Security agencies have across credible evidence that terror outfits, particularly the Lashkar-e-Tayyaeba, has masterminded the spate of attacks on holy shrines in the Kashmir Valley over the last few months. This also includes the important holy shrine of Dastagir Sahib that was gutted in a mysterious fire in Srinagar in June this year.
The conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by some top Lashkar commanders. Highly placed intelligence sources said the first breakthrough on this came with the arrest of Lashkar operative Farooq Ahmed Mir from Badgam district a few days ago and then the information was developed further.
During custodial interrogation, Mir revealed that he had met Lashkar commanders during his visit to the PoK in early 2010 who revealed their plan to target holy shrines in the Kashmir Valley with a view to foment communal trouble.
On his return to the Valley, Mir was directed to get in touch with Badgam’s Lashkar commander Zahroor and finalise the plan with him. Mir further claimed Zahroor along with other militants targeted at least three holy shrines, including Dastagir Sahib.
Realising the importance and sensitivity of Mir’s sensational disclosures the security agencies immediately got his statement recorded before a judicial magistrate under section 164 of the CrPC. What in effect this means is that Mir cannot retract his statement now and it can be used as evidence against him. In another important revelation, Mir also admitted that Lashkar was behind the famous civil disobedience in the Valley in 2010 which had crippled normal life in the entire region. Schools, colleges and government establishments were severely hit during the disobedience movement by which subversive elements wanted to project that it was a spontaneous movement of the common people against the elected government.
Investigations further revealed that terror outfits used their network of overground workers (OGWs) for this movement which was hugely successful. Credible information developed on Mir’s interrogation further confirmed that terror outfits wanted to repeat the same in 2012 but failed as they could not mobilise enough cadres. “Mir has only confirmed what we had been suspecting for long, that Pakistan will not let go of any opportunity to destabilise the peace process in the Valley. These outfits enjoy state support as they are being backed by government agencies within Pakistan’s establishment like ISI. It will not be wrong to say that somewhere Pakistan government has been behind these incidents,” a security official said.