New Delhi, April 3
Far from cracking down on cross-border terrorism as demanded by India and the civilised world, Pakistan has embarked upon another devilish plan: revive militancy in Punjab in a big way.

According to a “Top Secret” report of an Indian security agency made available to “The Tribune” today, to avoid exposure to their continued support to Sikh militants, Pakistan is using Kashmiri separatist outfits as a front for handling Sikh militants and creating a nexus between the two. Details of Pakistan’s plans to revive militancy in Punjab are being published for the first time by “The Tribune”.

Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), which was among the five militant outfits banned earlier this year by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, was entrusted with the task of training men from the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) in the use of weapons and infiltration into India via Jammu region.

A 35-day training programme was launched by LeT in March-April 2001. BKI and LeT have set up a common office outside Nankana Sahib (West side). LeT Foreign Affairs Secretary, Prof Haffiz Abdul Rehman, is said to be a close friend of Pakistan-based chief of BKI, Wadhawa Singh.

An ISI office situated in Gulbarg locality of Lahore is also being used by Wadhawa Singh for imparting training to BKI activists. Besides, big bungalows provided to Pakistan-based militants in Lahore and adjoining areas are being used as training centres by the militants.

After the September 11 attacks in the USA, the Musharraf regime had advised Pakistan-based militant outfits to lie low and in keeping with this policy the cadres of BKI and KCF had been shifted to Islamabad and Faislabad, respectively.

However, Pakistan propaganda aimed at forging Sikh-Muslim unity was quite discernible during the recent visit of Sikh jathas to Pakistan on Gurpurab in November 2001. The focus of speeches by the Pakistani leaders was on the historical links between Sikhs and Muslims.

Pakistan’s ISI is keen to promote International Sikh-Muslim Itehad Federation to act as a front for organising future activities aimed at anti-India propaganda to portray Sikhs and Kashmiris as natural allies fighting for common cause against the government of India, according to the classified report.

Formation of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee in April, 1999, under the chairmanship of former ISI chief Lt-Gen Javed Nasir has been a subtle move of the ISI to achieve its long and short-term goals.

The creation of PSGPC, says the report, has given a tailor-made opportunity to the ISI to intermix with pro-Khalistanis, including from India as well as hold on substantial donations. These donations are used to make the pro-Khalistan movement against India “self sufficient” in view of economic crunch in Pakistan.

“Pakistan to some extent has achieved success in impressing the gullible Sikhs that gurdwaras under the PSGPC are better maintained than SGP,” says the report.

Pakistan government has liberalised visas for visiting Sikhs and this propaganda is done effectively during the visit of the jathas. Since the formation of the PSGPC, the interaction between pro-Khalistani Sikhs, including from India, has substantially increased.

According to the report, the visit by private jathas has also provided an effective channel of communication between Pakistan-based militants and their accomplices in India. Officials of the ISI are deliberately attached to the jathas to elicit information affecting security of India and spreading malice and discontentment.

Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) held a separate reception for the BKI at its headquarters in Mansoora on November 17, 2000 and JEI chief Qazi Ahmad Hussain exhorted the BKI cadres to revive militancy in Punjab. He also assured them of his organisation’s help in training and supply of arms for the purpose.

(Tomorrow: Details of training camps in Pakistan for Sikh militants and strategies for recruiting militants)