‘ISI agent’ arrested in Pathankot

An alleged undercover Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent, who had taken up job as a labourer at the Army cantonment in Pathankot, was arrested by the Punjab Police based on information provided by Intelligence agencies.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Pathankot was stormed by militants, reportedly belonging to Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), on the intervening night of January 1 and 2. It resulted in the death of seven security personnel.

The accused arrested on Tuesday was identified as Irshad Ahmad, an Indian who had taken up a job on the directions of ISI, an Intelligence officer claimed.

The officials recovered several photos of sensitive installations from his smartphone.

According to the officials, the Mamoon Army Cantontment at Pathankot is one of the most important and biggest military bases of the Indian Army.

“Most often, the ISI tends to look for a new target after attacking one, because the level of guard is raised in the place that has been attacked, but this arrest has surprised us,” said an Intelligence official.

Irshad was tasked to collect photographs of all sensitive installations and equipment inside the cantonment and was sending them to his Indian handler, Sajjad, in Jammu, said the official.

Sajjad was recently arrested in Jammu in a pending Arms Act case.

“He will now be questioned on the basis of revelations by Irshad that he was his handler and used to pass on the photographs to his Pakistan handlers through email and secure chat messaging services.”