[Reader-list] Hizbul bets on My Name is Khan

[anupam chakravartty]

http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?677087

Kin and neighbours of Bashir Ahmad Baba alias "Pepsi Bomber", a
suspected Hizbul Mujahideen militant arrested by Gujarat police,
staged a peaceful demonstration today and sought intervention of Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah for his release.

"We request Abdullah to intervene as Bashir is innocent and was
implicated by Gujarat police in a false case," Nazir Ahmad, brother of
Bashir, told reporters here.

He termed the Gujarat police allegations that Bashir was recruiting
youth for training in Pakistan, as baseless and unfounded

"My brother is not affiliated with any militant outfit. The Gujarat
police has not substantiated its claim that he was recruiting youth
for training. Tell us who has been recruited by our brother for
training?" he asked.

Gujarat police on Sunday claimed to have foiled a plan by
Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen to set up base in the state with the
arrest of Baba. Police alleged that Baba was recruiting youths and had
conducted a Reece many sites, including ISRO and Akshardham.

Ahmed, a resident of Rainawari locality of old city, said the family
approached Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and submitted
an application seeking intervention of the state government. "Three
days have passed but we have not been informed about the outcome" he
added.

The protestors, including women, chanted slogans and said they will
continue the peaceful protests till Bashir is released.

EOM

On 3/19/10, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote:
> Source :
> http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hizbul-bets-on-my-name-is-khan/592887/0
>
> No matter if an Asperger’s Syndrome-afflicted Rizwan Khan goes on to
> actually help nab a terror mastermind during his self-vindication
> journey through the reels of My Name is Khan, the movie has found
> endorsement from an unlikely quarter: the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).
>
> At least, this is what the Gujarat Anti Terror Squad (ATS) has
> stumbled on, while interrogating the HM’s alleged terror agent Bashir
> Ahmed Baba, suspected to have been scouting in Gujarat for
> impressionable recruits for terror training in HM facilities in
> Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
>
> The 32-year-old Bashir, known in his home state Kashmir as the Pepsi
> Bomber (for his alleged expertise in turning empty cans of soft drinks
> into explosive devices), had been asked by his HM handler in PoK ,
> Bilal Shera, to use the movie as an indoctrination tool.
>
> ATS sources say Bashir was specifically told to use the movie to
> propagate the idea that Muslim youth across the world were perennially
> facing humiliation and derision, and they need to come together for
> jihad.
>
> Baba was nabbed on March 13 from Anand, while using the alleged cover
> of a medical camp trainer as he went about getting a network together
> to recruit young men for the HM. Sources said the ATS recovered from
> Bashir a ticket for the Shah Rukh Khan movie at the Fun Republic
> Theatre in Ahmedabad and grilled him on it.
>
> Bashir, the sources said, confessed that he had gone to see the movie
> as instructed by his boss in PoK, Bilal Shera. After watching the
> movie, he made a call to Bilal who asked him to describe its content
> and what he thought of it.
>
> According to ATS sources, Bashir told Bilal that it was a “nice movie,
> Shahrukh Khan acted well.” Bilal snubbed him and told him that he was
> sent to watch the movie to realise how it conveyed that Muslims were
> being subjected to atrocities and discrimination all over the world.
> The handler asked Bashir to get as many young Muslims as possible to
> watch the movie and drive home the point.
>
> ATS sources added that following his handler’s instructions, Bashir
> focussed on at least three specific areas in Ahmedabad _ Law Gardern,
> Lal Darwaza and Kankaria _ to take groups of young men to watch the
> movie. Sources also added that Bashir even had got pirated CDs of the
> movie made and handed them to some of them for distribution.
>
> Gujarat ATS chief Ajay Tomar declined to discuss the issue, insisting
> it would hamper the ATS probe into Bashir’s links. “I would not like
> to say anything on this, it will harm our investigation. We will let
> you know about this at an appropriate time,” he added.
>
> Tomar, however, added that the ATS had not found if the movie’s CDs
> were actually distributed.
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