Police:

On the independence day, the police arrested a police recruit, who had hoisted a Pakistan flag in Police Training Centre, Talwara in Reasi tehsil of Udhampur district. A Pakistani flag was seen hoisted atop a poplar tree in PTC by some local police personnel. PTC authorities and local police were informed. Initially, reports said, local police tried to hush up the case, but army authorities directed local police to ensure that Pakistani agent in PTC was immediately identified. The army said unless the person responsible was arrested, he would not be a threat only to the PTC but also to army installations. Under pressure from Army, the police identified the culprit as Fayaz Ahmed, a fresh-recruit undergoing training as a police constable in the PTC. The recruit belonged to Sumbal in Kashmir. Despite having links with Hizbul Mujahideen, he had managed to get himself recruited. Fayaz has admitted that he hoisted Pakistani flag in the PTC 'on the instructions of his bosses'. Was the flag hoisting another major security lapse? It may be recalled that during the last few months, terrorists had targeted Talwara PTC thrice, firing rockets and grenades, but these failed to hit the target. An army camp had also been fired upon by the militants in upper reaches of Talwara sometime back. There have been reports that terrorists were attempting to target Salal Power Station. 

As per local people, Fayaz Ahmed after hoisting the flag was running towards the IRP camp nearby, alongwith two-other batch-mates. During search, the IRP officials found a box belonging to Fayaz, having a Pakistan flag painted on it. During interrogation, Fayaz is said to have revealed the names of two other trainees involved in the act, who were also arrested later. Police recovered a small tin of green paint and brush from them. The identity of the two accomplics has been kept a secret. 

Last April, nine detained militants, four of them being foreign mercenaries were being taken back to Kote Bhalwal jail, Jammu from Kupwara. One of the arrested militants, namely Fareed Ahmed Mir, of PoK took out his grenade and forced the driver to stop at Tootigand village on Kupwara-Sopore road on April 25. As the escorting party deboarded the vehicle, detenues tried to escape. Luckily, a patrol party of Army and SoG happened to pass-by. They stopped and threw a cordon around the vehicle. How the grenade reached the militant? Was it passed on with the help of black moles in police? 

On May 17, a top militant Mohd Amin Bhat escaped from the Kashmir Police Custody in Jammu. His escape was kept a secret for 52 hours by ASI Aziz-ud-Din, who along with constable Shakil was escorting him. A warrant had been issued against Amin, who while indulging in militant activities continued to work as clerk in the General Administration Department. The concerned police station Parimpora had deputed Aziz, Shakil and Shoukat Ali, a constable to escort Amin for shifting him to Kote-Bhalwal Jail. Intriguingly, Showkat Ali stayed back in Srinagar, while Aziz and Shakil reached Jammu in police bus at 7 PM. Since the Jail authorities do not accept detenues after 6 PM, usually such detenues are kept in lock-ups at different police stations. 

Working to a plan, ASI Aziz flouted all norms. Amin's hands were kept free, as his hand cuffs were locked in a bag. Instead of taking Amin to a lock-up in police station, Aziz took him to Hamdard Muslim Hotel, near General Bus Stand and booked a suit for the night. After 52 hours ASI Aziz fed a cock-and bull story to cops at Janipura police station saying that Amin had escaped from his custody at a photographer's shop in Janipora. Amin Bhat alias Fayaz resident of Khandoora was 'Divisional Commander' of Hizbul Mujahideen. After undergoing training in Pakistan for two months, he rejoined his services. He had been arrested along with Rs 40 thousand looted cash, two sophisticated grenades and ammunition by SOG Srinagar. As per police, Amin was involved in killings and other terrorist actions against security forces. Police also linked him to killing of Ghulam Hassan Bhat, former Power Minister. Amin was on the top of the wanted list for militants. 

