar area of Chamba, bordering militancy-infested Jammu and Kashmir, following seizure of “provocative” cassettes containing speeches of Pakistani Islamic preachers and reports of 45 militants in the area.

The stepped-up campaign by Islamic outfits in Chamba district during the recent past has put the police on the alert. The fundamentalists, according to sources have not just restricted themselves to the main town but have penetrated in to the border areas.

Following intelligence reports that 45 militants were seen in Surgani forests in the district, an exhaustive combing operation was undertaken in 50 square kilometre area by the Himachal police and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel. According to the district police chief, Chamba, Mr Sanjay Kundu, no evidence to substantiate the presence of the militants in the area could be found. “It was after taking the locals into confidence that we conducted an operation in the area on the 18th and 19th of this month,” he revealed.

Mr Kundu said acting upon a tip-off, a police party headed by Inspector Gurbachan Singh raided the shop of Mohammed Hanif near Jam Jam Dhaba in the town and recovered two cassettes of Quari Mohammed Hanif of Multan in Pakistan.

The S.P. said the cassettes contained speeches exhorting all Muslims to pray for the long life of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan who had been fighting the “super Russian army.” He said the cassettes also talked about the “collapse” of the enemies of Pakistan.

The S.P. said the cassette contained pro-Pakistan and pro-Mujahideen speeches in addition to Hanif’s views on Islamic unit. Accordingly, a criminal case under Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code (Open sedition) had been registered in the Sadar police station.

The S.P. said the owner of the shop and his son had been arrested and sent to judicial custody. Further disclosures by them had led to the arrest of Mehboob Ali who had been remanded into police custody.

The S.P. said that Mehboob Ali was a resident of Karian on the outskirts of Chamba who had supplied the cassettes to Mohammed Hanif for sale to Muslim inhabitants of Chamba district.

The cassettes were bought from the Jama Masjid area in New Delhi. The police is sending a team to Delhi for verification.