Author: PTI
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: February 7, 2009
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/154921/Terror-infrastructure-in-Pak-existing-and-active-Army-chief.html
Terror infrastructure in Pakistan is "existing
and active", according to Army Chief Gen Deepak Kapoor, who puts the
number of terror camps there in between 30 and 50.
Pakistan seeks to convey an impression that
it is taking action against terrorists and their infrastructure but the infrastructure
was still active, Kapoor said.
The number of camps "on the other side"
can "safely" be placed between 30 and 50, he said, adding that there
had been a significant increase in such camps from 32 in 2005 to 53 last year.
Kapoor, who has served as chief of the Northern
Command which include Jammu and Kashmir, said that by and large most of these
camps are located parallel along the Line of Control (LoC) and between 10
and 50 km away from the LoC. The numbers of these camps have been varying
at times.
"I would rather put it that the infrastructure
is active. Yes I would put it that way. I would not talk about the numbers
specifically right now because of the fact that some of these are closed.
But infrastructure is existing and active," Kapoor said.
Kapoor said that there were some other camps
which were not located along the LoC but possibly in certain other areas either
in Punjab or even westwards of that.
"So that is from where you find that
some of these people who may have either gone from this side, who have may
have exfiltrated or those who are in the name of jihad asked to come as volunteers
and join these gangs, trained there and thereafter an attempt is made to induct
them," he said.
At times, Kapoor said, that policy has been
varying. "At times it is actively supported by the establishment, it
happens with their total connivance. When they claim it is not not actively
supported, it may happen with covert connivance."
He said that sometimes they would look at
crossing the LoC in the worst kind of weather and most difficult terrain where
the chances of being able to infiltrate through may be better.
Or at times the forces which are on their
side can use the tactic of starting some kind of a firing in which people
from the Indian forces get involved in retaliatory fire and possibly in that
period of time and diversion when the patrolling level goes down they have
the methodology to push through, he said.
The army chief expressed concern over the
new routes being taken by the infiltrators to come to Jammu and Kashmir, may
be through Nepal and Bangladesh.
Asked whether the terror camps have been closed
after the Mumbai attacks, Kapoor said, "it is too difficult to say. It
is too short a time-frame. This kind of information takes time to build up."
He said that post the 26/11 terror attacks
in Mumbai the camps that are in Pir Panjal areas in the valley were dormant
because the passes were closed because of snow.
"Infiltration is just not not feasible.
Therefore, those camps lie dormant. They may still be there. But we cannot
still get any definitive information till we start catching people who come
from those camps. South of Pir Panjal the camps have been active.
"You are aware of the case of Mendhar
where the army could not catch hold of anyone. But they have been used. So
invariably you find by November-end and till February-March you will find
that
south of Pir Panjal is much more active."
Kapoor said that the routes they may use may
be Rajouri and Poonch and go into Doda side or the valley. "But what
is of greater concern to me exactly is that more than this portion, in an
entire year much larger numbers seem to be coming in from other routes in
Jammu and Kashmir."
Asked whether it was through Nepal, he said
that the forces had caught as many as 52 people who have come from the Himalayan
country and some of the illegal migrants were Bangladeshis.
"So while we are able to check this number,
it is almost ready to be as much and that is a matter of concern. Because
we have a free and open border there is movement and we have caught people
who have come by the Nepal route and Kathmandu and thereafter they can travel
like any other normal person without being checked," Kapoor said.
"Because the border is open they come
through and come to Gorakhpur or some place and catch a train and travel to
Jammu," he said.
On checking infiltration, Kapoor said last
year was a tremendous success story. In 2006, the figure was something like
343 which was a count that was arrived at after discussions with all the agencies
like military Intelligence, CID and State police.
In 2007, the figure got down to 311 and last
year it was somewhere in the region of 70.
"And that is the kind of check of infiltration.
I am talking of the success on the infiltration front. After all, the ground
is difficult. The terrain is such that you cannot guard each and every metre
or yard of that," he said.
"So there may be people who have been
trying to come through. The number of counter-infiltration measures has resulted
in the number coming down from 311 in 2007 to 60 or 70 in 2008," the
army chief said.
