How this Indian engineer was saved from Kulbhushan Jadhav-like fate
With an intention to embarrass India on the global stage, Pakistan is desperate to link the former with terrorism. And for the same purpose, Islamabad hatched a plan months ago to get an Indian engineer listed as a terrorist. According to HT, Pakistan wanted to follow the "same route" it did with Kulbhushan Jadhav, but fortunately, Indian officials saved the engineer. Here's what happened.
An engineer from humble background was on Pakistan's radar
The engineer in question is Venumadhav Dongara, who comes from a modest agricultural background. He was an excellent student and completed his M.Tech in power systems. After working in Chennai for some time, Dongara moved to Afghanistan in December 2016 to work with KEC International, a subsidiary of the RPG Group. Pakistan made the plan in March to link him with terrorism.
With China's help, Pakistan pushed for UNSC listing
Reportedly, Pakistan's infamous Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) wanted to hold Dongara responsible for an attack on Peshawar airbase in 2015, in which 29 people died. In its notorious plans, Pakistan was aided by its all-weather ally China. Efforts were being made to get Dongara listed by United Nations Security Council's 1267 Sanctions Committee this month. Thankfully, he was extracted from war-torn Afghanistan on September 7.
Pakistan alleged Dongara was involved in financing and planning
Apparently, Pakistan cited "participation in financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities....in support of supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material to ISIL or al Qaeda" as reasons for getting Dongara listed. Notably, the 1267 Committee designates people as global terrorists. While he is now safely back in India, the Taliban has taken six employees of KEC as hostages.
In fact, Pakistan also filed an FIR against him
Pakistan went as far as making a dossier to highlight Dongara's "terror activities". On March 11, an FIR was filed against him in Peshawar and he was charged for supplying weapons to Tariq Gidar Group, a terror outfit proscribed by the UN. TGG is accused of orchestrating the 2014 Peshawar school massacre in which 132 innocent kids lost their lives.
Like Jadhav, ISI planned to kidnap Dongara
Further, the report said ISI had planned to abduct Dongara from Afghanistan, in a similar way it took away Jadhav from Iran. Jadhav, a former naval officer, is in Pakistan's custody since 2016. Islamabad claims he is a spy who facilitated terrorism. In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) asked Pakistan to review his death sentence and gave India consular access.
Ironically, Pakistan itself has to take action against terrorism
Ironically, Pakistan itself faces strict action from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The country, which houses several UN-designated terrorists like Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed, was asked by the global watchdog to take action against terror-financing. Of the 27 points given to Pakistan, it has so far taken considerable action on only six. It won't be surprising if FATF blacklists Pakistan in October.
