Salahudin got son medical seat with IB help: Dulat

NEW DELHI: Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudin was obliged when he called the Intelligence Bureau (IB)’s chief in Srinagar seeking admission for his son to a Kashmir medical college during Farooq Abdullah’s tenure (1996-2002) as chief minister.
Former spymaster A S Dulat has revealed this in his book, insisting this was “a great opening” that should have been followed up to bring back Salahudin, who features on India’s list of 48 fugitives holed up in Pakistan.
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“This is a story I actually got from (then Srinagar IB head) K M (Singh)…What he (Salahudin) wanted was admission for his son, who used to live in Srinagar, in the medical college. So K M thought, and I think K M was right, let’s do this guy a favour and the only way it could be done was through the chief minister so he went and said, ‘sir, kar dejya,’’’ Dulat told a TV channel. “And Dr Farooq obliged as always.''
The ex-spymaster said the “little favour’’ could have been used to bring Salahudin back like his colleague, Majid Dar, who had declared unilateral ceasefire and held talks with the government in 2000 before he was killed three years later.
“Salahudin should have and could have been brought back. This was done as part of luring Salahudin back to India. But we were not interested. We never showed any interest,’’ he said.
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“This is an exceptional case for an exceptional person. And that exceptional person should be brought home – back to the Valley.’’
Salahudin took up arms as the chief of Kashmir’s biggest indigenous insurgent group, Hizbul, after he was jailed and tortured following his participation in the infamous 1987 rigged elections in Jammu & Kashmir that sparked the insurgency. He heads a conglomerate of insurgent groups, United Jehad Council, as well.
Dulat called the favour to him “quite normal’’, insisting it was “part of a cause’’. He added this happened all the time. “ISI (Pakistan’s spy agency inter-service intelligence) there was talking to our guys here so there is no reason for us not to talk to their guys there. This is normal.’’
The ex-Research and Analysis Wing and IB chief maintained there was nothing surprising in this. “…like Pakistanis have contacts in India, we have contacts across as well,’’ he said. “The favour was on off thing. But these contacts are regular. ‘’
He said the IB gets calls seeking such favours. “They need not be all in Pakistan. There are quite a few in the Valley. We have all dealt with terrorists. I myself have dealt with militants and naturally they do ask for favours at times. At times, we do them.’’
Dulat responded saying obviously when asked whether these things were hidden from the Indian public, insisting they have gained by those favours.
He added the government knows fully about these things. “In some cases it (permission from the government) would be taken in advance if it is thought to be important enough. In some cases, it happens and you inform that this has happened. ‘’
Dulat cited another case of ex-militant Firdous Syed, who was made a lawmaker after coming overground in 1996.
“He (Syed) came to Delhi. He met the Union home minister. In fact, he met two consecutive home ministers in Delhi. First Mr (S B) Chavan and when the government changed Indrajit Gupta,’’ he said.
Dulat said Syed wanted accommodation in the political system. “I again went to Dr Farooq and said this is a good boy. He comes from a National Conference family, has National Conference background why do not you make him an MLC. Farooq obliged him.’’
He said lots of “boys” starting coming overground like this. “We can claim credit for encouraging them.’’