Why demonetisation will not hit the terror industry in Pakistan

Demonetisation was implemented not just to crack down on black money but also to stop funding of terrorissm. However, officials said currency ban alone will not have any impact on terror activities.

New Delhi, Dec 24: The decision on demonetisation was a major one and was expected to clean up black money and also slow down terror related activities. 44 days have passed since the decision on demonetisation was made and questions are being asked about its effectiveness. Have terror attacks stopped? The answer is no. The fake currency industry has taken a beating post this decision. The Rs 500 and 1,000 notes that were being printed by the fake currency racketeers was flushed out, but the fact is that terror attacks especially in Jammu and Kashmir have continued. The Nagrota attack in which took place on November 28 in which seven army personnel were martyred is one example that terrorists from Pakistan have not been deterred.

Why demonetisation won't hit terror?
First and foremost the terror industry in Pakistan does not rely on Indian money to train terrorists, procure arms and launch the attack. The entire operation is funded by Pakistan and hence the reliance on Indian money is very less. Be it a Nagrota attack or the strikes at Mumbai on 26/11, the terrorists had very little money on them when they landed in India.

They come to die not to shop pointed out a senior office with the Intelligence Bureau. The maximum amount that terrorists would have with them is Rs 25,000. Moreover this is the amount that is carried by the entire group. The terrorists launched into India from Pakistan are part of a fidayeen squad and they are meant to strike and die, the officer also points out.

Those terrorists coming in for a long haul are usually given Rs 20,000 to 25,000. There are terrorists who also come in with just Rs 2,000. Once they infiltrate they depend on the locals for food and shelter. They do not use any of the money that is on them. The money in fact is given to them to pay bribes while infiltrating or crossing check posts.

The terrorists have found ways of beating demonetisation as well. Take for instance the three member module that was formed by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba in Jammu and Kashmir. This was a module created to carry out bank robberies. In the past two months, this module has carried out three robberies and decamped with over Rs 10 lakh in new currency.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, Maulana Masood Azhar had recently written about how his group beat demonetisation. Writing in the outfit's mouth piece Qalam under the pen name Saadi, Azhar says that they send their operatives with Euros or Dollars. This is then exchanged for a small amount of money which helps the operatives survive for a few days before they launch the attack, Azhar also says.

Officials say that demonetisation has had a brief impact on the terror industry. However, fighting terrorism cannot be done through demonetisation alone. It requires a completely different approach, officials also add.

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