Action against backbone of terrorism in J&K

New Delhi: A recent judicial decision may have, perhaps, not received the deserved hype, but it signals a huge development in the fight against Pakistan-sponsored-and-supported terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Two individuals, described as ‘Overground Workers’ or OGWs, have been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment each after a Special NIA Court held them guilty of being participants in terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Zahoor Ahmed Peer and Nazir Ahmed Peer, hailing from Handwara in Kupwara district of Kashmir, have also been slapped with a fine of Rs 1,50,000 each under various Sections of the UAPA for being facilitators for Pakistan military-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist outfit.

According to the NIA, Zahoor and Nazir were found to have provided safe shelter, food and other logistics support to a Pakistani terrrorist Bahadur Ali alias Saifullah, and his two terrorist associates, Abu Saad and Abu Darda, who had infiltrated into Kashmir via Kupwara district with the objective of carrying out some major terrorist act here.

These 3 Pakistani terrorists had with them sophisticated arms and ammunition, explosives, navigation devices, night vision devices, and communication equipment.

The duo even facilitated meetings of Bahadur Ali with other Pakistani terrorists in the Kashmir Valley.

While they were in the Indian territory, the group of terrorists had remained in constant contact with their LeT handlers based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan.

The terrorists continuously received instructions and directions for carrying out terrorist activities within India.

They had planned to carry out a series of terror attacks in J&K and other parts of India, including Delhi.

Their plans were, however, foiled as Bahadur Ali alias Saifullah was arrested on July 25, 2016, while two other terrorists, Abu Saad and Abu Darda, were killed in an encounter by security forces subsequently.

Bahadur Ali later pleaded guilty and was convicted in March 2021 and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment under various provisions of the IPC, the UA (P) Act, the Explosives Act, the Explosive Substances Act, the Arms Act, and the Foreigners Act.

Zahoor and Nazir were identified and arrested in September 2017 and were chargesheeted by NIA in March 2018.

The NIA Court convicted them on December 18, 2025, and passed the sentence against them on February 13.

Their arrest and trial for terrorism marks a hugely significant development in the fight against Pakistan-backed terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.

Such tough actions against the so-called OGWs have been long overdue.

They form the critical component of terrorism and not a single act of terror is possible without them, even if they themselves do not fire or detonate bombs.

So, they are as bad as terrorists and treating them as anything less leaves a significant gap in the fight against terrorism.

It is this gap, due to the leniency adopted towards them for so long, which has enabled the continuance of terrorism.

Such elements, while living like ordinary citizens, constitute the massively-crucial support system for any and all the architecture of terrorism.

By being harbourers, enablers and facilitators of terrorist attacks, these ‘OGWs’ are an integral part of terrorism.

An active terrorist, whether a Pakistani or a local, cannot survive for a single day or be able to carry out any attack, if there is no support system provided by the OGWs.

Such a support system is not provided only by men but even some women.

It has been witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir, since the start of terrorism in 1988, that these OGWs conduct activities which are extremely critical for acts of terror.

They provide safe houses or hideouts to attackers along with food and clothing, facilitate the movement of terrorists and ferry weapons, ammunition and explosives for use in terror attacks. They even carry messages and finances for the attackers.

Such people even create an atmosphere of fear among the locals on behalf of terrorists.

They also facilitate the recruitment of locals in terrorism.

Thus, their role in terrorism is as much as that of attackers, if not more.

So, the appropriately tough action taken against these two OGWs will go a long way in curbing and ending terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.

(The author is a senior New Delhi-based journalist

who has been tracking and writing on Jammu and Kashmir

over the last three decades)