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We urge our co-citizens of ‘AJK’ to forward the following letter to their members of parliament in the UK and their relevant congressmen/women in the USA. Please keep them engaged and send me a copy of all correspondence if possible, so that we may maintain a public record.

 

Monitoring Clandestine Agencies in AJK* – A Report

Date: 06/06/2024

Our reference: TA000002/AJKUKUSAGHRGMJKA/06062024/SGEC0002

Addressed to:

  1. The UK Government via its parliamentarians (in turn) via their constituents
  2. The USA Government via members of its congress (in turn) via their constituents
  3. Global Human Rights Organisations: i) Amnesty International ii) Human Rights Watch
  4. Global Media Organisations: i) Al Jazeera ii) BBC iii) Deutsche Welle (DW) iv) VOA

Dear aforementioned governments & fellow citizens of the world,

As per public duty to the aspiring citizens of AJK (which despite de jure being a neutral & sovereign territory, peacefully reconstructing its de facto political & constitutional status) JKA PUBLIC AGENCY confronts many a human rights violation of its people, particularly of those who live on or near the Line-of-Control (LOC) dividing Indian & Pakistani military presence in Jammu Kashmir & Allied (areas), or JKA for short.

One such bulging dilemma is the long list of our population who are constantly under threat of being targeted by Pakistan’s clandestine agencies; abducted, tortured, abused, detained (usually in solitary confinement) before being presented to a military court for sentencing after (in some cases more than 2 years) before they are bundled into a jail in AJK to complete their ‘sentences’, which can range from anything between 5 years and 20 years. Many of these people were enticed at some point in the past to act as ‘guides’ or ‘smugglers’ of arms and/or drugs in the proxy war between India & Pakistan, engulfing our territory in some shape or form since 1947.

Upon consultation with the public at large, in the wake of the recent security crisis emerging in AJK** and the needless death of at least 4 of our co-citizens (including a policeman killed by the bullet of an ostensible colleague), the illegal detainment of 7 (3 have been released to date) of our co-citizens for the aforementioned killing, despite all 7 being arrested at least a couple of hours before this incident and not to forget many hundreds of our people injured, in what was essentially a strictly peaceful year-long #RightsMovementAJK , mobilised by the Joint Awaami (Public) Action Committee AJK or JAAC for short, we have decided to prioritise the end of such (at times) whimsical abduction procedures in our territory. We see it as an attempt by the Pakistani military & its associated agencies to frame our people for crimes they themselves orchestrated for their own ‘strategic’ needs, while conveniently making ‘fall guys’ out of our people.

The sentiments of our people were further aggravated on the 15th of May 2024 when Ahmad Farhad – a Kashmiri journalist and poet of Bagh in AJK – was abducted from his home in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.*** As pressure mounted on the Pakistani army & its agencies to present him before a court in the aforementioned city, he was ‘dumped’ at Dheerkot police station in AJK (a tehsil/subdivision in district Bagh, adjacent to the border with Pakistan) on the 29th of May, only to be ‘lumped’ with fresh ‘charges’ of ‘terrorism’ against him. He continues to be detained despite critically ill health and his pleas of bail rejected.****

Here is a list of such people which is by no means complete, not least because of the dangers faced by their families for exposing such crimes against humanity and with their mental conditions in mind, the availability of precise information on their particulars has been arduous too:

Name (1): Muhammad Safeer, Father’s Name: Muhammad Rasheed, DOB (Age): 11/12/1984
Allegation: That he distributed Telenor SIM cards across the LOC.
Victim’s Plea: This didn’t happen. He claims that he was captured by civilians with 6 bottles of Indian alcohol.
Location of abduction & dates: Kas Jameeri (tehsil Khuiratta in district Kotli) on 30/06/2016 before being taken to an agency office in Rawalpindi Pakistan where he spent c. 3 months in confinement. He was then shifted to an army camp in tehsil Barnaala (district Bhimber) AJK, where he spent a year before escaping to his home village of Seri Manjwaal in tehsil Khuiratta. He was picked up again a day later and kept at a Pakistani clandestine agency office in Kotli AJK for a while before being returned to Barnaala AJK.
Sentence: Safeer was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment by a military court on 13/04/2018 and transferred to Mirpur jail in AJK where he spent about 1.5 years before being transferred to Kotli jail in AJK, where he continues to serve his ‘sentence’.

