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| No specific or verified input of ISI involvement in Hawala funding: HM | | Bizarre admission | |
Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 5: In a bizarre admission, Union Home Ministry today rebutted media reports largely based on police and intelligence inputs and stated that there are no specific or verified inputs about the involvement of Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency ISI in sending money through Hawala dealers based in Pakistan to promote terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, it did say that a multi disciplinary group at the state and central level has been created which has been entrusted with the responsibility of enquiring into the sources of funding in Kashmiri Separatists. Minister of state for Home Affairs in the government of India Gurudas Kamat made these revelations in an official report which he placed before the Rajya Sabha a few days ago.
He affirmed that provisions of law are invoked whenever any actionable information/intelligence regarding suspected funds is received in this regard. Kamat further said that India has consistently emphasized to Pakistan the need to implement its solemn commitments, including those given at highest level that it would not permit the territory under its control to be used to support terrorism against India in any manner.
Intriguingly, the report while referring to another source of information said that militants and terrorists active in India are also funded by their outfits based abroad, particularly in Pakistan, often routed through third countries. It adds that central intelligence and security agencies are working in tandem with their counterparts in the states, which has, inter-alia, resulted in the arrest of a number of persons involved in facilitating funds and financing of terrorism.
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 has been amended in 2008 to reinforce the punitive provisions to combat terrorism, which includes strengthening of provisions for Combating Financing of Terrorism, adds the report. It further emphasizes that Prevention of Money Laundering Act-2002 was amended in 2009. It further adds that due to amendments, scheduled offences have also been incorporated under Prevention of Money Laundering Act-2002.
Referring to India having become member of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), report affirms that FIU-IND is also assisting the law enforcement agencies by way of disseminating financial intelligence. However, sources said that union home ministry has asked the multi disciplinary group which is working both at the state and the central level to speed up the pace of investigations and ensure that all channels of separatists receiving money through Hawala are plugged.
They added that the group has also been directed to report directly to the union home ministry regarding the information collected by them about the funding of separatists. It needs to be mentioned here that with union home ministry outrightly rejecting role of Pakistan’s notorious intelligence agency ISI in sending money to separatists and other militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, probing cases against operatives of various outfits arrested with Hawala money is likely to be an extremely tough task.
Sources further said that union home ministry’s admission is contrary to what the intelligence and security agencies have been saying time and again about the financing of extremist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. They asserted that there are several cases from the recent past where those arrested have referred to ISI’s role in sending money through Hawala operators to extremists and separatists.
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