Calls from Pathankot: Digital trail leads to Pakistan

[Abingdonboy]

Pathankot attack: The Facebook profile of Saad Mughal, whose number was among the five dialled by the terrorists.

Five phone numbers called by the terrorists who attacked the Pathankot airbase last week track back to individuals whose Facebook pages identify them as residents of Pakistan. In one case, an individual had posted images of armed Jaish-e-Muhammad operatives; another number was one used in advertisements for its charitable front, al-Rahmat.

The Indian Express used publicly available online resources to verify the phone numbers, locate Facebook accounts they were linked to, and identify their service providers.



Indian investigators recorded only three snippets of conversation, one by a terrorist using the single name ‘Nasir’, who spoke for several minutes with his mother and brother. The other Pakistan numbers were found by investigators as they studied the two carjacking victims’ mobile phone records.

The five numbers were called by the attackers using phones taken from slain taxi driver Ikagar Singh, and jeweller Rajesh Verma, friend of Punjab SP Salwinder Singh.

Earlier this week, Pakistani media reported that investigators in that country had said the numbers were “not registered”, suggesting that they did not exist. All Pakistani mobile phone SIM cards are sold only after biometric data is provided by their users.

The numbers were conveyed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, highly-placed government sources said, to his counterpart Lt General (retd) Nasir Janjua earlier this week.

The first among the five numbers is identified by Truecaller as belonging to an individual called “Saad” — Truecaller harvests data from users’ address books, and uses them to build a database of information that helps reliably identify calls from unknown numbers.

The number, operated by cellphone company Mobilink, was also linked to a Facebook account operated by Saad Mughal, a resident of Sahiwal in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Mughal’s Facebook page identifies him as a one-time student of the Government High School in Arifawala. He describes himself as working at “Islam”.

Incidentally, Mughal’s Facebook profile picture is of the Jaish-e-Muhammad’s chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, an internationally-proscribed terrorist wanted, among other things, for the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight to Kandahar in 1999, and the 2001 attack on Parliament House in New Delhi.

Mughal’s Facebook page also contains several photographs of armed individuals who appear to be jihadists operating in Kashmir, safehouses equipped with weapons, and propaganda posters vowing war on India.

The second number is identified by Truecaller as belonging to an individual using the name “Kashif”, and is operated by Telenor. The same number was used by an individual named Kashif Jan to operate a Facebook page. The page identifies Kashif as a former student of the University of Karachi, and states he was born on January 30, 1982.

Kashif’s Facebook page lists Mughal as one of his contacts and also contains propaganda material for Islamist causes, notably a campaign to free Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer.


Mughal is also connected, though Facebook, to a third individual called by the terrorists. The number, provided by Warid Telecom, is identified by Truecaller as belonging to “Molana”, a possible typographical error for Maulana.

The number links to a Facebook page operated by Usman Sarwar, who claims to be a former student of the Lahore University of Management Sciences and Lawrence College, Murree, and says he works full time at “Dawah (proselytisation) calling to Allah”.

Sarwar, incidentally, is linked to both Kashif and Saad Mughal through several common friends-and also hails lives in Sahiwal.

In one case, there is an explicit connection with the Jaish. Truecaller identifies the user as “Jashe Islam”, a possible misspelling of Jaish-e-Islam, or army of Islam. The number appears in advertisements that have appeared several times in Jaish-related publications, as well as the website banateayesha.com, asking for contributions for the jihadist group’s charitable front, al-Rahmat.

Ever since 2010, al-Rahmat has solicited contributions to an account at the National Bank’s Satellite Town branch in Bahawalpur, held by a Ghulam Murtaza. In advertisements, the trust — sanctioned by the United States, United Arab Emirates and other countries — has said it provides funds for jihad veterans and religious causes.

The fifth number identified in Truecaller records as “The Truth is Out There”. Each of the five numbers now appears to be switched off, or out of service.


Calls from Pathankot: Digital trail leads to Pakistan | The Indian Express

@PARIKRAMA @Spectre @Levina @Vauban @acetophenol @Water Car Engineer @MilSpec @nair @SpArK @AUSTERLITZ @scorpionx @Parul @kbd-raaf @mkb95 @ayesha.a @Bang Galore @danish_vij @IndoUS @janon @Bang Galore @knight11 @Echo_419 @ranjeet @hinduguy @Star Wars @arp2041 @Bombaywalla @Kinetic @gslv @Unknowncommando

 

[Spy Master]

I am not doubting India's investigation but what kind of dumb terrorists are those who can plan such a large operation but failed to think how to remove trail leading to them which is such a "basic" trail? Why would they use the numbers registered to their organization? Why the hell a terrorist would call his mother knowing that the call can be recorded and traced? Can't he say her mother "Goodbye" before leaving for attack or do he has to call her after reaching India? There are a lot of questions that can be raised...Hopefully Pakistan's and India's investigation teams can solve them after a meet up...!

