J&K Police approaches Interpol to apprehend over 30 terrorists residing in Pakistan – PoK

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have decided to approach Interpol to apprehend 36 terrorists from Kishtwar district, who, according to police, are currently living in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Kishtwar SSP Khalil Poswal said that on Tuesday, the special NIA court in Jammu had issued non-bailable warrants against 23 of the 36 terrorists. Earlier on March 1, the court had issued non-bailable warrants against the other 13. He said that the process of approaching Interpol has already been initiated.

The 36 people from Kishtwar crossed over to Pakistan and PoK after having joined the ranks of terrorists between the mid-1990s and 2004-05, the SSP said, adding that police FIRs had been registered against them in this regard. From Pakistani soil, they tried to recruit local youth, he said.

“As we wanted to arrest all of them, who are now staying in Pakistan, we decided to involve Interpol,” Poswal said. “Earlier, we obtained non-bailable warrants against 13 of them.

Now, we have got warrants against 23 more people, and these will be immediately forwarded to Interpol for issuance of red corner notice against them,” he added.

Asked whether Pakistan would help in apprehending the terrorists, Poswal said, “It should, as it is a matter of international law. However, if it does not, at least it will get exposed internationally.”

The Third Additional Sessions Judge, Jammu, Ashwani Kumar Sharma, who is also Special Judge under Section 22 of the NIA Act, had on Tuesday issued a “general open ended/non-bailable warrant” against 23 accused named in FIR no. 90 registered at Chatroo police station. This followed an application by Chief Investigating Officer, DySP Vishal Sharma.

Of these 23 wanted terrorists, nine owe allegiance to Hizbul Mujahideen, eight to Harkat Ul Jihad-e-Islami and three each to Lashkar-e-Toiba and Harkat-Ul-Ansar (HUA), according to police.

Those who have pledged their allegiance to HUA include Gulzar Ahmed alias Javid, Mohammad Irfan Khanday and Mohammad Rafiq Khanday alias Khalid.

The HUA had got the attention of the international community following the abduction of six Western tourists and two guides from Pahalgam in J&K on July 4, 1995 to secure the release of the group’s leader Masood Azhar and other militants lodged in jail.

They beheaded Norwegian tourist in1995, but one American tourist managed to escape on August 17 that year. There has been no information about the remaining four tourists, and they were all presumed dead.

Source » indianexpress