Another RAW agent held in Karachi

Police have arrested another agent of the Indian intelligence agency RAW who confessed that he had been working on plans to sabotage general election in the city.

Speaking at a news conference here on Wednesday, the Inspector-General of the Sindh Police, Syed Kamal Shah, said Saalim, alias Saloo, was arrested in Nishtar Park on Tuesday afternoon.

He said acting on a tip-off, a police (investigation) party of Jamshed Quarters arrested the agent and recovered maps and a camera from his possession. He was taking photographs of Nishtar Park at the time of his arrest.

Earlier, police arrested Bajal Ramji at the Expo Centre while he was taking photographs of the Expo Centre and surrounding buildings.

Saalim was produced before newsmen where he confessed that he was trapped by the Indian intelligence agency which lured him into working for it.

Giving details of confessions the RAW agent made during investigations, the IG said Saalim admitted that he provided RAW photographs of Hyderabad Cantonment area, Chhor railway station, defence-related sensitive areas, schools, water supply lines of army and railway lines in the interior of Sindh.

Saalim, born in 1973, is a resident of tehsil Chachar in the Mithi district.

He belonged to a poor family and his family owned small agricultural lands near the border, the IG said.

He met an Indian agent, Saboo, son of Tajoo Ram, in 1993 in Barmer District, Rajasthan, India. He used to meet Saboo in the past also through his uncle. Saboo promised him a handsome amount if he worked as a RAW agent.

In 1995, Saalim bought a camera in Umerkot and took photographs of canals and railway stations in the area and went to India, with three other young men, for a meeting with RAW agents.

Saalim also confessed that six other Indian agents used to meet him for information gathering on a regular basis.

Mr Shah said Saalim also confessed that he crossed the international border illegally about 17 times.

Saalim held meetings with following officers and agents of RAW in Barmer District: Captain Sharma, Captain Nigam, Subedar Sardar Singh, Subedar Joshi, Subedar Partap Singh, Saboo, Deno Megwar, Siddique alias Saloo, Tanoo Megwar, Bhelna Chohan, Soomaria Chohan and Rawita Megwar, the IG said.

Mr Shah said the Indian intelligence agency had planned to create a law and order situation in the run-up to the elections, but arrests of their agents foiled its plans.