 

Name (2): Muhammad Usman, Father’s Name: Muhammad Akram Kayani, DOB (Age): 03/09/1988
Allegation: That he crossed the border (referring to the crossing of the LOC).
Victim’s Plea: That they (the Pakistani army & agencies) had previously engaged him with such work but he had subsequently dis-engaged himself.
Location of abduction & dates: He was picked up while crossing a military check-post on a motorbike in tehsil Khursheedabad (district Haveli) AJK on 14/09/2020 and taken to the notorious Black Fort in Gojra Muzaffarabad, where he spent c. 3 months. He was then transferred to 5 AK Brigade in Shaukat Lines and detained there for about 8 months.
Sentence: Usman was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. He initially spent about 3 to 4 months in Raara prison on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad before being transferred to Kotli jail where he currently is.

 

Name (3): Muhammad Hussain, Father’s Name: Shah Muhammad, DOB (Age): c. 75 years
Allegation: He was picked up after an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blast at Digwaar in tehsil & district Haveli.
Victim’s Plea: No, I did not do it.
Location of abduction & dates: He was picked up at Mang Bajri in district Bagh at 0200hrs on 30/12/2017. He was kept for 3 months in a Pakistani army camp near Mujahidabad in tehsil Rawalakot (district Poonch), then in the Black Fort of Gojra, Muzaffarabad for a further 3 months. Hussain was then shifted to the Pakistani army camp at Dawarandi in tehsil Hajeera (district Poonch) for 3 years.
Sentence: Apparently he has been given a death sentence 8 times over by a ‘military court’ and is currently detained in Kotli jail.

 

Name (4): Muhammad Basharat, Father’s name: Muhammad Deen, DOB (Age): 12/12/1998
Allegation: He was accused of taking documents of a computer programme consisting of 7 pages and supplying it to RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) of the Indian State. Basharat also alleges that given his young age (17) when arrested, his captors decided to make an ID card for him where they inputted his DOB (date of birth) as 01/01/1995.
Victim’s Plea: he doesn’t have a clue what this is all about.
Location of abduction & dates: He was arrested at Chaanjal barrier in district Haveli at 0800hrs on 03/03/2016. He was kept at the same army camp (as victim 3) in Mujahidabad for a day before being shifted to the Black Fort in Gojra, Muzaffarabad for 9 months. Basharat was then moved to yet another army camp in Muzaffarabad city at Bella Noor Shah for 2-3 months. Subsequently, he was taken to an unknown location in Rawalpindi, Pakistan and then soon after taken to an army camp in his home district of Haveli, where he remained for c. 11 months.
Sentence: He was finally given a 10 year sentence and put in Bagh jail. After 3 months he was transferred to Kotli jail.

 

Name (5): Kamal Deen, Father’s Name: Mir Muhammad, DOB (Age): 1966
Allegation: Smuggling, testing weapons and also accused of the IED blast at Digwaar in district Haveli (ref. victim 3).
Victim’s Plea: Denies allegations.
Location of abduction & dates: He was picked up from the hamlet of Khori in village Digwaar of district Haveli on 30/12/2017 and has difficulty in remembering any of the various unknown locations where he was kept.
Sentence: Apparently he has also been given the same death sentence 8 times over by a ‘military court’ and is currently detained in Kotli jail a la (victim 3) Muhammad Hussain.

