GUWAHATI, Aug 22 - The United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) is still in touch with the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), said Director General of Assam Police, Khagen Sarma.
The DGP said that according to information available with the police and security agencies, the Pakistani agency still has influence over the ULFA(I) and leaders of the outfit are in touch with operatives of the ISI. He said that the militant group is also receiving assistance in different forms from the Pakistani agency.
The ISI is still imparting training to members of the ULFA(I). But instead of being trained in Pakistan, the militants are trained in different countries, said the DGP. However, he refused to divulge the names of the countries where the ISI is training ULFA(I) cadres. He also said that only small groups are taken abroad for training.
Sarma pointed out that because of the influence of the Pakistani agency, ULFA(I) commander in-chief Paresh Baruah, who is very vocal against the Hindi-speaking people, cannot dare to speak out on the issue of infiltration of foreigners into Assam.
It may be mentioned that the ISI had extended direct help to the ULFA in the early 1990s and groups of militants were taken to Pakistan for training.