Ban or no ban, misuse of SIMs still continues by terrorists

DESPITE THE Home Affairs ministry's imposing strict conditions to lift the ban after over two months on pre-paid connections in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the terrorists active in the upper reaches of the state are still using the said facility of cellular phones by dodging the restrictions.

It is evident from the recovery of 13 SIMs of various service providers in last few days from ultras in Poonch and Kishtwar districts. Recently police had recovered eight SIM cards of two private Telecom operators and two Nokia mobile phones from the Jaish Commander who was killed in Poonch while four SIM cards were seized from the encounter site where a Lashker commander was killed in Kishtwar few days ago.

And putting the security agencies and the cellular service providers on their toes, the security forces have apprehended a higher secondary class student of a Government school in Poonch district for working as Over Ground Worker with Jaish commander. One mobile phone alongwith SIM card of private operator was recovered from his possession. The arrested person identified as Shahjahan alias Kalu s/o Mohd Latif r/o Nagalban, Tehsil Mendhar has reportedly told the police that he used to help the Jaish commader through his mobile.

For inept, the security forces and intelligence agencies are analyzing the history of the eight SIMs recovered from the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander Parbat Shakari alias Aziz Ali alias Tipu a resident of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), who was gunned down by security forces after a fierce gunbattle in Chungan/Chatral area in Poonch district on February 3.

Forces also are looking into the records of four SIMs that were recovered when a self-styled District Commander Nisar Ahmed Shah code Abu Maaz of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit who was killed in an encounter in Merna-Kasna (Patimhalla) area in mountainous Kishtwar district.
It needs to mention that on January 22, the Union government had lifted two month long the ban on pre-paid mobile phone service in Jammu and Kashmir after the state govt took up the issue with the central govt.

Though the guidelines like proof of residence and proof of identity were specified by Home ministry yet the recovery of an Identity card of a government teacher from Parbhat Shikari alias Tipu has further put the agencies in quandary.

Tipu, a Pakistani national, who was operating in Pir Panjal range for last more than five years and for the past quite some time was in possession of an Education Department’s identity card on the name of Parvez Ahmed resident of Tope, Mendhar. The I card had signatures of Zonal Education Officer (ZEO), Mankote raising the finger of suspicion on the required verification process.

Meanwhile the OGWs, quizzed by police after the killing of Shikari, have disclosed that the Jaish commander had used identity card several times while travelling from one place to another. There are reports that following several measures taken by the Election Department to prevent misuse of Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) by the militants, the OGWs have now started managing identity cards of Government departments for the ultras especially the commanders.

Sources also hold the private mobile companies responsible who are competing to increase their market share in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Whether these companies remain strict to the guidelines is yet to seen