A Pakistani intelligence officer has accused his own agency of protecting terrorists, and filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court, requesting for a thorough probe in the matter, reports said on Tuesday.
Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Shahzad, a serving assistant sub-inspector of Pakistan's Intelligence Bureau (IB), has accused his senior officers of not taking action against terrorism suspects, PTI reported.
The petition claims that the son of the joint director of the IB (Punjab) was dealing with terrorist groups. It also names IB officials who are allegedly on the payroll of foreign intelligence agencies which include a joint director general, directors and deputy directors, the news agency reported. Shahzad said he "has been running from pillar to post and has also approached Pakistan's Prime Minister to raise the issue of national security."
In July, the US listed Pakistan among nations and regions providing "safe havens" to terrorists, in a major boost to New Delhi's diplomatic efforts in exposing Islamabad internationally for its role in sponsoring terror activities on Indian soil. Last month, the US has listed Pakistan-backed Kashmiri outfit Hizbul Mujahideen as a foreign terrorist organisation.
On Monday, India displayed at the UN the picture of Lt. Umar Faiyaz and reminded the world how the young Kashmiri officer was brutally tortured and killed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in May 2017. This was two days after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj launched a blistering attack on Pakistan, describing the country as a "pre-eminent export factory for terror".
The Islamabad High Court fixed Shahzad's petition before Justice Aamer Farooq who referred the case on Monday to Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi.
A note was also sent which said that the matter may be transferred to Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui since an identical matter is pending in his court, the news agency said.
Shahzad claims that he reported against terrorist groups from various countries but no action was taken. "However, to the petitioner's utter dismay, no action was ever been taken by IB in this respect despite concrete evidence provided to it in the form of the intelligence reports," the petition says.
"Upon thorough intelligence gathering process, it transpired that certain high officials of the IB themselves are directly involved with the terrorist organisations having linkages with hostile enemy intelligence agencies," it reads. It goes on to say that the matter was even reported to the IB director general, who also did not take any steps.
It claims some IB officials travelled to Israel and had direct links with Afghan intelligence which, it was found later, had links with another terrorist group from Kazakhstan. "These terrorists used to disguise themselves as citrus dealers in Kot-Momin and Bhalwal, Sargodha. The business was a mere camouflage," the petition says.
(With PTI inputs)
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