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ISI reviving militancy in Punjab: Shinde
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 5
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Wednesday warned of attempts by Pakistan’s ISI to revive militancy in Punjab and other parts of the country. This is the second time in nine months that the Centre has cautioned against revival of terrorism in Punjab.

On September 6 last year, then Intelligence Bureau chief Nehchal Singh Sandhu had warned that terror groups focusing on Punjab and neighbouring states posed a challenge. Sandhu, then speaking at the inauguration of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police conference, had said: “Given the sort of external support they receive, terrorist groups -- including those focusing on Punjab and neighbouring states -- are likely to pose a challenge.”

Shinde, in his opening remarks at the Chief Ministers’ conference, was more candid in apportioning blame on Pakistan. “There have been some significant developments on the militancy front. Its commanders based in Pakistan are under pressure from the ISI to further the spy agency’s terror plans not only in Punjab, but also in other parts of the country,” the Home Minister said.

“Sikh youth are being trained at ISI facilities in Pakistan. Interdictions and interrogations have revealed use of jailed cadres, unemployed youth, criminals and smugglers by Pakistan-based Sikh terror groups for facilitating terror attacks,” Shinde said, adding that Sikh youth based and settled in Europe and the US were also being motivated to join in.

Shinde went on to say that a large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives, including RDX, managed to find its way into Punjab through the borders, even as a significant quantity of RDX has since been recovered in police action in Rajasthan and Punjab in the last one year.

India’s porous border with Bangladesh and Nepal has been used by Pakistan-based jihadi groups to ex-filtrate terrorists out of India for training in Pakistan and induction of terrorist elements and money into India for actions.

Jihadis in Pakistan affiliated to Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Indian Mujahideen have set up channels for transfer of funds from Pakistan to India via the Gulf and Nepal, besides using Western Union Money Transfer and ‘hawala’ channels.

What Minister said

• Militants based in Pakistan under pressure from the ISI to further the spy agency’s terror plans in Punjab and other parts of the country
• Sikh youth being trained at ISI facilities in Pakistan