Hyderabad, March 26: Most of the Pakistani Armymen or its militants have the tendency to come back to strike again and again, even after biting the dust at the hands of the Indian Army, says former Jammu and Kashmir governor Gen Krishna Rao (retd).
The 86-year-old’s observation assumes significance as the Centre gears up to grant consular access to 28 Pakistanis, including five terrorists, in Amritsar on Friday. His vast experience in both the Army and the troubled State demands that he be listened to.
The General, who has Z plus security, is still high on the hitlist of some in the Pakistan Army. His heavily guarded house in Sainikpuri and letters of threat sent to him from across the border reinforce his advice.
Among the 28 Pakistanis awaiting consular access is one Ghulam Nabi alias Nikka, the terrorist who had played a key role in planting improvised explosive devices at the MA Stadium in Jammu where they were triggered on Jan 26, 1995 to assassinate Gen Krishna Rao. Nine persons died and about 60 were injured in the incident.
Nabi, a resident of Sialkot in Pakistan, had been languishing in Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu all these years. There is speculation that the 28 men could well be released and deported back to Pakistan.
How does Gen Krishna Rao feel about this? ‘‘Though it (releasing Nabi) is a political move, I believe that most of the Pakistanis released from India always come back to strike. I believe that arrested militants should be first taught their own religion, Islam, and be reformed so that they do not take up arms again,’’ Gen Krishna Rao believes.
Nabi, booked under stringent laws including 3/4 TADA Act and 2/3 of Egress and Internal Movement Control Ordnance Act, besides the Arms Act, is still an undertrial and his case is sub-judice.
The talk of his imminent release led to a furore in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. ‘‘If it was an encounter between two sides, such fellows need to be killed but once they are arrested, I believe that they should be reformed. We can take the help of our Maulvis, one of whom (Deoband) has issued a fatwa against killing of innocents,’’ the former J&K governor observes.
Asked whether he had forgiven Nabi and Pakistan Army Major Mohammed Irfan, another key accused in the failed assassination attempt, the retired Chief of Army Staff referred to Nabi and just said that his release and that of 27 ultras should be reciprocated by Pakistan.
‘‘It cannot be a one-sided affair.
There are our people (Indians) who are languishing in Pakistani jails and Pakistan should come forward and release them. As for Nabi, all I can say is that he had a job to do and I had mine.’’ Major Irfan, who was working for Hizbul Mujahideen, had escaped from custody days after he was nabbed. ‘‘Irfan told us that soon after the bomb blasts on January 26, he had crossed over to Pakistan and informed the ISI that I was dead.
The ISI promoted him,’’ recalls Krishna Rao, who personally supervised the investigation.
‘‘Pakistan Army still has a grouse against me as they feel I prevented them from taking Kashmir,” the General says.
–Agencies