Collect all proof against Pakistan, degrade the terrorists from within: NSA Doval's advice to ATS, STF chiefs

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Monday, while India's top cops to arrive at a common strategy for anti-terror operations., reasserted that neighbouring country Pakistan supports and finances terrorism and that India needs evidence to nail their role and hand in such nefarious activities.

NSA Doval was speaking at the NIA's national conference of Chiefs of Anti-Terrorism Squad / Special Task Force which is currently underway in Delhi. Making the disclosure about Pakistan's activities, the National Security Advisor also asked the anti-terror squad (ATS) and special task force (STF) chiefs of the states to collect all possible evidence against Pakistan.

The national conference today is a two-day event hosted by the NIA where the sleuths are talking to the chiefs of anti-terror squads (ATS) and special task forces (STF) of all the states, in a bid to create a nation-wide robust anti-terror grid. MoS Home G Kishan Reddy, NIA IG Alok Mittal, NIA DG YC Modi, former IB Special Director and Nagaland Governor RN Ravi are also present at the event.

He said, "The impact that NIA has been able to make against terrorism in Kashmir is more than any other agency."

Addressing the issue of Pakistan funding terrorism, Doval said, "If a criminal has the support of a state, it becomes a great challenge. Some of the states have mastered this, in our case Pakistan has made it as an instrument of its state policy."

He added by saying that the FATF proceedings have managed to put an amount of pressure on Pakistan's nefarious activities. "One of the biggest pressures that has come on Pakistan today is because of the proceedings of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), it has created so much pressure on them that probably no other action could have done."

"Collect evidence and share," the National Security Advisor asked the sleuths, adding, "Everyone knows Pakistan supports and finances terror. Only you people (ATS/STF/NIA) can collect evidence against such terror activities. We are not targeting one country. We need to have evidence. Put facts, use facts, don't destroy evidence, use them. How we did it against Pakistan? Give it to the media, use it. Building out a strategy with an objective to use it against terrorism," advised Doval.

Doval's strategy is not to deal with instances of terrorism as chance incidents but to put up a consistent 24x7 fight against terrorism. Asking the ATS and STF personnel to become soldiers against terrorism, Doval pointed out that if a person is posted with the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), then that person is fighting terror. "You are important in fighting terror - Be it Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba or any other group. You should not think that you are only the investigator. You are soldiers against terrorism. NIA has made the most impact on terror than any other agency so far. They have followed cases very intelligently and it has had the maximum impact," he encouraged.

"Why are we here?" Doval asked the sleuths, before correctly pointing out that the meet is not just any other general meeting to deal with terrorism. That this meet has been called for specially means that special counter-terrorism requirements are plaguing the country as Pakistan's nefarious activities have reached the doorstep. "Terrorism is nothing new," he said, "In the last 30 years, it is been at the forefront. To fight terror is an abstract idea. Any fact, philosophy, adjectives have to be changed in noun and verb. You don't fight terror. You do so by degrading terrorists, by taking their weapon, their concept. When civil society is terrorised, then there is pressure on the government. We don't have to just kill them in encounters. Tackling them is done in three modes. Who are these, where are they getting support money, weapons, funds, and support from other countries," he explained.

Asking the top cops to go after the terror sanctuaries, Doval said that knowledge of such activities is not sufficient as it is not just about eliminating terrorists. "We take a gamut of action. It does not end here. There is a gamut of evidence. We have to take it to the courts. It is an important aspect which helps in tackling terror. What Jammu and Kashmir does, what RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) does, what Intelligence Bureau (IB) does, they all may be different. The state police is the first responder and the responsibility lies with the state, so their role is very important," he added.

Earlier, National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director-General Yogesh Chander Modi at the event said that the Bangladeshi terror organisation Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JuM) is now expanding its area of operation in India and has already expanded its footprints under the disguise of Bangladeshi migrants in Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra.

Yogesh Chander Modi was speaking at the NIA's national conference of Chiefs of Anti-Terrorism Squad / Special Task Force which is currently underway in Delhi. Making the disclosure about JuM's activities, the Director-General also said that the Bangladeshi terror group is carrying out its operations under the disguise of Bangladeshi migrants.

YC Modi, a 1984 batch Indian Police Service officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, further announced that a list of the 25 most wanted JuM terrorists has been prepared and circulated among the states to track them. "We are fully geared up and prepared to meet the challenge of such terror groups with the help of all the states. We are a central investigating agency and are coordinating with other similar agencies at the national as well as international level to tackle terrorism," said the Director-General.

Speaking at the event, NIA Inspector-General Alok Mittal, IPS, also elaborated on the issue of terror funding at the event. "In the main case of terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir," he said, " the chiefs of proscribed organisations and top separatist leaders have been arrested and charge-sheeted." He added that these leaders were being funded from the Pakistan High Commission, through remittances and hawala transfers. However, Indian officials made sure that none of these terrorists has gotten bail so far, he added.

Mittal also namedropped countries from which terror agents have received their funds to revive activities in Punjab. "There have been continuous efforts from across the border to revive terror activities in Punjab. 16 arrested for targeted killings in 8 cases, the Khalistan Liberation Force was found to be involved. Funds from the UK, Italy, France and Australia were sent for this, he said, adding, "Registered fresh case based on anti-India activities of Sikhs for Justice, they are running a campaign on social media and trying to radicalize Sikh youth. 5 arrested in UP's Shamli last year admitted they were radicalized through 'Referendum 2020' propaganda."

(With Zee Media Newsroom inputs)