Intelligence agencies have issued a warning that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has activated its terror outfits to detail the election process in Punjab, as per an IANS report. As per the inputs, ISI thinks the current assembly elections are ‘now or never’ for the uprising of Khalistan extremism once again in Punjab. ISI has aimed to increase the Khalistani footprint in Punjab using its terror modules in Punjab and some parts of another poll-bound state Uttar Pradesh.

The IANS report suggests that the Sikh terror outfits might target election rallies and attempt to assassinate important leaders of VVIPs during the election process in Punjab, parts of UP, and Uttarakhand. It is notable that the Sikh terror organization Sikhs For Justice has recently claimed responsibility for the blockade of PM Modi’s convoy in Ferozepur, Punjab.

ISI sees assembly elections as an opportunity to reactive Khalistani movement

As per the intelligence inputs, ISI is eyeing Punjab’s Assembly Elections as an opportunity to reactivate the Khalistani movement in the state. Apart from Punjab, ISI is targeting poll-bound states where Sikh voters are in large number. According to the sources IANS quotes, ISI has activated multiple terror groups to derail the election process.

The intelligence agencies have shared the inputs with Punjab, UP, and Uttarakhand governments. The terror outfits are trying to gain the support of the Sikh population in these states. The Intelligence agencies have asked the state governments to stay alert and keep an eye on possible terror activities. They have also suggested the administration stay in touch with the Sikh religious leaders and prominent persons.

Sikh terror organizations, including International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), and Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), are on security agencies’ radar. As per reports, ISI has instructed these organizations to provide a route of the supply of weapons and explosives in Punjab via their Pakistani handlers.

Sikh terrorist Wadhava Singh Babbar of BKI, Ranjeet Singh Neeta of Khalistan Zindabad Force, Parmjit Singh Panjawar of Khalistan Commando Force, and Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of SFJ are in constant touch with ISI. They are providing all possible support to their men in Punjab, as per the report.

Others named by intelligence agencies are Jagdish Singh Bhura of Khalistani Zindabad Force, its deputy chief and SFJ associate Gurmeet Singh, Ranjeet Singh Pakhoke, Paramjit Singh Pamma, Sukhdev Singh Heran, and Hardeep Singh Nijjar of Babbar Khalsa international. Excluding Bhura, Pakhoke and Heran, the rest are designated terrorists under UAPA.

Intelligence agencies also named Lakhveer Singh’s ISYF as one of the organizations involved in the terror plans. ISYF has a strong influence in the villages across the international border between Punjab and Pakistan. Reports suggest many henchmen linked to ISYF are trained in making bombs and explosive devices.

In recent times, the use of drones to drop weapons and explosives has become a major challenge for security agencies. So far, 60 reported incidents have come to light where drones were used on the Indo-Pakistan border in Punjab. Several of them were shot down by Border Security Force. Notably, the center has increased BSF jurisdiction to 50 KM to combat infiltration across Punjab, West Bengal, and other states from the previous 15 KM. WB and Punjab had opposed the notification.

Old terror groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e Mohammed, Indian Mujahideen, and Hizbul Mujahideen are also being used to recreate sleeper cell networks in Punjab and UP, as per the report. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, these outfits based in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir have increased their activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ludhiana Blast Investigation revealed plans of Sikh Terrorist Groups

According to a report in Economic Times, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has identified over a dozen suspects linked to Jaswinder Singh Multani of Sikhs For Justice. Multani was arrested by German Police at the request of the Indian government.

During the investigation, it was revealed Multani has links with the smuggling syndicate backed by ISI. Based on the information, the German Police initiated an independent probe into Multani and his associates. NIA claimed that Multani was behind arranging funds, weapons, and explosives via a smuggling network in Punjab. He was also using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to propagate SFJ’s ideology for the uprising of the Khalistani movement in Punjab.

NIA further claimed that Rana Taseem’s ISI-backed smuggling syndicate is behind SJF’s attempt to revive the Khalistani movement in Punjab. An NIA official told ET, “Banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in India, the SFJ is trying to muster support from gangsters and radicals in Punjab. It points to an emerging trend of gangster-terrorist groups link. The gangsters are involved in smuggling arms and operating with drug cartels.”

Hardeep Singh Nijjar of BKI has been actively arranging funds for Khalistani activities in India via various money transfer schemes and hawala channels. The funds are allegedly for undertaking targeted killings in Punjab.

References:

opindia.com - OpIndia Staff