Pakistan LeT militant says youths being brainwashed in PoK camps

Mohammad Waqar Awan alias Chotta Dujana, hailing from Pakistan, and a militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba said that the youths were brainwashed that security forces were committing atrocities on the people of the Kashmir valley.

Awan, who was arrested recently by a joint naka team of Army, Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir police and Central Reserve Police Force was brought before media persons at the police control room (PCR), Srinagar.

He confessed that he was a resident of Mohalla Miana, Minanwali of Punjab in Pakistan and had infiltrated in July 2017 into Kashmir.

''I was told that atrocities were being committed on the people of Kashmir by security forces,'' he said, adding that during his stay in Kashmir he saw no such thing.

He told reporters that he received training for four months at a camp in Muzaffarabad. He said: "I was told that atrocities are committed on children and women by security forces, who are not allowing people to offer prayers in mosques and their houses are destroyed. However, I found that the conditions were different in Kashmir what they are being told in Pakistan."

Living proof

Director general of police Dilbagh Singh said Awan’s arrest and confession before the media was "live evidence" for Pakistan as to how youths were being brainwashed in PoK, prepared for militancy and then sent here. However, he said he was not involved in any attack in Kashmir.

The DGP, who also briefed the media, said Awan's "confession" is evidence of how Pakistan is sending youths here for militancy.

"He said Pakistan always wants some live evidence and we will share that proof. A Pakistani militant is here since the last two years and an active member of LeT, involved in many activities. His coming in front of media and sharing the details, is live evidence for Pakistan as to how they train the youth there in militancy and send them here for joining Jaish-e-Mohammad or Lashkar-e-Taiba,” DGP said.

Senior superintendent of police of Baramulla, Abdul Qayoom, said Awan had infiltrated in the valley around two years ago. Awan was active in Kupwara and Srinagar after his infiltration.

When he was returning to Baramulla, he was intercepted at a naka checking. However, the driver rammed it into the police vehicle and sped away. The police chased them for about 1.5 km where they left their vehicle on the road and tried to flee. They were apprehended. He said, a pistol and some other things were recovered from the Pakistani militant when he was arrested.
The driver, a conduit, is a Kashmiri, he said and added: "We will share further details when we have them."

Mr Qayooom said Awan was tasked to revive militancy in those areas which had been declared militancy-free.

The SSP said he mostly visited areas around Srinagar-Baramulla highway and few areas in downtown – the interior areas of the city here. He said: "We are identifying and pinpointing more people involved with him."