 

Name (6): Muhammad Siddique, Father’s Name: Muhammad Deen, DOB (Age): c. 90 years
Allegation: Crossing the ‘border’ (LOC)
Victim’s Plea: Left any such activity many a year ago.
Location of abduction & dates: He like (victim 5) was also abducted from Khori in Digwaar on 07/07/2015. Taken to the Black Fort of Gojra in Muzaffarabad. Then taken to Tariqabad, another vicinity of Muzaffarabad where he spent about 7 months in confinement.
Sentence: M Siddique was sentenced to 11 years. Put initially in Raara jail near Muzaffarabad before being shifted to Bagh jail and now in Kotli jail.

 

Name (7): Muhammad Shafique, Father’s Name: Muhammad Siddique, DOB (Age): 01/05/1982
Allegation: Crossing the ‘border’ (LOC) and providing sensitive information on Pakistani army bunkers and offices to the Indian army.
Victim’s Plea: All allegations are baseless.
Location of abduction & dates: Unlike others quoted so far, this gentleman was serving as a Lance Naik in the Pakistani army and posted at Mir Ali in Waziristan when he was arrested on 13/08/2018 and he hails from the same hamlet of Khori in Digwaar, district Haveli. He had served for 15 years in the Pakistani army without any blemish (enrolled 25/08/2003). He was kept at a military camp for a year, then taken to the army camp at Dawarandi in tehsil Hajeera (district Poonch), where he was detained for 19 months.
Sentence: He was transferred to jail on 31/03/2021 and is currently at Kotli jail serving an apparently undisclosed sentence.

 

Name (8): Yasin Muhammad, Father’s Name: Muhammad Iqbal, DOB (Age): 01/03/1971
Allegation: Crossing the border (LOC).
Victim’s Plea: It is a false allegation.
Location of abduction & dates: He was abducted from his home village of Janjhot Bahadur in tehsil Khuiratta (district Kotli) on 27/06/2019. Then taken by Pakistani agencies to an unknown location in Rawalpindi, Pakistan where he was kept for 9 months. He was then brought back to AJK where he spent 10 months in the Pakistani army camp at Jandrot in tehsil Nikyaal (district Kotli).
Sentence: He is serving a 10 year sentence at Kotli jail.

 

Name (9): Shoaib, Father’s Name: Muhammad Bashir, DOB (Age): 17/03/1996
Allegation: Accused of taking maps of AJK across the LOC.
Victim’s Plea: False accusations.
Location of abduction & dates: He was abducted from near his home in Mithi Dharra near Palni Kotera in tehsil Khuiratta (district Kotli) on 17/05/2017. After 12-19 hours of interrogation locally he was taken to Rawalpindi, Pakistan where he spent about a month. He was then brought back to AJK and detained at the Pakistani army camp in Dawarandi (tehsil Hajeera, district Poonch) for about 9-10 months.
Sentence: He was given a 13 year jail sentence, of which he spent about 8 months in Rawalakot jail and is now in Kotli jail.

 

Name (10): Maqbool Hussain, Father’s Name: Said Alam, DOB (Age): ?
Allegation: Crossing the ‘border’ (LOC).
Victim’s Plea: I haven’t crossed.
Location of abduction & dates: He was picked up from a hotel/restaurant in Panthal tehsil Palandri (district Sudhnoti) on 08/12/2016. Initially he was kept at the Pakistani army camp in Mujahidabad, Rawalakot (district Poonch) for 2 months & 11 days. Then shifted to the infamous Black Fort in Gojra, Muzaffarabad where he was confined for about 8 and a half months. Then shifted once more to the Pakistani army camp in Poona (Tandhar) where he spent about 14 months.
Sentence: He was given a 12 year sentence whereby he spent the initial 4 months in Raara jail, Muzaffarabad and is now lodged in Kotli jail.

 

Name (11): Shabir Ahmed, Father’s Name: Muhammad Iqbal, DOB (Age): 1982
Allegation: Accused of taking 3 maps across the LOC.
Victim’s Plea: I have no knowledge and am uneducated, thus incapable of such deeds.
Location of abduction & dates: He was picked up from Jandrot army check-post in tehsil Nikyaal (district Kotli) on 17/05/2016. He was taken to Rawalpindi, Pakistan where he was kept for about 6 months before being brought back to AJK and lodged in the Pakistani army’s brigade headquarters in Bhimber, where he spent about 45 days.
Sentence: Given a 9 year jail sentence of which he initially spent about 20 months in Rawalakot jail before being transferred to Kotli jail.

