Hand of cleric’s father?
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU: The police authorities here suspect the hand of Allam Baksh in getting the Indian Airlines plane hijacked from Nepal as to secure release of his only son, Mohd Azhar Masood, who is in Kotbalwal jail here since his arrest in Anantnag five years ago.

Allam Baksh is one of the richest landlords in Pakistan and belongs to the Bahawalpur area of Punjab. Baksh had made several bids to secure the release of his son and Azhar’s prolonged detention has, as per the reports from across the border, made him desperate.

The police said so far Allam Baksh had spent millions of rupees on raising armed outfits. The Al Faran militant outfit, whose activists kidnapped five foreign tourists in 1995, had been the creation of Allam Baksh. At that stage also the Al Faran group had demanded the release of five rebels, including Mohd Azhar Masood.

Allam Baksh had announced in Pakistan years ago that he would donate all his landed estates to any group or any individual who would secure the release of his only son.

As per the jail records, Azhar Masood is a religious scholar and as an editor of a magazine he had entered India as a journalist on a Portuguese passport via Dhaka. When this correspondent visited Kotbalwal about two years ago he was the most reticent jail inmate, whereas others would volunteer to speak to the press.

Azhar Masood is a school dropout but later joined a madrasa where he was taught Islamic thought and religion. He had crossed over to Kashmir as a “preacher” because he had been moved by reports of alleged violation of human rights. The police jail records have confirmed that Maulana Mohd Azhar Masood had never handled a gun. He had not killed any civilian or Indian security personnel.

Kashmir experts do not agree with the media reports that the Indian Airlines plane had been hijacked by ISI agents or by the Taliban. They suspect that Allam Baksh had made another bid to secure the release of his son. Even two attempts had been made to dig an underground tunnel in Kotbalwal jail to carve out a safe passage for Maulana Masood

After Harkatul Ansar was banned by the USA over a year ago, it was rechristened Harkatul Jehadi Islami.Maulana Mohd. Azhar Masood is said to be linked with this organisation.

However, events during the last two years have relegated Harkatul Jehadi Islami to the background. It is Lashkar-e-Toiba, which comprises more than 80 per cent foreign mercenaries, is on the top as far as men and machinepower are concerned.

Harkatul Jehadi Islami occupies the second place followed by Hizbul Mujahideen. In fact, Hizbul Mujahideen is the oldest pro-Pak militant outfit operating in Jammu and Kashmir. Since this outfit owed allegiance to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar of Afghanistan the organisation did not get as much moral and material support from Pakistan and Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Kashmir experts are of the opinion that Mohd. Azhar Masood is hardly a factor to reckon with after fresh batches of dreaded terrorists, especially those from Afghanistan, sneaked into Jammu and Kashmir.

Reports from inside Kotbalwal jail, where Azhar Masood is detained, said right from the morning number of jail inmates have been seen chatting with the Maulana. When some jail officials tried to draw him out on the hijacking issue he did not say much. He said he has been against the killing of innocent people. “I do not want to secure freedom at the cost of lives of many people,” he told a jail official. “I have other means to move out of the jail. I do not want to do so. I would like to secure freedom honourably,” he added.

Since yesterday the Kotbalwal jail stands further fortified with additional deployment of security personnel. The jail officials said after the abortive bid to carry out jail break in July last security arrangements had been tightened and hence there was no need to make any major improvement.