TERROR LINKS

When the hijackers of the Indian Airlines flight IC 814 demanded the release of 36 top terrorists, 33 of them Pakistanis, from Indian jails, acceptance of the demand would have amounted to nullifying the successes registered by Indian security and int elligence agencies in the past one decade in their anti-insurgency operations in Kashmir and putting national security at peril. Here, Praveen Swami gives brief profiles of the 36, including those released whose names have been highlighted.

The terrorists the hijackers wanted out of jail
Name	Organisation	Arrested on	Profile
1	Abdul Hai Malik @ Umar Farooq s/o Mohammad Ajmal r/o Punjab, Pakistan	Harkat-ul-Ansar	November 18, 1996	After joining the Harkat-ul-Ansar at the instigation of religious leader Maulvi Attah Ullah, Malik was infiltrated through Kupwara in July 1996. He was tasked to disrupt the elections of September-October 1996. He is also charged with the attempted murder of a resident of Maisuma in downtown Srinagar.
2	Ahmed Umar SyedSheikh s/o Syed Ahmed Sheikhr/o London, U.K.	Harkat-ul-Ansar	October 31, 1994	A British national, Ahmed Sheikh played a major role in raising funds and organising support for the Harkat-ul-Ansar in the United Kingdom. In October 1994, he organised the kidnapping of four foreign tourists from a hotel in Paharganj, New Delhi, to secure Masood Azhar's release. All the hostages were subsequently rescued from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in a joint operation by Delhi and U.P. police commandos. One U.P. police official, Inspector Abhay Singh Yadav, was killed in the operation. Two other terrorists, British national Sheikh Omar Sayeed and Pakistani national Abdul Rahim, were arrested.
3	Alam Khans/o Behram Khanr/o Muzaffarabad, POK	Al-Umar	November 20, 1991	Although Khan was a trained terrorist, his services were used mainly as a courier and guide for arms shipments by Al-Umar, an organisation close to Pakistan's Sardar Abdul Qayoom Khan and named after Srinagar religious leader Moulvi Umar Farooq. He was picked up by the Army in Kupwara.
4	Basharat Ali @ Assadullah Ikramullah s/o Ali Asga r/o Mirpur, POK	Kashmir Freedom Movement	January 2, 1995	Trained at Mirpur in POK, Ali was briefed by Pakistan Army officials before entering India in August 1994. He visited several parts of the country, including New Delhi and Muzaffarnagar, to build his organisation's network.
5	Farooq Ahmed Raja s/o Mohammad Sher Khanr/o Kotli, POK	Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front	April 19, 1995	Having joined the JKLF in June 1992, and trained in Afghanistan, Raja entered the Kashmir Valley through Kupwara in August 1994. He was subsequently kidnapped in the course of a dispute with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and disarmed. He stayed with Yasin Malik at the JKLF's overground office in Maisuma, Srinagar, before his arrest in a covert operation.
6	Ghulam Mohammad Bhat s/o Hatta Bhatr/o POK	Al-Jehad	December 20, 1994	Indian records list Bhat's name as Gulla Bhat. He was principally an ideological worker for Al-Jehad, motivating and indoctrinating recruits.
7	Jaffer Alis/o Sabir Alir/o Kotli POK	Al-Barq	June 30, 1996	Indian records list Jaffer Ali's name as Zaffar Ali, code-named Abdul Rashid. Ali was motivated by his uncle, Khazir Mohammad, who worked as a cook in an Al Barq training camp. He is described as highly motivated, and deeply religious.
8	MaulanaMasood Azhar ,s/o Allah Baksh,r/o Kauser Colony, Model Town, Bhawalpur, Pakistan	Harkat-ul-Ansar	February 11, 1994	A religious evangelist of the Deobandi school, Azhar recieved military training in Afghanistan before arriving in India via Dhaka on January 29, 1994. Travelling on a fake Portugese passport and claiming to be a journalist, he toured the country, exhorting Muslims in several areas to participate in jihad. As Secretary-General of the Harkat-ul-Ansar, he was responsible for motivating Sajjad Afghani to lead its military operations in Kashmir.
