ABSTRACT
This point should bring us to mercenarism blended with terrorism in Kashmir. Indisputably, some neighbouring countries or individuals and formations in them make wide use of professional soldiers, castaways, traitors and expellees, quite a few of whom have criminal offences in their past, and even cases still pending on the books. These organizations, amalgamated with the ruling circles of a number of states, send their nationals and foreigners to this green valley, dotted with beautiful lakes and criss-crossed with streams, to engage in activities declared by considered international opinion to be illegitimate. The Afghan conflict produced a vast number of trained and battle-hardened war veterans "available for a sum of Pakistani Rs. 200,000 for one year" in Kashmir, their amount increasing to "Rs. 500,000 if they sign up for two years".2
