No Local Involvement In Pahalgam Terror Attack: Omar Abdullah
He said that the two Pahalgam residents arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on charges of harbouring the attackers may have done it under dures
Srinagar:Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that there was no local involvement in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, and that all the perpetrators of the carnage were foreigners.
He said that the two Pahalgam residents arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on charges of harbouring the attackers may have done it under duress. “It is possible that these individuals acted under duress. Although they provided food to the terrorists, it could have been done under coercion. Let the investigation continue, following its conclusion, the chargesheet and other legal proceedings will be presented by the NIA," he said while speaking to reporters at Gulmarg.
The Chief Minister asserted, “The biggest thing is that there was no local involvement. The gunmen who shot the 26 people were all foreigners.” He added, “And maybe the NIA also said that they (two locals) were forced to help them. Now, let the investigation continue. After that, the charges will be presented to the NIA.”
At the weekend, the NIA had in a significant advance in the investigation of the Pahalgam terror attack announced arresting two Kashmiri men Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, a Pahalgam neighbourhood, and Bashir Ahmad Jothar from adjacent Hill Park for “knowingly” providing food, shelter and logistical support to three Pakistani nationals affiliated with proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) at a dhok (a seasonal mud hut used by shepherds) in Hill Park area before the attack.
It claimed that the accused, during their interrogation, disclosed the identities of the attackers, confirmed as Pakistani nationals affiliated to the LeT.
The NIA arrested the accused under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, as part of a case registered by it. The agency said that further investigations are ongoing to unravel the broader conspiracy. On June 23, a NIA special court at Jammu remanded the duo to 5-days of police custody.
The NIA sources had said that the investigations into the terror attack are ongoing to unravel the broader conspiracy behind the attack “that shook the world”, including tracking additional conspirators and collaborators, and to address the continued threat posed by Pakistan-based terror groups.
The sources also highlighted the agency’s commitment to dismantling the terror infrastructure in J&K, noting that the arrests followed extensive investigations, including questioning over 2,000 locals, such as ponywalas and eyewitnesses, and conducting raids at 32 locations across the Kashmir Valley, including Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, and Kupwara districts and Sopore area of Baramulla district.