Musharraf is also held responsible for carnage unleashed to suppress a revolt in Northern areas of PoK in late 80's and early 90's. Handpicked by Zia for job, Musharraf transported a large number of Pakistan tribesmen from Afghanistan and NWFP to Gilgat to "teach the revolting Shias a lesson". Musharraf was the main architect for raising Taliban. He used Taliban to put down a civilian unrestin Gilgat. The General is close to Mufti Shamzai, Head of a Seminary, that works in close co-ordination with Taliban militia. To divert the Taliban to Kashmir Musharraf got floated a new terrorist outfit Jash-e-Mohammadi, JEM. Its purpose is to bring Kashmir terrorist network directly under the control of Taliban. For this Pakistan sponsored hijacking of an Air-India plane to Kandhar to get Maulana Azhar released from an Indian prison. Azhar, the super-terrorist went on to found the Jaish-e-Mohammedi. This backgrounder of Musharraf is important to understand some of the recent developments in PoK and Pakistan's attempts to escalate the proxy-war. 

To increase infiltration, ISI is now engaged in surveying areas on the LoC to find safe routes for heli-dropping militants alongwith weapons and explosives. Several helipads have been built and located close to the border areas across Uri, Kupwara, Rajouri and Akhnoor for carrying subversives on helicopters to be dropped in or near the Indian border villages, undetected. 

Construction of two airports has been ordered by Musharraf at Kotli and Mirpur in PoK, besides issuing orders for establishing a military cadet college at Palandri (PoK Poonch). Funds for this have already been sanctioned. 

Pakistan has also prepared a plan for diverting around 15-20 lac Afghan refugees to PoK. Its purpose is to stamp out local dissent against Pakistan and provide a hospitable base for transporting Talibans to PoK. To sustain such a huge influx, Pakistan government has prepared a blue-print for developing untapped resources of raw material and considerable tourism potential. Secondly, Pakistan has announced special incentives to Afghan refugees to move to PoK and has decided to create clonies for them with facilities and air links with Afghanistan. The presence of Afghan, refugees would not only ensure security of militant's bases but would provide effective support to Taliban invasion of Kashmir. Musharraf's new mission is- Talibanise PoK. 

Can the plan to Talibanise PoK work without having a dispensation in PoK, which is directly answerable to Musharraf? How come Musharraf who has trampled every institution of democracy in Pakistan, has suddenly emerged as the man in hurry to put democracy back on rails in PoK. In the phoney elections where only those elements were allowed to participate who were acceptable to Musharraf, Sardar Sikander Hayat emerged as the winner. Polling was held on July 5 and Hayat was sworn in on July 25, as the new Prime Minister. Prior to the elections, the military and the Muslim Conference of Hayat had reached an understanding on who should contest the polls and who should not. Though this could not work but military has put its foot down that it wants its own man as president, when a crucial plan is underway in PoK. Dawn (July 29) reported that a two-star general, Maj General Mohd Anwar, was being retired from the Army in 24 hours to be elected President on the MC ticket. Anwar, a Sudhan is serving as chief of the military's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. The PoK government issued an ordinance waiving the provision that required officials to wait for two years after retirement before entering politics or contesting elections. The decision to post an Armymen as President, puts the ISI's larger game plan in PoK in perspective. 

Sardar Sikandar Hayat is a well-known pro-Pakistan activist. To prop him up, the government threatened to reopen old cases against Qayoom pending in the National Accountability Bureau. Immediately, after being sworn in, Hayat vowed to "end" Indian control over J&K. He said "Today, I remember our brothers in "occupied" Kashmir who are neither free nor can form their own government freely. I pray to God that during the five years of our tenure we will be able to see the establishment of a freely elected government in Srinagar". Taking the oath, Hayat pledged to remain "faithful to the idea of the accession of J&K to Pakistan". 

Meanwhile, there are reports that Pakistan has stepped up the plans to escalate proxy war. Khalid Pervez, a PoK activist says, "there have been instances when 13-14 year olds have been kidnapped, trained and then sent across the border". Pakistan has already ordered, as per reports, 1000 Kashmiri youths, who had been residing in camps located at Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Kotli for the last five years to infiltrate back into Kashmir. 

In the immediate after-math after Hayat took over, Pakistan army has launched major logistic and manoeuvering exercises across LoC in PoK. After Agra Summit, nearly 600 militants have been shifted close to the launching points for a major infiltration drive. Military exercises were launched on August 13. A number of fresh bunkers were being constructed, say Defence sources. It has been observed that special trained groups of militants are being sent for reconnaissance work to North Kashmir along LoC. Out of 1000 militants, as per intelligence reports, 500 belong to Hizbul Mujahideen, 200 to Lashkar-e-Toiba, 70 to Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen. Some of the militants captured by the army have revealed that Pakistani troops were asking them "to remain prepared for war". The captured militants, as per reports, have been told by ISI that major consignments of arms were underway. 

How India faces to the new challenge remains to be seen? But there are no soft options left. Ad-hoc reactive approaches will only spell disaster.  

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