New Delhi, May 12: The bonding between the terror groups from Pakistan and the Khalistan forces courtesy the ISI is a well known fact. For years now the ISI has brought together these two forces with a sole intent of causing damage in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Punjab.
A report in the Times of India said that a new group called the Lashkar-e-Khalsa had been formed by the Kashmir-Khalistan (K2) desk of the ISI. This group is on overdrive mode to recruit youth on the social media, the report also added.
Since 2021 the K2 desk of the ISI has been active. The Delhi Police which investigated the ISI psy-ops racket learnt that it was being carried out by the K2 desk. In December 2020, the Delhi Police had bust the K2 module, which was being controlled in Dubai. “It has emerged that Pak”s ISI along with Pakistan-based Khalistan radicals Harmeet Singh (Chief of Khalistan Liberation Force) and Lakhbir Singh (Chief of KZF-Khalistan Zindabad Force; based in Pakistan) in furtherance of their conspiracy to revive militancy in Punjab, have been using gangster Sukh Bhikhariwal for targeted killings,” he said. “It has also come to notice that ISI through its K2 desk (Kashmir-Khalistan) has been funding the targeted killings of right-wing leaders and the Pro-Khalistani radicals are employing the services of gangsters for executing the killings of right wing leaders to revive the militancy,” the police had said.
In 2019, the Intelligence Bureau had warned that Pakistan is activating its K2 operation or desk. In Kashmir, it has roped in the Jaish-e-Mohammad, while in Punjab it is the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).
It was with the intention of furthering this agenda that the KZF had managed to get in a lot of ammunition with the help of drones in Pakistan. The ISI wants to create trouble in both Punjab and Kashmir and in this regard, it is not only trying to infiltrate its terrorists but also spruce up the Khalistan movement in Punjab.
The Intelligence has on several occasions spoken about this dual plan by Pakistan. What is worrisome is that it would activate these plans simultaneously so that the Indian security forces are kept busy in both the states.
The bonding:
The Khalistanis based in Pakistan and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba have made public speeches on several occasions about the similarities between them. While the Sikhs in India denounce this comparison, in some quarters it has worked out very well for the ISI.
During the public speeches in Pakistan both elements speak about the historic links between the Sikhs and Muslims. They say that the time has come to be together and fight against India. When the Khalistani terrorists fled, they were received by the ISI and were provided with all facilities.
The ISI even went on to create the Sikh-Muslim Ithehad Federation to plan terror attacks against India.
This organisation recruited cadres and also trained them. This outfit even attempted major recruitment drives in rural Punjab. These activities peaked in the early 2000s and the likes of Ranjit Singh Neeta were also imparted training by the ISI. Neeta on the other hand trained Pakistani youth in a bid to make them battle ready in Kashmir.
Further the ISI also created the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, which was headed by Lieutenant General Javed of the ISI. The role of the committee was to invite Sikh youth from Punjab and then radicalise them to join their ranks. Through this committee, the ISI was able to rope in a little over 150 youth.
The ISI also created another outfit called as the World Muslim Sikh Federation, which had members of the Dal Khalsa, Babbar Khalsa International and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. This forum was however meant to be political in nature and its job was to spread the ideology. Following this the ISI formed the International Sikh Muslim Friendship Organisation and set up its offices in Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.
