February 7, 2003	Friday	Zul Hijjah 5,1423

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NEW DELHI, Feb 6: In a move that triggered disbelief among senior Indian officials, Delhi police said on Thursday they had arrested two Kashmiris under the tough anti-terrorist laws after they were caught with money they claimed was given to them by the acting head of the Pakistani High Commission in India.

Pakistan’s Acting High Commissioner Jaleel Abbas Jilani, accused of giving money for alleged terrorist activities in Kashmir, denied the charge and said the entire incident appeared to be part of a deliberate ploy to vitiate the atmosphere further between India and Pakistan.

A former Indian foreign secretary expressed surprise at the Delhi police’s claim, saying: “It is absolutely incredible that any head of mission would be personally involved in handling this kind of thing, particularly now, when our relations are so tense.”

He said: “The entire story appears to be cooked-up to please the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) because it suits their agenda.” Jilani said he was shocked by the news in which he was named in the charges against the Kashmiris.

“This is stooping really low to carry out a domestic agenda of the ruling party of the day,” he said.

Informed sources told Dawn New Delhi’s next move would almost certainly to have Mr Jilani removed from his post in India.

According to a news channel the two arrested included the Delhi-based spokesman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Shabbir Dar and a woman Zamrooda Habib, said to be a leader of Muslim Khawateen Markaz.