Celebrate my death, Pathankot attacker had told mom

NEW DELHI: In what reflects the motivation level among Jaish-e-Mohammad cadres, one of the fidayeen attackers in Pathankot IAF base terror attack in January, Nasir Hussain, who was personally mentored by Maulana Masood Azhar, wanted a “feast” for his friends after his death. This is mentioned by NIA in its chargesheet filed on Monday.
It was Hussain’s calls to his handlers, including Kashif Jan, his mother and a neighbour in his town in Pakistan’s Punjab traced by Indian intelligence agencies which allowed security forces to react quickly.Hussain and other fidayeens had used superintendent of Punjab police Salwinder Singh’s jeweller friend Rajesh Verma’s phone and the phone of Innova driver Ikagar Singh to make these calls.
Hussain, a resident of Mohalla Chak in Vehari, about 100 kms from Multan, made these calls when they were hiding inside the base.
The NIA chargesheet says that Hussain during his 18-minute conversation with a woman, whom he addressed as his mother, asked her to record his conversation on her mobile set.
As his last wish, he asked her “to host a ‘dawat‘ (feast) for my ‘derawala’ friends after my death”, the anti-terror probe agency said, citing intercepts.
Hussain also took the names of some of his family members and relatives — Mudassir, Mariyam and Altamash. He told his mother that he along with three others was hiding in Indian Air Force camp (referring to Pathankot base) and he had infiltrated around 2 am on December 30, 2015. “He also spoke to his brother or cousin who was referred to by the name Babar, and to another person name (d) Munna”, the chargesheet reads.
“During the conversation with his mother, Hussain mentioned about one “ustad” (teacher) who was supposed to come to her with his “Wasihat” (last wish) after his death”, said the chargesheet that named Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar and three others as the masterminds of the terror attack.
The telephone call was made while the terrorists were hiding inside the air base as he told his mother that they were about to attack the camp.
The calls were made about 9.20 am on January 1, 2016, to a Pakistan telephone number belonging to Khayam Bhatti, also known as Babar Bhatti, a local merchandise shop in Sialkot of Pakistan.
“Hussain also disclosed the names of his other three associates as Hafiz Abu Bakar, Umar Farooq and Abdul Qayoom,” the NIA said.