Sorry, Naved is not Ajmal Kasab: Udhampur terrorist shows Pak jihadi factories' desperation

Pakistan should start worrying about the quality of terrorists it is sending to India.

A boy-turning-man who bleats ‘mujhe mat pakdo’ when caught by villagers; smiles sheepishly when questioned about his motives; gives replies incoherently when grilled about his target and immediately reveals his name, address and nationality…is this all the terror training industry in Muzzafarabad could conjure in its ugly fight against India?

The abject decline in standards is visible. Mohammad Naved alias Qasim Khan alias Usman Khan is not even an Ajmal Amir Kasab, himself a semi-unhinged petty criminal who was brainwashed by the trainers for attacking India.

Kasab could at least shoot, run and lie. He had the brains to offer a counter bargain to India–“give me money and food and I will do for you what I did for them”–and the cunning to keep interrogators guessing with prevarications and fabrications.

The one caught in Udhampur appears to be an infantile version of Kasab, somebody who was pushed across the border with an AK-47 in hand and told, ‘Jao, Miyan, go and have fun by killing some Hindus.’ In his eagerness to hunt Hindus in the jungles, the poor boy it is apparent, didn’t even bother to learn how to pull the trigger.

The jihadi factories in Pakistan must be really desperate.

On paper, the trainers in Pakistan are supposed to produce ruthless killing machines. They generally catch them young —  a video sourced by a UK newspaper showed five-year-olds shooting — and train them for decades.

The boys are indoctrinated with hate-filled speeches, videos of purported crimes and injustice by kaafir, alleged Indian atrocities in Kashmir; they are made to learn Islamic texts by rote, imbibe their “message” of jihad and the pursuit of martyrdom for the greater cause. Simultaneously, they are trained to handle guns, make bombs and kill without fear or favour. Those who excel are chosen for advanced specialised training, referred to as daura khaas, by retired officials of the army. Finally, even after this rigorous training, only those who are mentally and physically fit are selected for a mission.

And the outcome is somebody like Usman alias Qasim of Faisalabad.

It is obvious the recruiters are scraping the bottom of the socio-economic-intellectual barrel. When Kasab was caught, it was revealed that he came from a poor family; there was speculation that he had been sold to LeT by his (butcher) father, others said he joined them for money and food. When he was sent for the Mumbai Mission, it is rumoured, his family was promised a princely sum of Rs 1,50,000.

Based on Kasab’s history, let us try and trace Usman/Qasim’s journey into a terror camp. Since most of the recruits are orphans of former terrorists, it is likely he is one of them. If not, he may have been either sold or dumped by poor parents, especially after realising his apparent lack of intelligence that could have ultimately turned him into a social misfit, even a pariah.

Jihadi recruiters feast on such unfortunate products of socio-economic disparity and psychological inadequacy. The recruiters love to take advantage of their desire to show the world that they are not outcastes, and, given an opportunity, capable of great achievements.

When interrogated in custody, Kasab gave a clear insight into his mind. “Come, kill and die after slaying others. This will ensure fame and make Allah proud,” he said in his video-recorded confession. But he showed very little knowledge of familiarity with Islamic texts or the meaning of Jihad.

Usman/Qasim seems to share similar notions of greatness. “It is fun to kill Hindus…Yeh to Allah ka kaam hai (when asked if he gets paid for it).” His plaintive cries for freedom after being caught by Udhampur villagers proves he was fooled into believing that he could just eat, shoot and leave.

It is difficult not to feel sorry for the youth of Pakistan. Inside the mainland, terrorists like Tahreek-e-Taliban are killing their brightest and the best (remember Peshawar?). On the fringes, jihadi recruiters are sending the poor and the underprivileged to their death across the border.

On second thoughts, the youth should start worrying about their future in Pakistan. And the morals of the men who shape their destiny.