 

Name (12): Muhammad Maqsood Kayani, Father’s Name: Rafique Kayani, DOB (Age): March 1991
Allegation: Accused of crossing the ‘border’ (LOC) with 5 pictures & 5 maps.
Victim’s Plea: These are false allegations made by a former mujahid due to personal enmity.
Location of abduction & dates: Abducted from Dulli Rangar Cross in Bagh district on 22/09/2017 at 1545hrs. He was immediately taken to an unknown location from where his family were demanded to pay a 5 lakh ransom for his release, giving a deadline of midnight on the same date. Failing that he was kept in another unknown location for 2 months and 5 days. Then shifted to Muzaffarabad near Gojra where he spent 13 and a half months. From there he was shifted further north to a Pakistani army camp in Devlian tehsil Pateeka (district Muzaffarabad), where he endured a further 18 months of captivity.
Sentence: Maqsood of Rankri in district Haveli was given a 12 year sentence by an unchallenged military court on 28/03/2019; of which he spent 3 years, 7 months & 17 days in Raara jail, near Muzaffarabad and is currently serving the rest of his sentence in Kotli jail.

 

Name (13): Muhammad Dawood, Father’s Name: Abdul Ghani, DOB (Age): 05/05/1978
Allegation: Crossing the ‘border’ (LOC).
Victim’s Plea: Dawood of Dharra Sher Khan (tehsil Hajeera, district Poonch) has been working in Saudi Arabia for 20 years and is disinclined to be involved in such adventures. Earlier in 2017 his cousin had spoken about something he couldn’t clearly recollect.
Location of abduction & dates: On 09/05/2018 while home on work leave he was abducted on the road to Mohra near Jandrot in tehsil Nikyaal (district Kotli). He was taken to that army camp in Mujahidabad, Rawalakot before being transferred to Gojra in Muzaffarabad, where he spent 13 months. From 08/08/2019 to 20/03/2021 he was detained in Garhi Dupatta army camp on the Jhelum Valley Road from Muzaffarabad to Srinagar.
Sentence: He is serving a 10 year military court sentence. His vehicle, a Toyota GLI (2010 model) with index number (plate) ISB 365 was also confiscated by the Pakistani army and never returned to him (to date).

 

Name (14): Muhammad Afzal, Father’s Name: Gul Muhammad, DOB (Age): 10/05/1975
Allegation: Crossing the ‘border’ (LOC) with official documents
Victim’s Plea: He is a retired Hawaldaar clerk in the Pakistani army (retired 15/08/2016) and has been concentrating on bringing up his young, vulnerable children. Purely false allegations that make no sense.
Location of abduction & dates: He was abducted near Mega Mart in Mirpur city on 10/04/2017 and initially kept in an unknown location for about 6 months. He was then taken to an army camp in Sialkot, Pakistan and kept there for about 1 and a half months. In February 2018 he was brought to Mangla Cantonment, then taken to another army camp in Rawalpindi, Pakistan where he was confined for about 4
months. Subsequently, he was shifted to Kotli (Pakistani army) brigade headquarters where he was kept for 2 years, until 27/06/2020.
Sentence: Slapped an 11 year sentence and also court marshalled after retirement.

