ISI picks Babbar Khalsa to lead unified terror network, launches massive recruitment drive

New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) The unholy nexus between the Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and ISI to spread terror in Punjab and the bordering states has come to light. While, the Punjab police are busy with countering drug smuggling and drone activities, the worry now is that a massive recruitment drive is set to be launched.

The ISI has been desperately trying to revive the Khalistan movement in Punjab and to achieve this, it has been using every tool at its disposal. Several terror outfits are part of the Khalistan movement. Some of them include the BKI, Khalistan Zindabad Force, Khalistan Liberation Army, Khalistan Tiger Force among others.

In all there are 41 groups and of these some are sympathetic towards the cause, while others take up the issue through violent means. While trying to revive one movement, the ISI felt that all these groups should work under one umbrella. Hence, it decided to let the BKI take the lead role, while the rest could work under its umbrella.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that having multiple outfits working on the same issue could hurt the recruitment drive. This could bring in a sense of confusion among the potential recruits and ultimately they may not end up joining anyone else.

The BKI was chosen to lead the operation since it is the most powerful. Further the BKI’s network both in Punjab and abroad is stronger when compared to the other groups. The BKI also works closely with the gangster network, which is crucial for the Khalistan movement. It is the gangsters who raise the money and provide potential recruits to the BKI.

The BKI has been coordinating closely with the gangsters for several years and hence both have learnt to work in tandem. The BKI has been raising funds through these gangsters and also using the men from this network to carry out terror attacks.

In recent times, the BKI with the help of the ISI has increased its drone operations into Punjab. The idea is to smuggle drugs and ammunition into Punjab. The money that is earned from the drug business is only to raise funds for the movement.

Officials say that the massive recruitment drive has been in the works for long. However, this drive has been hitting a dead end, since not many in Punjab connect to the ideology. Even the old timers are fed up of the violence they had witnessed in the 1980s and have advised their children not to fall trap to this movement.

The BKI feels that if recruitments are not taking place through ideology, then it could be done with the lure of money or drugs. This explains the major push being made to smuggle drones that deploy advance technology. Some of the drones that have been spotted were found to be using Artificial Intelligence (AI). This technology is being used to recall the drones once it is spotted or runs the risk of being shot down. The use of such technology has helped the BKI and ISI save the drones from being destroyed.

With the BKI being given full charge, both the Punjab police and Intelligence agencies have their hands full. Both the state and central agencies are closely coordinating with each other to beat this menace.

Officials say that the days ahead would be busy as there is a massive push that is being made by the ISI where the Khalistan movement is concerned. The manner in which the BKI is mobilising its forces is a cause for concern for the agencies. It has managed to activate all its resources in Pakistan, Canada, Punjab, Germany and the United Kingdom. The BKI is a banned entity in Canada, India, European Union, Japan, Malaysia, United States and the United Kingdom.

--IANS

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