9	Mohammad Arif Khan @ Walid @ Rashid Ahmed Bhats/o Alam Din Khan r/o Dastgir Mohalla, Karachi, Pakistan	Harkat-ul-Ansar	May 4, 1995	Trained at the Harkat-ul-Ansar camp at Maskar in Afghanistan, Khan was inducted into the Kashmir Valley in May 1994 through the Lolab area. He participated in several armed actions in 1994-1995. However, evidently disenchanted with the war in Kashmir, he applied to his commanders for permission to return to Pakistan. The request was met. Khan was arrested by the West Bengal Police while trying to cross into Bangladesh from where he was scheduled to fly to Pakistan.
10	Mohammad HassanShafiq @ Abu Jindal s/o late Imdad Ullah, r/o Chinant Jhena, Pakistan	Harkat-ul-Ansar	May 12, 1995	Although the hijackers identified Abu Jindal as Mohammad Hassan Shafia, police records list his name as Mohammad Shafi Malik. Malik was present at Chrar-e-Sharif when the shrine burned down in 1995, and it was his interrogation which made clear that Mast Gul had ordered its destruction. The terrorist was trained at Khost, Afghanistan. He holds a post-graduate degree in Arabic.
11	Mohammad Iqram Balouchs/o Mir Dalal Kha r/o Quetta, Baluchistan, Pakistan	Hizb-ul-Mujahideen	October 1, 1995	Balouch was active on the border from 1990, mostly smuggling arms from Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was once arrested by the Pakistan Police for gun-running. Trained in Afghanistan, he was persuaded to join the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen by the Jamaat-e-Islami in Peshawar. His official dossier describes him as "desperate by nature", a person who can "stoop to any level".
12	Mohammad Ishfaq Rajputs/o Mohammad Shafi, r/o Sialkot, Pakistan	Muslim Mujahideen	January 2, 1995	Rajput entered the Fateh Gali in Baramulla with a large consignment of arms and explosives, but for reasons that did not emerge during interrogation, he immediately wished to return to Pakistan. Rajput was deserted by his companions, and was found wandering aimlessly in the forests.
13	Mohammad Nazir Khan @ Salahuddin Saifullah s/o Hajlal Khan, r/o B-79 Block F, Qausar Niyazi Colony, Karachi, Pakistan	Not available	Notavailable	Khan was arrested by the Delhi Police for involvement in a planned series of bomb blasts in the city. A Karachi resident, he is believed to be affiliated to far-right groups in that city. He is now being held in Tihar Jail.
14	Mohammad Sofi Jamat s/o Buland Khanr/o Kotli, POK	Al-Barq/JKLF	February 17, 1996	Although the terrorists gave Jamat's place of residence as Kotli, official records list it as being Kel in POK. A plumber by profession, and a long-time activist of the Jamait-ul-Tulbam, Jamat was recruited by the Inter-Services Intelligence and sent into the Kashmir Valley in September 1994.
15	"Mohammad Yusuf Khwaja @ Asif s/o Mohammad Ayub r/o Nakoti Wadi-e-Lippa, Muzaffarabad, POK	Harkat-ul-Ansar	August 31, 1996	Khwaja was among the Harkat-ul-Ansar's top arms couriers, handling shipments of weapons into the Kashmir Valley.
16	Mohammed Syed Khan @ Farooq,s/o Mohammad Suleiman r/o Noman Pora Bagh, POK	Jamait-ul-Mujahideen	August 21, 1994	Trained at the Yawar training camp in Afghanistan, Khan served principally in the Kupwara area. His tenure was marked by feuds between his unit at the local, mainly Kashmiri, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. The Hizb-ul-Mujahideen attempted to assassinate him on three occassions.
