Disrupt polls in every J&K constituency: Pakistan’s latest directive

New Delhi, Mar 30: The Intelligence Bureau has sounded yet another alert stating that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba would look to disrupt the polls in various parts of the country.

In an earlier alert, accessed by OneIndia, the IB had said that both the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammad are activating their sleeper cells/modules across the country to strike ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In the latest alert, the IB says that Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist Saleem Parey has focused his resources on Jammu and Kashmir. It further says that the modules in Bandipora have been activated and he has directed two persons to carry out the attack.

The alert says that there is a clear directive from Pakistan to disrupt the polls which is being held amidst very high security in the state. Pakistan wants to ensure that the polls are disrupted in as many constituencies as possible.

In this backdrop, Pakistan would look to keep the border busy, while terrorists could carry out strikes in the Valley and even infiltrate into it. The alert says that it is not just the Lashkar-e-Tayiba which would look to carry out strikes. Smaller groups such as the al-Badr too have been tasked to strike in the Valley.

There is a major concern regarding the security in the Valley, especially during the poll season says an officer with the IB. This is one of the main reasons, why the Election Commission decided that the elections in the Anantnag constituency.

The seat has been lying vacant since 2016 after Mehbooba Mufti vacated the same after she became the chief minister. Most of the attention is on this seat as it comprises the four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama. These areas have been infested with terrorists and have been dangerous areas for the security forces to operate.

The decision to conduct the election in phases was taken on the basis of the feedback by the security forces. Security officials explained the difficulty in conducting the elections in Anantnag.

The recent suicide strike at Pulwama was also cited as one of the reasons.