 

[Sulman Badshah]

how you want us to act while you don't want our investigation team inside your country ..

 

[Moonlight]

how you want us to act while you don't want our investigation team inside your country ..

That's exactly what I was thinking of.

 

[Bratva]

Pathankot attack: The Facebook profile of Saad Mughal, whose number was among the five dialled by the terrorists.

Five phone numbers called by the terrorists who attacked the Pathankot airbase last week track back to individuals whose Facebook pages identify them as residents of Pakistan. In one case, an individual had posted images of armed Jaish-e-Muhammad operatives; another number was one used in advertisements for its charitable front, al-Rahmat.

The Indian Express used publicly available online resources to verify the phone numbers, locate Facebook accounts they were linked to, and identify their service providers.



Indian investigators recorded only three snippets of conversation, one by a terrorist using the single name ‘Nasir’, who spoke for several minutes with his mother and brother. The other Pakistan numbers were found by investigators as they studied the two carjacking victims’ mobile phone records.

The five numbers were called by the attackers using phones taken from slain taxi driver Ikagar Singh, and jeweller Rajesh Verma, friend of Punjab SP Salwinder Singh.

Earlier this week, Pakistani media reported that investigators in that country had said the numbers were “not registered”, suggesting that they did not exist. All Pakistani mobile phone SIM cards are sold only after biometric data is provided by their users.

The numbers were conveyed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, highly-placed government sources said, to his counterpart Lt General (retd) Nasir Janjua earlier this week.

The first among the five numbers is identified by Truecaller as belonging to an individual called “Saad” — Truecaller harvests data from users’ address books, and uses them to build a database of information that helps reliably identify calls from unknown numbers.

The number, operated by cellphone company Mobilink, was also linked to a Facebook account operated by Saad Mughal, a resident of Sahiwal in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Mughal’s Facebook page identifies him as a one-time student of the Government High School in Arifawala. He describes himself as working at “Islam”.

Incidentally, Mughal’s Facebook profile picture is of the Jaish-e-Muhammad’s chief, Maulana Masood Azhar, an internationally-proscribed terrorist wanted, among other things, for the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight to Kandahar in 1999, and the 2001 attack on Parliament House in New Delhi.

Mughal’s Facebook page also contains several photographs of armed individuals who appear to be jihadists operating in Kashmir, safehouses equipped with weapons, and propaganda posters vowing war on India.

The second number is identified by Truecaller as belonging to an individual using the name “Kashif”, and is operated by Telenor. The same number was used by an individual named Kashif Jan to operate a Facebook page. The page identifies Kashif as a former student of the University of Karachi, and states he was born on January 30, 1982.

Kashif’s Facebook page lists Mughal as one of his contacts and also contains propaganda material for Islamist causes, notably a campaign to free Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer.


Mughal is also connected, though Facebook, to a third individual called by the terrorists. The number, provided by Warid Telecom, is identified by Truecaller as belonging to “Molana”, a possible typographical error for Maulana.

The number links to a Facebook page operated by Usman Sarwar, who claims to be a former student of the Lahore University of Management Sciences and Lawrence College, Murree, and says he works full time at “Dawah (proselytisation) calling to Allah”.

Sarwar, incidentally, is linked to both Kashif and Saad Mughal through several common friends-and also hails lives in Sahiwal.

In one case, there is an explicit connection with the Jaish. Truecaller identifies the user as “Jashe Islam”, a possible misspelling of Jaish-e-Islam, or army of Islam. The number appears in advertisements that have appeared several times in Jaish-related publications, as well as the website banateayesha.com, asking for contributions for the jihadist group’s charitable front, al-Rahmat.

Ever since 2010, al-Rahmat has solicited contributions to an account at the National Bank’s Satellite Town branch in Bahawalpur, held by a Ghulam Murtaza. In advertisements, the trust — sanctioned by the United States, United Arab Emirates and other countries — has said it provides funds for jihad veterans and religious causes.

The fifth number identified in Truecaller records as “The Truth is Out There”. Each of the five numbers now appears to be switched off, or out of service.


Calls from Pathankot: Digital trail leads to Pakistan | The Indian Express

@PARIKRAMA @Spectre @Levina @Vauban @acetophenol @Water Car Engineer @MilSpec @nair @SpArK @AUSTERLITZ @scorpionx @Parul @kbd-raaf @mkb95 @ayesha.a @Bang Galore @danish_vij @IndoUS @janon @Bang Galore @knight11 @Echo_419 @ranjeet @hinduguy @Star Wars @arp2041 @Bombaywalla @Kinetic @gslv @Unknowncommando

Indian money caught in N.Waziristan. Using Indian ivestigation agencies strawman logic, does it mean Indian are financing afghani terrorists in Pakistan then ?