17	Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar @ Latram s/o Ghulam Rasool Zargar, r/o Jamia Masjid, Srinagar.	Al-Umar	May 15, 1992	A coppersmith by trade before he trained in Pakistan, Zargar continues to be the head of the Al-Umar. Zargar is responsible for over 40 murders and was a key figure in the terrorist ascendancy in downtown Srinagar. The Al-Umar chief also imposed a ban on Maruti vehicles in Srinagar, allegedly at the behest of a political figure who owned a dealership for a rival company.
18	Muzzamil Ahmed Dar @ Sohail s/o Ghulam Mohammad r/o Kotli, POK	Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front	April 19, 1995	Having entered the Kashmir Valley through Athmuqam, Dar participated in attacks against troops in December 1994 and January 1995 in Srinagar's Batmaloo area. He owes allegiance to the JKLF's Amanullah Khan faction.
19	Nasarullah Mansoor Langriyal,s/o Mohammad Shafi Langriyal, r/o Jalal Pur, Gujarat, Pakistan	Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami	November 16, 1993	Participated in a massive action against the Border Security Force in June 1993 at Deesa, Doda, in which 10 troops and 6 civilians were killed. Langriyal was also responsible for the kidnapping and murder of another BSF trooper. A highly motivated operative, Langriyal fought in Afghanistan from 1983 to 1992.
20	Nashi Ullah @ Jangzuas/o Nazir Ahmedr/o Bazaraq Parwan, Afghanistan	Lashkar-e-Taiba	July 13, 1993	Nashi Ullah, listed in Indian records as Nasrullah, is one of the few Afghan terrorists to have surrendered to the Indian armed forces. He was infiltrated into the Jammu area in May 1994, but came to realise his comrades were indulging in criminal activities, not fighting a jihad.
21	Nasir Ikram @ Abu Ubaid s/o Qazi Ikram-ul-Haq r/o Mastaloo, Rawalpindi, Pakistan	Jamait-ul-Mujahideen	August 21, 1994	Ikram was arrested almost immediately after entering the Kashmir Valley. He was trained at the Yawar camp in Afghanistan.
22	Nasir Mohammad Soudozi @ Aftabs/o Sakhi Mohammad r/o Nawab Goru, Police Station Palandiri, Rawalkot, POK	Harkat-ul-Ansar	April 29, 1996	Trained at the Yawar camp in Afghanistan, Soudozi first worked at the Harkat-ul-Ansar office in Muzaffarbad, handling inter-organisational coordination in liaison with the ISI. He was brought into Kashmir to handle funds transfers from Pakistan.
23	Nassir Ahmed Gujjar @ Azims/o Mohammad Bashir r/o Mirpur, POK	Muslim Mujahideen	April 2, 1996	Trained in Pakistan, Gujjar was tasked by his handlers to attack Indian Army posts in the Rajouri area.
24	Navaid Iqbal Bhat@ Tahirs/o Mohammad Iqbal r/o Sumani Mirpur, POK	Kashmir Freedom Movement	January 2, 1995	Bhat belongs to a little-known and marginal group, but is highly motivated and trained. After entering India illegally, he visited several cities, issuing press notes and pamphlets seeking public support. He is currently held under the Public Safety Act.
25	Nisar Ahmed Rajput@ Wasim @ Tariq s/o Mohammad Zaman,r/o Dhana Kotli, POK	Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami	April 19, 1995	An active member of the Harkat-ul-Ansar, Rajput was briefly released in October 1999 when one set of criminal cases against him collapsed. The Pakistani national was immediately rearrested on fresh terrorism-related charges.
26	Rahil Ahmed Hashmi s/o Mohammad Mushtaq Hashmi,r/o Bhag, POK	Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front	September 12, 1995	One of the JKLF's better known ideologues and organisers, Hashmi was arrested from Bemina in Srinagar.
27	Saifullah Khalid @ Mohammad Ubaids/o Sher Khan,r/o Mong, Palandhari, Poonch, POK	Jamait-ul-Mujahideen	October 14, 1993	Trained at Khost in Afghanistan, Khalid started off with All Barq before joining the Jamait-ul-Mujahideen. He was tasked to establish high-altitude forest hideouts in Anantnag at the time of his arrest.
