New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is attempting to advance a softer version of the Khalistan agenda in Punjab by instructing sympathisers to infiltrate mainstream political parties ahead of the upcoming elections, intelligence officials have warned.

The shift in strategy follows repeated failures by the Pakistani spy agency to revive the separatist movement in Punjab. The strategy being considered mirrors the approach the ISI has allegedly adopted in Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials said that in Jammu and Kashmir, the ISI had instructed members of its overground worker (OGW) network to infiltrate mainstream political parties. The objective, they said, was to gain entry into parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Union Territory and promote a separatist narrative from within.

Ahead of the elections in Punjab, the Pakistani spy agency has been scouting for people in the state to either join mainstream political parties or fight the elections independently.

“The ISI, however, is looking for persons who believe in the Khalistan movement so that they could carry forth the agenda once they enter into mainstream politics,” officials said.

An Intelligence Bureau official said the strategy is intended to influence political discourse in favour of the Khalistan narrative.

The Indian security agencies have been relentless in their efforts to crack down on the Khalistan movement, the official said, adding multiple attempts have been made to revive the movement in Punjab.

There have been sporadic instances in which these elements managed to carry out low-intensity attacks. However, officials said their activities in Punjab have lacked consistency, limiting the impact of their efforts and forcing the ISI to reassess its strategy. As a result, the agency is now attempting a new approach by encouraging more Khalistan sympathisers to become part of mainstream politics and influence the narrative from within.

Officials said that if the ISI succeeds in its plans, it would encourage these recruits to promote the Khalistan ideology from within the political system. They said such a strategy could help lend political legitimacy to the movement and expand its influence through mainstream democratic platforms.

Another official said that, like in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, the Khalistan groups are under tremendous pressure. What has added salt to their wounds is that countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and more importantly, Canada have started to crack down on the Khalistan movement. These Khalistan groups derived much support in recent years thanks to political backing. They also relied heavily on the gangster network which would carry out hit jobs and smuggle narcotics to fund the movement.

With increased crackdowns in India and overseas, supporters of the Khalistan movement have come under sustained pressure, prompting them to explore alternative methods of advancing their agenda, officials said. Intelligence agencies have cautioned political parties in Punjab to exercise greater scrutiny while inducting new members, warning that some individuals could seek to enter mainstream politics with long-term objectives.

According to officials, such recruits may initially avoid any public association with the Khalistan movement but could begin promoting its ideology after elections in an attempt to influence political discourse from within.

Officials say that the ISI-backed Khalistan sympathisers would look to enter political parties at multiple levels. They could be at top positions or even at the grassroots level, officials say.

Another official said that infiltration at any level of a political organisation could have serious consequences. According to the official, even if such elements gain entry only at the grassroots level, their presence in significant numbers could pose a substantial security concern and provide a platform to gradually advance their agenda.

“They would use the political patronage and the banner of the party to propagate in favour of the Khalistan movement. When such propaganda comes with the backing of a political banner, the people tend to feel that the movement is a legitimate one and this is where the major danger lies,” the officials said.

–IANS

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