Same Pak officer facilitated visa for UP man and Haryana YouTuber? ATS connecting the dots

Shahzad Wahab visited Lahore twice after his visa was cleared by Pakistan High Commission office in New Delhi where Danish was posted since 2023, say officials

LUCKNOW Pakistan high commission officer Ehsan-Ur-Rehman alias Danish, who is said to have facilitated a Pakistani visa for Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Mehrotra, arrested recently over espionage charges from Hisar, may also have arranged a visa for Shahzad Wahab, 35, the alleged ISI agent in UP’s Rampur nabbed from Moradabad on Sunday, said ATS officials.

Shahzad Wahab, a resident of Rampur, was apprehended by the UP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on Sunday night, following inputs about his alleged involvement in cross-border smuggling and espionage activities for the ISI. (Sourced)

Wahab, a resident of Rampur, was apprehended by the UP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on Sunday night, following inputs about his alleged involvement in cross-border smuggling and espionage activities for the ISI. He travelled to Pakistan several times over the years and was allegedly smuggling cosmetics, clothes, spices, and other items across the border.

So far, 14 people had been arrested in multiple north Indian states over the past two weeks — including four in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh — for allegedly sharing sensitive information with Pakistani operatives.

“Shahzad Wahab visited Lahore twice after his visa was cleared by Pakistan High Commission office in New Delhi where Danish remained posted since 2023. His call records confirmed that he was in touch with Danish. However, Wahab will be interrogated further about his proximity with Danish,” stated an ATS official.

He said Danish introduced Wahab to an ISI handler, who later utilized him to arrange different things including money, Indian SIM cards for other agents. The ISI handler also asked Wahab to identify people, who could be turned into agents to spy for the Pakistan secret agency and share vital information related to internal security of India.

The ATS official had earlier confirmed that 20 people, including three women, were recruited by Wahad to spy for ISI and provided them funds on ISI handlers’ instructions. The ATS launched a hunt to trace people introduced by Wahab to ISI handlers.

Another police official said Wahab’s mobile phone details revealed that he was in constant touch with ISI operatives in Pakistan and shared information related to activities in India before and after the Pahalgam attack.