Senior Pakistani intelligence officers are directly involved with terrorist organisations functioning within that country, a decorated officer of the Pakistan Intelligence Bureau has revealed in his petition filed in the Islamabad High court. The petitioner approached the court when faced with marked reluctance on part of the Pakistani IB to act on his reports “against various terrorist groups having roots in Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and India”. The petitioner had prepared these reports following a thorough intelligence gathering process.
The Sunday Guardian has accessed a copy of the petition that was filed by advocate Masroor Shah in the Islamabad High Court on behalf of Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Shahzad, an assistant sub-inspector rank officer with the Pakistan’s Intelligence Bureau, who is currently posted at the organisation’s headquarters in Islamabad.
Shahzad has been working with the agency since 2007 and, as per the petition, which has been admitted by the Islamabad High court, he has been described as an officer who has received many commendation certificates during his 10-years long service.
According to Shahzad, he prepared and submitted “reports against various terrorist groups having roots in Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and India”. His petition states: “However, to the Petitioner’s utter dismay, no action was ever taken by (Pakistan) Intelligence Bureau in this respect despite concrete evidence provided to it in the form of the Petitioner’s intelligence reports. The inaction on part of (the) Intelligence Bureau alarmed the Petitioner where-after the Petitioner endeavored to unearth the actual cause thereof. Upon thorough intelligence gathering process, it transpired that certain high officials of the Intelligence Bureau themselves are directly involved with the terrorist organisations having linkages with hostile enemy intelligence agencies”.
Shahzad claimed that during his course of work he discovered the terrorist-links of the son of one joint director level officer with the Pakistan Intelligence Bureau.
“Arslan Ahmad Shah Bokhari, the son of Joint Director, Intelligence Bureau (Punjab) Khursheed Alam Shah Bukhari, was involved in dealings with the said terrorist groups, which were apparently running Shah Taj Kinnow Factory, Sultan-Pur Turn, Haweli Qureshianwali, Bhabra Road, Kot-Momin and Habib Sahreef Kinno Factory, Chak No. 27/NB Sargodha. It is averred that to the Petitioner’s utter dismay, the higher authorities in the (Pakistan) Intelligence Bureau, despite in full knowledge gained by reason of the Petitioner’s reports and even otherwise, did not take any action”, alleges the petition.
Shahzad, who has met the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the director general of Pakistan Intelligence Bureau and the director general of Inter-services Intelligence (ISI), as the respondent, has further stated that no action by either the PM or the DG or the IB was taken on his representations. “The Petitioner informed Respondent No: 3 (DG, Pakistan Intelligence Bureau) and other higher authorities by way of various representations qua connivance of certain officials of (Pakistan) Intelligence Bureau with the anti state elements involved in terrorism at the behest of foreign enemy intelligence agencies but neither any heed was given thereto nor any action taken in respect thereof”, the petition says.
It adds: “The sensitive information regarding compromise of national security was also conveyed to Respondent No: 1 (Prime Minister of Pakistan) as well through registered post. However, the Prime Minister preferred to indulge himself in other trivial affairs rather than matters of grave national importance”.
Pakistan has time and again proved to be a sanctuary for terror groups and for wanted terrorists like Osama Bin Laden, Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and the Haqqani network. Barring Bin Laden, who was killed by the US Special Forces in Abbottabad in May 2011, all other terror groups and their leaders continue to function from Pakistan without any hindrance.