The Omar Sheikh Logbook

Updated on: 7 February 2024 7:11 pm

April 1993: Leaves Pakistan by road for a short stint in Bosnia along with fundamentalist outfit 'Convoy of Mercy', headed by British national and Afghan war veteran Assad Khan.

Mid-1994: Arrives in India from Pakistan. His main mission: release of the then Harkat-ul-Ansar militant leader Azhar Masood, jailed in India.

October 31, 1994: Arrested at Sahibabad, Ghaziabad under TADA for kidnapping four foreigners, one American and three British backpackers from Delhi. Kept in custody at Meerut jail.

November 1998: TADA court acquits him of any involvement in terrorism but he is prosecuted under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for assault and infringement of Foreigners Act. Transferred to Tihar Jail in New Delhi.

December 31, 1999: Among those released in exchange for passengers of the hijacked IC-814 flight to Kandahar.

January 2000: Establishes Jaish-e-Mohammed with top militant leader Azhar Masood. Visits Afghanistan regularly and even met Osama bin Laden.

Early 2001: Transferred US$ 100,000 to Mohammed Atta, one of those who piloted a hijacked plane into the World Trade Center.

February 2001: Is spotted at an Islamabad bookshop by Indian intelligence agencies.

September 2001: Seen in Karachi a fortnight before the September 11 strikes. Has gone underground ever since. Said to be hiding in Afghanistan.