Muzaffarabad (Pakistan-occupied J&K): A top Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist wanted in India has been gunned down by some unidentified persons in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), causing yet another embarrassment to Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI which has been providing safe haven to such elements.
Mohd Riyaz alias Abu Qasim alias Qasim Bhai, who hailed from Surankote area of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir, was shot dead from point blank range inside a mosque in Rawalakot, about 125 kms from here, yesterday, according to local police.
The slain terrorist was offering prayers when he was shot in the head 4 times by the assailant wearing a helmet, police said.
Qasim, who had fled to PoJK in 1990s, was associated with LeT’s frontal organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa and had a role in several terror attacks in India.
He was lately trying to revive terrorism in Poonch and Rajouri by recruiting potential terrorists.
Qasim was one of the top most wanted terrorists in India.
Significantly, he joins some other terrorists who were wanted in India and have been killed in various parts of Pakistan by “unknown gunmen”.
In May this year, an Indian fugitive terrorist and Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar was killed Lahore, where he was provided a safe haven by the ISI.
His was the 3rd killing in Pakistan of an Indian terrorist provided refuge and protection by the establishment here.
Panjwar alias Malik Sardar Singh was gunned down on May 7 by two motorcycle-borne assailants in Johar area, close to his residence, while he was on the morning walk.
Two of his bodyguards, provided by the Pakistan government, were also shot by the unidentified gunmen.
Panjwar was heading the KCF, a banned organisation in India, since 1990 and continued to do so even after fleeing to Pakistan and enjoying the patronage of the ISI.
He was one of the longest-surviving Khalistani terrorist and ranked among the most wanted terrorists in India.
He was wanted in India in several heinous crimes, including the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995.
Panjwar, with the help of ISI, was also involved in the cross-border trafficking of drugs and arms through the use of drones.
Earlier, on February 27, a Kashmiri terrorist who headed Al Badr terror outfit was shot dead in a similar manner by some unidentified persons in his safe haven in Karachi.
Syed Khalid Raza was shot point blank in his head at the doorstep of his residence located at Block 7 in Gulistan area of Karachi.
An embarrassed police, which could not protect the ‘asset’ in the safe haven, tried to play down the murder by saying it was related to robbery and not a targeted killing.
However, local reports suggested that Rs 70,000 was found in Raza’s pocket, which the assailants did not bother to take. A watch that Raza was wearing was also not taken by the killers. This made it clear that it was a targeted killing, not for robbery.
Raza was commander of Al Badr outfit active in Jammu and Kashmir. It was floated by the ISI in early 1990s, and was based in Pakistan.
Subsequently, ISI rehabilitated Raza and he was made a Director of a school.
Lately, he had become Vice Chairman of the Federation of Private Schools of Karachi.
Prior to that, on February 21, top Commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Bashir Ahmad Peer alias Imtiyaz Alam, who was also based in Pakistan, was shot dead by unidentified persons in Rawalpindi, the base of Pakistan’s Army.
