M A I N   N E W S

Dilip Kumar to face trial

Mumbai, April 21
The Mumbai High Court has dismissed the plea of film thespian Dilip Kumar seeking discharge in a cheque-bouncing case involving a company of which he was the Chairman.

Refusing to discharge Dilip Kumar in the case, the judge directed the actor to face trial by a magistrate’s court. 

Firearm training to 5-year-olds
Lashkar tops in fund collection for jehad
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Nankana Sahib (Pakistan), April 21
Instead of playing with toys, they play with bullets. Hundreds of tinytots are being trained to use firearms in the jungles of Muzafarabad by Afghan mercenaries.

These training camps have evaded the attention of the International Human Rights Organisation and the USA who have issued sanctions against Pakistan for using children in sports goods industry.

The startling information about the training of children came to light during a recent trip to Pakistan by the Tribune News Service which had a chance to visit the local office of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The chief, Mohammad Anwar, called “masul” or “amir”, spoke about the activities of the Lashkar. A number of school-going children, between the age of five and 10 years, sitting in the office also replied to a number of queries. However, Anwar and his colleagues evaded questions about the activities of Sikh militants in Pakistan. Interestingly, immediately after the interview, activists of the Lashkar followed the TNS team upto Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and confirmed the “antecedents” of the team members from organisers of the Baisakhi mela.

Anwar disclosed that the youngest boy from Nankana Sahib (name was not disclosed) to have received the training to handle firearms was only five years old. He said the activists of the Lashkar could be sent to any part of the world in the name of jehad.

Earlier, training camps were organised in Afghanistan but due to surveillance by the USA through satellites, the camp had to be shifted to the jungles of Muzafarabad.

Despite a ban on collection in the name of jehad, the Lashkar and other militant organisations had placed “money collection boxes” at various shops and public places all over the country. Anwar said more than 100 glass boxes were at Nankana Sahib itself. He said the money collected from these sources was deposited with the head office at Muridke in Lahore. The Lashkar had topped in fund collections recently as it received over two lakh goats, cattle and camel hides, the cost of which was Rs 15 crore. The Hizb-ul-Mujahideen ranked second.

Salahudin, a young boy, said though he had completed the training in weapons of all types, he had not been sent on action as he was the only child of his widowed mother. However, Anwar, said he could be sent for jehad any time as he had completed the training since long.

Mohammad Kamraj (10), a Class VI student, said he knew how to handle light machine guns.

The Lashkar activists said there was a mass movement in Pakistan and the government was openly supporting them. Anwar, however, said though the Internal Minister of Pakistan had imposed a ban on the collection of money, it was only on paper. He said 15,000 children between the age of five and 13 years had already received arms training.

Another boy, Mohammad Khalid Sharif, who met this correspondent at the office said he would contribute to magazines being brought out by the Lashkar. However, Mohammad Tariq, a Class V student, said he had not yet been selected for training but he visited the office daily and helped organisers in running the office. The two magazines published by the outfit include “Voice of Islam” and “Al-Daawa”.

Women too got training but their number was insignificant.