Firstpost ·
Crime, law and justice
India designates Pakistan’s Shahzad Bhatti Network as terrorist organisation
The Centre has designated the Shahzad Bhatti Network as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The Centre on Wednesday designated the Shahzad Bhatti Network as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said in a Gazette notification that the government believes that the group has been engaged in several acts of terror in the country.
Following the designation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the group has been involved in the cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives, and narcotics; inciting youths and petty criminals into terrorism; targeting communal harmony; and publishing hateful digital content.
Bhatti is an ISI-backed Pakistani gangster believed to be based in Brazil. Ahead of the Independence Day, Indian security agencies had mounted a trans-state crackdown against the Shahzad Bhatti Network last month and arrested more than 200 persons in relation to over 80 FIRs in 14 states.
The authorities said at the time that explosives and munitions bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings, such as pistols and live cartridges, were recovered in the crackdown. They also found CCTV cameras used for espionage.
While Bhatti is believed to be based in Brazil, as per The Print, the network is centred in Pakistan.
The security agencies have linked it to grenade attacks, IED attacks, and petrol bombs, and targeted killings across India. They also believe that the Shahzad Bhatti Network has also been paying local conduits for reconnaissance of sites associated with police, military, and religion.
From street crimes to running 'army of gullible youths'
Bhatti has been described as an operative of the all-powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. But that was not always the case.
Bhatti began as a petty criminal and continues to be implicated in a number of a cases. He fled Pakistan after being named in various cases but was recruited at some point by the ISI to do its own bidding. But, as he formally remains a fugitive, he cannot return to Pakistan and operates from abroad.
According to The Print, Bhatti hails from the Christian Quarter in Bahawal Nagar of Pakistan's Punjab province, and he began his journey with the gang of Farrukh Khokhar in Rawalpindi with street crimes. He fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the police cracked down on crime in Punjab.
At some point, the ISI recruited Bhatti and turned into an asset against India.
The Print reported a source as saying that what sets Bhatti apart from other handlers is that, instead of indoctrinating or radicalising a handful of recruits for large-scale operations, he has built a network of hundreds of gullible youths through his online presence and the lure of visas to foreign countries along with a few thousand rupees to carry out acts of terror.
"The story of Bhatti is a classic case of contradiction that flows in the Pakistani security system. Bhatti faced several cases, and he is still wanted by the police there, and hence he can't return to Pakistan. However, he has transformed himself into an asset for the ISI to keep a low-cost, small-scale war going against India, at least in border states," a second source told The Print.