CHANDIGARH: Aiming at derailing Pakistan's 'K2' (Kashmir and Khalistan) plan, the Centre has decided to set up a joint counter operation centre in Punjab. The NIA, RAW, IB, BSF and the Punjab Police will be a part of this centre. Besides, a regional hub of the National Security Guards (NSG) is also being planned in the state.
Highly placed sources said that the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday gave its nod to set up this centre in Punjab. At present, all these agencies besides state police work independently and share information on a case to case basis with each other.
However, now they are working on a blueprint for the joint counter operation centre. The plan to set up this centre was mooted only last month.
All these agencies have been asked to nominate officers for posting to this centre which will be either in Chandigarh or Amritsar.
This centre will also equipped to counter-cyber warfare. In order to neutralise the threat of pro-Khalistani elements, the state police and other agencies have been told to take the help of retired police officers who have worked when militancy was at its peak in the state.
Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta had been pushing for setting up of such a centre.
Confirming that a joint counter operation centre is being set-up in the state, a senior Punjab Police official said, "In this centre all the agencies including the state police will work jointly to counter terrorist threat and their activities. The details in this regard have been worked out.’’
It is leant that the state and central intelligence agencies are regularly monitoring activities of sikh militant outfits of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Zindabad Force (FZF), Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and International Sikh Youth Federation. They are also keeping a tab on Sikhs for Justice which was some time back banned by the union government as it is running a campaign 'Referendum 2020’ on the behest of Inter-Services- Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan and is active on social media platforms for allegedly radicalising the youth. Also now the Kartarpur Corridor is being opened.
"Under the 'K2' plan, the ISI is trying to exploit sentiments in Kashmiri and Punjabi youth in order to fuel insurgency in the state and Jammu and Kashmir,’’ said an official.
Sources said that the MHA is also considering to set up a regional hub of the National Security Guards (NSG) in Pathankot as it borders with Jammu and Kashmir. A crack team of NSG commandos will be deputed to deal with any terror situation.
In the last two months, Pakistan has tried to infiltrate arms and ammunitions in the state by sending drones. The security personnel has even seized two drones and recovered weapons.