 

[Glitcher]

Oh wait i can tell the full story they brought with them epicot shoes alog with karachi ki biryani naswar from Peshawar lahori chargha and dont forget the toothpaste pakistani passport picture of quaid e azam, alama iqbal, sir syed ahmed khan desi ayan ali k thumky locally made disprin tablets and what not oh and damn those fools brought q-mobiles and sims also u-fone along with super card ju pura month chaly (and we have another Bollywood blockbuster)

 

[HRK]

Indian money caught in N.Waziristan. Using Indian ivestigation agencies strawman logic, does it mean Indian are financing afghani terrorists in Pakistan then ?

its fake currency which Pakistan smuggle to India .... don't you see its in the hand of 'Pakistan Army officer' what other proof do you people want .... ???

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Your Media told the world on the same day the terrorists attacked Pathankot air base
where they came from
who were they
who did the terrorists called like their mother

beta shaheed hone ja rhay ho khana kha lena

so why publishing it now your Media is quite good at it appoint them close RAW

 

[Glitcher]

Your Media told the world on the same day the terrorists attacked Pathankot air base
where they came from
who were they
who did the terrorists called like their mother

beta shaheed hone ja rhay ho khana kha lena

so why publishing it now your Media is quite good at it appoint them close RAW

Man put Indian media in intelligence agency close down raw may be then they would accurately predict attacks in indian soul in 2550 if india last till then

 

[Spy Master]

Indian money caught in N.Waziristan. Using Indian ivestigation agencies strawman logic, does it mean Indian are financing afghani terrorists in Pakistan then ?

Are you in your mind? @Abingdonboy 's peaceful India can't do this...Not even think about it...Pakistan is a terrorist state...!

 

[Abingdonboy]

Indian money caught in N.Waziristan. Using Indian ivestigation agencies strawman logic, does it mean Indian are financing afghani terrorists in Pakistan then ?

False equivalency. The presence of one of the most common curriences in the world found in India's neighbour is the same as calls of terrorists carrying out attacks in India being traced back to Pakistani handlers?


+ seriously, your assertion is that Indian agencies are paying Pakistani proxies in Indian ruppees (I imagine that's easy to exchange in Pakistan-sarcasm)? How stupid do you take me for? This is proof of nothing but your clutching at straws, come back to me when you have intercepted communications between Indian terrorists inside Pakistan and their Indian handlers back in India.

@PARIKRAMA @Levina @Spectre @MilSpec @nair @Vauban @Parul

 

[nik22]

I think Govt of both countries have handled this incident reasonably well. But trolls in media and ofcourse on this forum are at their usual.

 

[Spy Master]

Lol always calling for back up... and do you think Pakistan's Intelligence agencies or the terrorist of this age are so dumb that they allowed there operatives to call straight back to them from Indian territory? They would dress them in MOST COMMON Pakistani get up? They trained their operative to call his mother once he is indian territory? Stop it..Your point is everything happening in India is because of Pakistan but India has no hand what's happening in Pakistan..India is a sacred cow..Get a life man..!

False equivalency. The presence of one of the most common curriences in the world found in India's neighbour is the same as calls of terrorists carrying our attacks in India being traced back to Pakistani handlers?


+ seriously, your assertion is that Indian agencies are paying Pakistani proxies in Indian ruppees (I imagine that's easy to exchange in Pakistan-sarcasm)? How stupid do you take me for? This is proof of nothing but your clutching at straws, come back to me when you have intercepted communications between Indian terrorists inside Pakistan and their Indian handlers back in India.

@PARIKRAMA @Levina @Spectre @MilSpec @nair @Vauban @Parul

 

[Tiger Genie]

All expected and usual responses from the cyber warriors of Pakistan here....denial denial denial! How many embarrassments is it going to take before these guys going stop this denial bs! Everytime they start with 'false flag'; then they climb down to 'ah, but anyone could have made those calls'...then further down to 'ISI not involved'.....then further down to 'yeah, we did it, give us Kashmir and we will stop terrorism'......real low life at that point gets.

The saner ones on both sides fortunately are silent until proof is out. Here it is. Clearly Pakistan has to do a lot more.

 

[ConcealCarry]

Just like superficially created suspense and drama in a Bollywood movie, this is how RAW scripts their false flag ops.

I am not doubting India's investigation but what kind of dumb terrorists are those who can plan such a large operation but failed to think how to remove trail leading to them which is such a "basic" trail? Why would they use the numbers registered to their organization? Why the hell a terrorist would call his mother knowing that the call can be recorded and traced? Can't he say her mother "Goodbye" before leaving for attack or do he has to call her after reaching India? There are a lot of questions that can be raised...Hopefully Pakistan's and India's investigation teams can solve them after a meet up...!