The event has been reported in the December issue of the official organ of Markaz-e-Dawat-wal-Irshad, described as the patron of LeT. According to excerpts published here, militants shared their experiences in Kashmir at the meeting which had a special session on the Valley.

Pakistan maintains that it gives moral support to the call for Azadi in Kashmir, but the meeting organised at a Markaz centre in Pakistan indicates, if nothing else, the tacit approval of the Pakistani establishment to armed action. Apart from being briefed about the militant operations in the Valley, the participants witnessed a demonstration of skills deployed in fighting Indian security forces.

According to Majallah Al Dawa, the Markaz monthly published from Lahore, severalmembers of the Pakistani Senate and state assemblies addressed the annual meeting. Former ISI chief Hamid Gul and chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Ghulam Sarwar Cheema also made speeches.

LeT is among the three top militant organisations in the Valley -- along with Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Ansar -- and is particularly active in South Kashmir. Lashkar's Kashmir commander Abu Amar spoke to the gathering over the wireless.

According to the magazine, the LeT conducted `special' militant operations in the Valley in November to coincide with the Markaz meeting. The Markaz reportedly runs four pan-Islamic universities and 50 `model schools' in Pakistan. It has admitted to losing about 30 students in encounters with security forces in Kashmir during the last six years. Altogether, the Lashkar says, it has lost over 450 members and claims to have killed over 7,000 Indian soldiers. The Markaz is reportedly working on a book of interviews of relatives of its members killed in Kashmir and has calledfor donations for fighting the jehad, saying that preparing each member for the Valley costs Rs 50,000.

The Markaz, however, dismisses the `propaganda' about Lashkar being a terrorist organisation. The Lashkar was being dubbed `terrorist,' merely because it tried to save the honour of the Kashmiri women from the enemy, its chairman, Hafiz Mohammed Sayed told the gathering.

He said Kashmir marked only the beginning of the plan of making in-roads into the rest of India, according to the report. He mentioned Himachal Pradesh, where militants have struck.

Interestingly, the Hizbul Mujahideen too has been harping on the theme of taking militancy beyond the confines of the State.