Sim cards are easily available for militants

Srinagar, June 28 (UNI) In a startling revelation, a militant who travelled all the way from Pakistan to Nepal on way to Kashmir to surrender before the Army, said he had easily obtained a sim card of a private mobile company and an Electors' Photo Identity Card from the authorities within a few days of his arrival here.

Manzoor Ahmed Lone, a resident of Rishigund in the Kupwara district and belonging to the Al Barq militant group, and Nazir of Trehgam in the same district and associated with the Tehreek-e-Jehad outfit, surrendered before the Army here on June 26.

The Army today produced before the media the two militants who had travelled all the way from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to Nepal and then crossed over to India.

Talking to journalists, Manzoor said he had bought a cellphone in Pakistan and then easily obtained an Airtel sim card from here.

''I arrived here on June 12 and then immediately got the sim card. I had also secured an election card from here. The election identity card was facilitated by my parents,'' he added.

Asked about his mobile number, Manzoor said he does not remember that. However, he did not elaborate how he got the sim card and the Elector's Photo Identity Card.

Nazir told journalists that he had crossed over to PoK by crossing the Line of Control (LoC) from Farkhin, Kralapora in Kupwara district for arms training in 2000 as he was lured to militancy by the ''power of money and weapon.'' ''When we reached there and stayed with the militant cadres for some time, we came to the conclusion that whatever we were told was wrong. We saw a totally different picture there,'' he added.

''There is no jehad or freedom struggle in Kashmir. It is only war for money and wealth. During our stay in PoK, we had decided in our hearts that we will go back to our homes and surrender before the authorities so that we lead a normal life,'' said Nazir.

Nazir claimed he was motivated to join militancy by a surrendered militant, Choudhary Jalal-ud-din, who told him that he could get lot of money from the Pakistan government if he becomes an ultra.

Nazir said he agreed to the proposal because the financial condition of his family was very weak and he wanted do something for his parents and earn money and procure weapons.

Manzoor claimed that all militant commanders in PoK had amassed huge assets.

The two had obtained their passports, identity cards and election voter identity cards from the Pakistan government showing them as residents of PoK. Their passports had valid visa stamps from the Nepal government.

Nazir said the Pakistan government has made its policy to issue state subject certificates, passports and identity cards to Kashmiri youth who had crossed over to PoK for arms training.

While Nazir travelled from Karachi to Kathmandu on May 15, Manzoor took a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Nepal on June 10.

The two surrendered militants said on reaching here from Nepal, they contacted their parents and informed them about their decision to shun violence.

''Our parents contacted the Army authorities and on June 26 we surrendered before them,'' they added.

However, both of them admitted that all the militant training camps across the LoC have been closed.

''Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has closed all the militant training camps in PoK and now nobody could come or go from the LoC,'' they added.

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