NIA chargesheets two PoK residents associated with LeT for smuggling arms into J-K

The NIA has chargesheeted two Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) residents associated with the banned Lashker-e-Taiba who were caught by the Army for allegedly smuggling arms and ammunition into Jammu and Kashmir from the higher reaches of Gulmarg, an official spokesman said on Tuesday.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed the chargesheet at the designated court here on February 15 against Khalil Ahmad Kayani and Mohammed Nazeem under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act, besides invoking clauses of the Jammu and Kashmir Egress and Internal Movement (Control) Ordinance, the official said.

The duo, hailing from the Khurshidabad area of Haveli Farwad Kahuta in PoK, were arrested near the Nilkanth Nala, approximately 700 metres from the LoC on the Indian side in Gulmarg sector of north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

The Army claimed that they had recovered arms, ammunition, grenades, IED materials, including explosives and detonators, Pakistan-made medicines and eatables from the forest area near the LoC at their instance on August 20 last year.

The NIA chargesheet claimed that Kayani and Nazeem were in contact with their handler in the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Pakistani army in PoK, the spokesperson said.

Both were engaged in the task of concealing the arms, ammunition and explosives across the LoC in the forest area of the Indian Territory for use by Pakistani terrorists to carry out attacks in India, the NIA alleged.