Shahid Afridi's terrorist Links

From an news paper clipping
Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi's first cousin Shaquib was killed in an encounter with the BSF on Sunday, September 7. The BSF described Shaquib as a battalion commander of the Harkat-ul-Ansar, the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba's previous avatar. The encounter took place in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district.

"Documents recovered from Shaquib and independent intelligence confirm that he is the cricketer's first cousin," Vijay Raman, BSF chief in Kashmir, told HT.

According to Raman, Shaquib is originally from Peshawar but had been operating in the Anantnag area for the last year and a half. Part of his brief was to help terrorists who had infiltrated into India get familiar with the local terrain.

At 2.40 p.m. on Sunday, the BSF received information that Shaquib and another militant were on their way from Nihama to Niru on a motorcycle. By 3 p.m. the BSF's 151 Battalion had closed in on them, but the rider of the motorcycle dumped the bike and disappeared into the jungles. Shaquib, who was riding pillion, was thrown off and started firing. BSF men returned fire and killed him.

BSF Director General Ajai Raj Sharma told HT that locals had long been in the know about Shaquib's cricket connection — the militant had actually advertised the fact. "Shahid Afridi is a hero in Pakistan, and Shaquib used his relation with him to attract local boys to sign up as militants," said Sharma.

Shaquib wasn't in the same league as terrorists like Ghazi Baba, but was nevertheless a popular figure in the area, said Sharma. He was also all set to marry a local girl.

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, Shahid Afridi told HT he wasn't aware of anyone in his family being killed in Kashmir. However, he did not rule out the possibility either. "Pathan families are very large and I have literally lost track of the many cousins I have," said Afridi.

With inputs from Mubashir Zaidi in Islamabad