'Khalistani terror groups recruiting youth in border districts of Punjab'

A senior official from NIA told ETV Bharat on Saturday that districts in Punjab including Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Firozepur have become the target of ISYF. "Gullible youths from these four districts are the soft targets of the ISYF," said the official.

New Delhi: While investigating terror cases related to Sikh for Justice (SFJ), sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Saturday claimed to have achieved several leads pointing out that International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), another proscribed terrorist organization has started a recruitment spree in several places along Punjab-Pakistan border.

A senior official from NIA told ETV Bharat on Saturday that districts in Punjab including Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Firozepur have become the target of ISYF. "Gullible youths from these four districts are the soft targets of the ISYF," said the official. It may be mentioned here that Punjab shares approximately 553 km international border with Pakistan. Quite often Pakistan based non-state actors supply arms and ammunition as well as drugs into India from these border districts. "Several Pakistan based terrorist organisations supply arms and ammunition into India with the help of the members of ISYF to create subversive activities across the country," the official said.

NIA has recently arrested five members of ISYF for their alleged involvement in smuggling arms, ammunition, explosives and narcotics from across the border. "They (terrorist organization) use drones to supply consignment across the border into India," the official added. Like Sikh for Justice, the ISYF also supports the secession of Punjab from India as Khalistan. The outfit is presently headed by Lakhbir Singh Rode, who is on the most wanted list of NIA. Security agencies believe that Rode is a major fundraiser among Khalistan supporters abroad. In fact, Rode is among the 20 most wanted terrorists whose extradition has been sought by India from Pakistan over his involvement in the 2001 Parliament attack.

"Although ISYF mainly operates from Pakistan, it is trying to make its presence in Punjab as well," the NIA official said. At present, the ISYF support base is spread across the UK, North America, Canada and other western European countries, the official said. Giving more details of the ISYF, the NIA official said that Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) has supported this organisation for a long time. "The ISI wants to create a common front between Khalistani and Kashmiri terrorist groups," the official said.

Speaking over the issue, renowned security expert Brigadier (retd) BK Khanna termed the development as "very serious". "The government, as well as the state and central security agencies, should work together to control any kind of activities against country's security," Brigadier Khanna said.

He said that militancy and terrorism can flourish only if they get public support. "We have seen what has happened in Punjab earlier. And if we take that into consideration, I don't think people in Punjab support terrorism anymore," added Khanna. He also said that the government's decision to extend the jurisdiction of up to 50 km along the border areas will be an added advantage for the security forces to control the mushrooming of terrorism.