Title: Pakistan's ISI Trying To Revive Militancy in Punjab  

Document Number: FBIS-NES-1999-0728
Document Date: 28 Jul 1999
Sourceline: BK2807052299 Bangalore Deccan Herald (Internet Version) in English
28 Jul 99 


[FBIS Transcribed Text] NEW DELHI, July 27: Pakistan's Inter-Services 
Intelligence (ISI) is employing new strategies to revive militancy in 
Punjab and putting pressure on the remaining militants to "undertake some 
sensational terrorist actions", according to official sources here. 
"Pakistan-based Punjab militant groups, particularly Khalistan Commando Force 
(Panjwar) (KCF-P), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and International 
Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), are under pressure from ISI to undertake 
some sensational terrorist actions here," they said. 
KCF-P chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar is believed to have sent two 
consignments of explosives to Punjab, they said, adding two of his 
confidants -- Paramjit Singh and Kulwinder Singh -- have sneaked into the 
state from Germany via Nepal with a specific purpose of targeting VIPs 
[very important persons]. 
At least 29 leaders of various Punjab militant organisations are 
presently believed to be in Pakistan getting active support of ISI. 
The sources, citing the recent incidents of militant strikes in Punjab 
and neighbouring states, said that the ISI has embarked upon a new 
strategy to revive the atmosphere of terror in the state. 
"The reason for this seems to be the lack of support of the people to its 
machinations," said an official of the Punjab government here. 
As part of the new strategy, stress is being laid on coordination among 
militant groups of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir and various 
fundamentalist organisations, they said. 
NEW GROUPS: The intelligence agencies have also discovered the emergence 
of new militant groups, comprising splinter groups like Dal Khalsa, 
Babbar Khalsa (Parmar) and Tiger of Sikh Land, the sources said. A 
Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) activist Keval Singh Rajput was arrested 
on March 28 this year and he reportedly told his interrogators that he 
was sent with instructions to cause explosions at public places in 
Punjab. 
Police also recovered from him 32 kgs of RDX [explosives], four hand 
grenades, 1.38 revolver and nine pencil fuses, they said. 
Prior to that Punjab police arrested one Mandeep Singh and recovered from 
him letter pads of KCF-P containing threatening letters demanding ransom, 
they said. 
Another indicator of efforts aimed at reviving terrorism in Punjab came when 
three suspected Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) activists and a local 
contact were arrested by Baroda police on June 11 last. During their 
interrogation, it came to be known that they had contacted BKI chief 
Wadhwa Singh in US and that a consignment of weapons was being brought 
from Pakistan by some smugglers. 
BKI militant Balwinder Singh was arrested in Hoshiarpur in Punjab on 
June 16 last and 8 kgs of RDX, 20 electronic and non-electronic 
detonators and two pencil timers were recovered from him, the sources 
said. 
His interrogation revealed that he along with one Bittu and a Pakistani 
national had entered India from Pakistan through Samba sector of Jammu 
and Kashmir in January this year and had brought five AK-47 rifles and 
some explosives. 
The whereabouts of his two associates were not known, they said, adding 
Balwinder Singh had received three weeks' training in handling arms and 
explosives before entering India. 
Intelligence agencies have also discovered recent emergence of narco-terrorism 
with growing nexus between people involved in smuggling of drugs and 
Punjab militants. 
Besides, militants released from jails are being "re-used" for terrorist 
activities in Punjab and elsewhere in the country, the sources said. 
In addition to these, ISI has intensified its efforts to propagate the 
cause of "Khalistan" and Sikh jathas [meaning not known] visiting 
Pakistan have been subjected to "high pitched anti-India and 
pro-Khalistan" propaganda, they said. 
Pointing out to the appointment of former chief of ISI as President of 
Pakistan Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (PGPC) [Sikh temple committee], 
the sources said "the brazen move has obviously undermined the prestige 
of Sikh clergy in Pakistan who actually had the right to assume the job." 

[Description of source: Deccan Herald--Independent daily with good coverage of 
South India, particularly Karnataka]