Since October 1, the two students who make up the Pakistan Hackerz Club have defaced over 40 Web sites, according to a hacking mirror site. From the Mildew Removal Specialists site to several government sites within China, the PHC hasn't shown one overarching pattern in their choice of targets. While popular hacking site Attrition.org logs PHC as hacking 61 sites in all since July 4 of this year, their recent proliferation came as Indians went to the polls to elect a new government. In 1989, an insurrection erupted in the Kashmir Valley, a Muslim-majority area that Islamic militants want to break away from India, which is predominantly Hindu. The guerrilla war has killed thousands of civilians, militants, police, army and paramilitary officers.
Security forces have special powers to detain anyone without giving reasons.
Hundreds of civilians have disappeared, some of them killed by guerrillas who suspected them of being police informers. Allegations of torture and human rights abuses are numerous against both sides. Separatist violence involving Kashmiri guerrillas has been on the rise since Indian troops dislodged armed infiltrators from northern Kashmir in July after a two-month operation. Nearly a dozen groups are fighting against Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan, which also claims Kashmir, has fought two wars with India over the region.