KATHMANDU – Nepalese authorities have reportedly bolstered Pakistan’s stance that the missing Pak Army officer Lt Col Mohammad Habib has been picked up by Indian agencies.
According to a report by Ummat newspaper quoting BBC sources, the perception that Col Habib had been kidnapped by Indian spy agencies is thought to be true in Nepal as well.
The diplomatic officials in Nepal during off the record conversations firmly place the blame on India and opine ‘Locate Col Habib in India’ suggesting the involvement of RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) behind the abduction of former Pak-Army official.
The belief is bolstered by the fact that Nepal is in close vicinity of India and the biggest border checkpost in Lumbini zone is Sonauli that also acts as a transit point between India and Nepal.
At Sonauli border, there exists Lumbini on Nepal’s side whereas Tehsil Gorakhpur of Indian state Utter Pradesh is located on the other side. Scores of citizens from India and Nepal use this check post for entry into both the countries.
Lumbini airport is at a distance of a few kilometres from the Sonauli border and Col Habib was last seen outside the same airport. It is highly likely that he was kidnapped from Lumbini airport from where he was relocated to India through Sonauli border.
Lumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Nepal and it lures in a large number of tourists every year. Apparently, there no international organisations operating in the area so investigators are in a bid to figure out why Col Habib was asked to reach the site specifically.
Apart from the investigations by the Nepalese authorities, foreign office officials in Pakistan also firmly believe that RAW could be behind the abduction of Col Habib.
Moreover, Saad Habib, Col Habib’s son also suspected that his father had been kidnapped for ulterior motives by enemy’s intelligence agencies. This was most probably a veiled reference to ‘RAW’.
Col Habib went missing on April 6 as he landed at Lumbini airport after being lured by a lucrative job offer.