28	Shahid Latif@ Shaheen Bhats/o Abdul Lateef,r/o Bagh, POK	Jamait-ul-Mujahideen	January 21, 1994	Latif was among the terrorists trapped in the first siege of the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, and benefited from the subsequent "safe passage" deal. He was again sent into Kashmir in August 1994, this time to eliminate terrorists of Kashmiri origin who had negotiated the Hazratbal deal. Apart from several attacks on security forces, Latif is responsible for the murder of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative Mohammad Ayoub in the Wader forests.
29	ShahidMohammad Mughal@ Abu Dardas/o Ali Afsa r/o Bangni, Rawalkot POK	Lashkar-e-Taiba	January 2, 1995	Trained in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, Mughal is personally close to one of the Markaz Dawa wal' Irshad's top Amirs, Warris Khan. He was inducted into India along with a group of 25 Lashkar terrorists and 17 Al-Barq terrorists, along with arms and explosives. Mughal was arrested from Chhanapora in Srinagar.
30	Sohail Ahmed Kataria s/o Shahbaz Ahmed Khanr/o Kotli, POK	Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front	October 29, 1996	Kataria was involved with half-a-dozen attacks on security force positions, throwing grenades in crowded public places, and along with a terrorist named Mushtaq Kotru, with the killing of a BSF trooper at Habakadal in Srinagar in March 1996. He is also charged with the murder of JKLF terrorist Umar, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorist Bitta, a Chinese tourist, and Srinagar resident Shabir Ahmed.
31	Sultan Ahmed Miyan @ Umar s/o Ghulam Jeelani r/o Abdul Hakim Faberwala, District Kahniwal, Pakistan	Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami	September 14, 1994	Like Rajput, Miyan was released from jail on November 16, 1999, but rearrested shortly afterwards because of continued terrorist activities. He was trained at the Liza camp in Afghanistan, and was arrested in Anantnag.
32	Syed Khalid Hussain @ Sajad Hussain s/o Khadim Hussain Bukhari r/o Adamsheri, Muzaffarabad, POK	Islami Jamait-ul-Tulba / Hizb-ul-Mujahideen	January 12, 1995	Hussain was trained in Khost, Afghanistan, and was issued weapons by the ISI before he was launched into India.
33	Syed Sajid Sajjad Bukhari @ Sajjad @ Ali Bhai @ Sajjad Afghani s/o Syed Shah Pal r/o Mandyari Kotli, POK	Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front	June 6, 1995	Bukhari was responsible for the murder of the Assistant Manager of the Uri Hydel Project on October 4, 1995.
34	Syed Salahuddin Qazi @ Mohammad Yousuf s/o Ghulam Rasool r/o Faisalabad, Pakistan	Muslim Liberation Army	July 27, 1992	Although a member of a relatively small organisation, Qazi was a top terrorist, charged with the Muslim Liberation Army's training programmes at Tattapani in POK. He crossed into Rajouri before being arrested with four others.
35	Syed Waqar Shah@ Imrans/o Imam Shahr/o Abottabad, Pakistan	Harkat-ul-Ansar	March 26, 1996	Shah was inducted to strenghten the Harkat-ul-Ansar network in Rajouri and Poonch, which in 1996 was minimal. He was subsequently ordered to disrupt the parliamentary elections that year through explosions and selective assassinations.
36	Zulfikar Ali Shah@ Amar s/o Ziarat Ali r/o House No. 137,Block B, Latifabad,Hyderabad, Pakistan	Islami Inquilab-e-Mahaz	February 7, 1993	A dropout from a diploma course in Mechanical Engineering, Shah took part in the Afghan war from 1991. He arrived in India in late 1992, and was arrested shortly after he participated in an encounter with the Indian Army in Poonch in February 1993.
@ = alias r/o = resident of s/o = son of POK = Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir