The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan has opted to infiltrate mainstream national political parties in Jammu and Kashmir as a strategy to evade ongoing security crackdowns. Officials reported on Sunday that this action involves the ISI leveraging its network of Over Ground Workers (OGWs) to gain footholds within these political structures.

This strategy reportedly aims to mask the direct involvement of Pakistan in terrorism by reviving dormant local terror outfits from the 1990s. The intention is to inject an “indigenous colour” into terrorist violence while undermining the scrutiny imposed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which monitors money laundering and terror financing activities globally.

According to central security agencies, recent interrogations of OGWs arrested by the Srinagar police revealed connections to national political parties. By embedding individuals with sympathies towards terrorism in legitimate political structures, the ISI seeks to insulate its operatives from the scrutiny of security forces currently operating in the region.

Shift in Local Support for Terrorism

In this context, tactics have evolved; OGWs often brandish membership cards from national political parties when apprehended during operations, attempting to evade arrest. Historically, such tactics have included the use of voter identity cards in the late 1990s and, more recently, Aadhar cards. Officials emphasised that no political leaders intervene on behalf of the individuals resorting to these strategies.

The activities of OGWs have become increasingly apparent as they work to revive organisations that had significantly diminished after 1993. Security agencies are now closely monitoring the re-emergence of names associated with terror outfits that were once prominent during the tumultuous period of the 1990s and early 2000s. Groups such as Al-Umar Mujahideen, Al Badr, and Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen are among those being examined.

Response from Security Forces and Intel Agencies

The ISI’s strategy of reinstating older militants is designed to create the impression that terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir are an internally driven issue rather than a proxy conflict. While leadership for these groups remains based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, local networks are reportedly attempting to engage in propaganda, funding, and radicalisation efforts.

Central intelligence agencies have intensified their monitoring of these developments and are committed to dismantling the logistical frameworks established by resurfaced OGWs. The agencies aim to prevent the ideological influence of terror sympathisers on local youth, a pivotal element in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

Maintaining vigilance against the resurgence of such networks is deemed critical for sustaining the hard-earned stability in Jammu and Kashmir. As security forces conduct thorough operations, there is an ongoing effort to neutralise all elements potentially linked to this disturbing trend.

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