 

Name (15): Abdur Razzaq Kayani, Father’s Name: Muhammad Bashir Kayani, DOB (Age): January 1980
Allegation: Crossing the ‘border’ with 6 others (3 belonging to the Pakistani army & 3 civilians).
Victim’s Plea: They (the Pakistani army & agencies) wanted me to act as an informant/witness to the acts of these 6 people (3 of whom I knew, 3 I didn’t know) for an incident in 2011. “I’m being punished for refusing to embroil myself in such intrigue,” he argues.
Location of abduction & dates: He was enticed by agency operatives to supposedly help them find a ‘suspect’ while he was running his successful restaurant named ‘Ghareeb Nawaz’ in Loi Behr, Rawalpindi, Pakistan on 16/04/2017. After being confined in unknown locations in Pakistan he was taken to Muzaffarabad, AJK in March 2018. Then back to Rawalpindi, Pakistan before being returned to Muzaffarabad, AJK on 01/01/2019. Abdur Razzaq was kept in different locations in the city.
Sentence: His apparent sentence was 6 years and he was put in Raara jail near Muzaffarabad on 20/04/2020. He was shifted to Kotli jail in October 2022 where he remains imprisoned.

 

Name (16): Muhammad Khalil, Father’s Name: Muhammad Siddique, DOB (Age): August 1995
Allegation: Crossing the ‘border’ (LOC).
Victim’s Plea: “I have no idea why I’m being targeted”.
Location of abduction & dates: 3 to 4 ‘unknown’ men picked him up on 17/05/2018 not too far from his home in Khori, Digwaar (district Haveli). He was kept in multiple unknown locations for 23 months.
Sentence: The military court verdict was 12 years imprisonment (which like the others does not include the time kept confined before being put in an AJK jail). In December 2020 he was sent to Raara jail near Muzaffarabad.

 

Name (17): Liaqat Hussain, Father’s Name: Alam Deen, DOB (Age): 1995
Allegation: Crossing the ‘border’ (LOC), sharing information and bringing alcohol back.
Victim’s Plea: Allegations are false. In any case, they go back to the period between 2012 to 2015.
Location of abduction & dates: Liaqat was picked up from the ‘Fruit Mandi (Market)’ in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on 13/03/2018. He was kept in unknown locations for 23 months.
Sentence: He was given 10 years and continues to be ‘lodged’ at Raara jail near Muzaffarabad.

 

Name (18): Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah, Father’s Name: Syed Fazal Hussain Shah, DOB (Age): 1975
His details were already logged on 20/11/2022 at: https://tanveerandkashmir.blogspot.com/2022/11/daily-diary-dd-day-324-of-2022.html

Other such victims have been logged on 12/02/2020 at: https://tanveerandkashmir.blogspot.com/2020/02/daily-diary-dd-day-43-of-2020.html

Types of torture used for such victims of transgression:

  1. Sticks/grinder/drilling & other implements.
  2. Electric shocks.
  3. Getting animals like cats to bite victims.
  4. Forcing victims to drink many litres of water and then preventing them from letting urine pass.
  5. Unspeakable methods of demoralisation (involving sexual violence, urination & defecation).
  6. Handcuffing to the wall while made to stand for hours on end.
  7. Sleep deprivation and use of glaring lights.
  8. Fingernails & toe nails being forcibly uprooted.

Such tactics are in common use to extract false statements as well as install constant terror in the hearts & minds of our people.

 

Closing Notes:
There are considered to be over 100 such victims altogether in the various jails throughout AJK. This does not include those currently detained in the various army camps (some cited in this report) and ‘unknown’ locations within AJK as well as in Pakistan.

We – at JKA PUBLIC AGENCY – are striving to implement a 1,000 year peace strategy in our territory. Such incidents are an immediate and obvious hindrance. The security of this territory can only be ensured by its own people using transparent & accountable methodology.

Regards
Tanveer Ahmed – Founder JKA PUBLIC AGENCY
Contact: 0092 343 0860380
Email: [email protected]

References:
*Monitoring clandestine agencies is a keyword on our weblog with research on various incidents where the aforementioned have been involved. They also include cases where this writer was a victim of such practices too despite 3rd generation British citizenship and a background in international & (UK) parliamentary journalism.

**https://tanveerandkashmir.blogspot.com/2024/05/daily-diary-dd-day-126-of-2024.html
***https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa33/8072/2024/en/
****https://www.dawn.com/news/1837846
JKA PUBLIC AGENCY Note: #E06062024