Hamdard hotel staff told Police later that all the three, including policemen were in civil clothes and hotel staff believed all three as police personnel. As per hotel staff, Amin escaped between 6 AM and 6-45 AM next morning. Soon after, Aziz and Shakeel Ahmed instead of informing police, went back to Anantnag and with Showkat Ali cooked up the story of Amin's escape at Janipora. All the three policemen have been arrested and booked for allowing top militant to escape. 

Hospital Staff:

On May 27, District Police, Poonch smashed a nexus among employees of civil hospital Poonch and militants. Three hospital employees, Ashok Kumar, a store-keeper, Kulwant Singh, a nursing orderly and Harbhajan Singh, a medical assistant, were engaged in supply of life-saving drugs to the militants for treatment of injured terrorists. They were arrested by the police and drugs worth Rs 1.50 lakh recovered from their possession. Lal Hussain, a resident of Hari Marhot, who was acting as a conduit between hospital staff and militants was also arrested. Some of the drugs recovered from arrested employees had marking of defence supply. In another incident, involving hospital staff, Army recovered on July 13, a large quantity of arms and ammunition from the house of Dr Rafiq, a doctor in Manjakot, (Gambhir Mughlan), Rajouri. A Defence hand-out said security forces raided the house of Dr Rafiq after developing a specific information that his house was being used as a hideout for the militants. 

A small 4 ft x 4 ft tunnel had been erected in his house, which had its entrance from the door of a cupboard. A consignment of weaponry had been dumped in the tunnel. Recovery included one Pika gun, 440 rounds of ammunition box, three pouches, one radio-set, five UBGL grenades, 12 detonators and 12 kg of RDX. Security forces zeroed in on Dr Rafiq's house on earlier suspicion and previous night's encounter in Gambhir Mugalan in which two militants were killed. 

Hindu Criminals:

That ISI's network in Jammu region also includes Hindu criminals was confirmed by Police recently. Last month police arrested a Sarpanch Sham Lal of village Dangri village in RS Pura tehsil. Clues included Sham Lal's alleged links with Pak saboteurs and his suspected involvement in a blast at Railway Station on June 27. Police have recovered 17.5 kg of heroine worth Rs 17.5 crore and a pistol from his possession. Police officials said other accomplies of Sham Lal alias Shama Dangri were his wife and Yousuf Massih of Chakroi. From Massih's house a country-made pistol, few cartridges, fake stamps and certificates were recovered. Narcotics smuggling in Jammu border areas has been a known thing. Infiltration of militants along these areas has been facilitated by the people engaged in narcotics-smuggling. 

NGOs

Intelligence agencies have recently come across sensational evidence that shows how some NGOs were acting as cover organisations of ISI. The NGOs are being used by anti-national elements, while ostensibly providing relief to the people, who are killed in militancy related violence. These NGOs serve as a channel for transfer of funds from global terrorist funding organisations like Islamic Solidarity Fund, Rabita-e-Alama-e-Islami and the Islamic Development Fund, to local terrorist groups. Sources added that the office-bearers of these NGOs often preached secession and foment communal hatred. 

Intelligence sources added that these NGOs were passing distorted information regarding events in Poonch-Rajouri to their masters in Pakistan. These NGOs have computers loaded with Urdu software and modern means of communication along with video cameras to record any protests or processions in their areas of operation. These recordings are subsequently passed on to Pakistan TV, which uses it for propaganda campaign against Indian security forces. The NGOs also use modern gadgetry with them to pass vital information regarding the movement of troops etc to militants and the PTV. Whenever an incident takes place even in a remotest area, within hours it is telecast in Pakistan. 

As per a report the Kashmir Aid Foundation recently approached the secretary of the Islamic Solidarity Fund at OIC secretariat-general at Jeddah for funds. It claimed that funds were needed urgently for ameliorating lives of nearly 20,000 orphans and 15,000 widows in Kashmir. Other NGOs on watch have been listed as J&K People Movement and the Iqra ("to read" in Arabic), which also runs the Himalayan watch. 

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