Jammu: Anyone in Jammu and Kashmir found extending any kind of support to terrorists from Pakistan may be prosecuted under the Enemy Agents Ordinance, a special law which is much tougher than the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA.
The Enemy Agents Ordinance, which is in force in Jammu and Kashmir since 1996, provides for the minimum of Rigorous Imprisonment for Life or the Death Sentence for a person convicted.
This has been stated by the Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police R R Swain while speaking about the critical role played by some locals in terror acts by providing support like shelter, food and guidance of the topography to foreign terrorists.
The latest example is the recent attack in Reasi district where a resident of Rajouri district was found to have given shelter to three Pakistani terrorists and guided them to the spot where they attacked a Hindi pilgrim bus carrying 53 people.
At least 9 people were killed and over 40 were injured in the attack on June 9.
Hakam Din hosted the 3 Pakistani terrorists at his home a day before the attack and on the ill-fated day, he took them through forests, to evade CCTV cameras, to the spot where they targeted the bus.
There have been several similar cases earlier where hiding places and other help was provided by some locals to Pakistani terrorists.
The Enemy Agents Ordinance was originally brought to deal with foreign invaders or raiders, particularly Pakistanis, who enter India and try to destabilise the system or government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Swain said since the foreign terrorists are mostly killed by the security forces in gunfights, the Enemy Agents law needs to be invoked against those providing local support.
Those providing such local support are described as terrorist associates.
They may not participate in an actual act of terrorism but they give critical support to the foreign terrorists, like providing a hiding place along with food and other essentials.
Since they are well aware of the local topography, the terrorist associates also help in the movement of the terrorists by avoiding surveillance of the security forces.
Some terrorist associates have also been found ferrying weapons and ammunition for the terrorists.
So, the terrorist associates, in effect, form a critical support system for sustenance of terrorism and all out efforts must be made to award the severest punishment to such people and send out a message to others like them.
