Will continue fight against India, says Zakir Musa

Srinagar: Militant commander Zakir Musa, who is in the midst of a political controversy after he threatened to chop off the heads of separatist leaders for calling the Kashmir “struggle” a political movement, on Monday, apparently to dispel doubts over his “integrity”, said he would continue to fight against the Indian forces.

He said that India “won’t be allowed to take undue advantage” of the differences that have surfaced over the nature of the separatists’ campaign.

“All mujahideen believe in Sharia and shahadah (martyrdom). We will continue to pursue them,” he said in a short audio uploaded on social media.

He also took a dig at two outfits — Harkat-ul-Muja-hideen and hitherto unknown “Kashmiri Taliban” — which had in separate statements declared their support to him. “I haven’t heard about outfits like Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Kashmiri Taliban. If they exist in Pakistan, I want to tell them that I don’t need support from outfits working under un-Islamic regimes. Allah is sufficient for me.”

“If they are intelligence agencies, I want to tell them that you won’t be ab-le to befool us,” he added.

He also thanked Al Qaeda for its “pledge” of “Sharia and Shahadat” during the Afghanistan war.

An alliance of key separatists leaders had last week said that the ongoing “freedom movement” in Kashmir had nothing to do with ISIS and Al Qaeda-like organisations.

They also said that there is no role for these groups in “our movement”, which was “indigenous” and aimed at seeking freedom for 15 million people of the state and that the same is not driven by religion.

While responding to it, Musa, who was named as the successor of his close associate and Hizb-ul-Mujahedin’s Internet-savvy commander Burhan Wani after he was killed by security forces in July last year, had in an audio which went viral on social media threatened to behead the separatist leaders and hang them at Lal Chowk, Srinagar’s historic central square, if they do not stop calling what he believes is a movement for establishing Sharia in Kashmir as a political movement. He also asked them not to interfere in militants’ affairs and remain within their “dirty” politics.

The Hizb was quick to react to Musa’s open threat to the separatist leaders and, in a statement issued through its Muzaffarabad-based spokesman Saleem Hashmi, disassociated itself from it. It, in fact, chose to throw its lot behind the separatist leaders saying that they and the people of Kashmir are taking the “movement” forward through their “united efforts” and that in these circumstances any provocative statement or step could prove deadly for the movement.

Musa reacted sharply to it and announced that he is not associated with the Hizb anymore. He said he stood by his earlier message also circulated through an audio clip and that if militants were fighting for freedom to make Jammu and Kashmir a secular state, then he thinks they were not dying as martyrs. “I know we have to first fight for freedom and drive out Indian Army which has occupied us. But our intention should be that we have to achieve ‘aazadi’ for Islam, not for secular state. If we are fighting for freedom for secular state then my blood won’t be spilled for that purpose”. He further said, “So, if Hizb-ul-Mujahideen doesn’t represent me then I also don’t represent them.”

In the backdrop of this controversy, the alliance leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik issued a guarded statement urging various political and militant organizations to follow the “freedom struggle” with “vision and wisdom.” They said that it was time to work unanimously to ensure freedom from “forcible control.” They appealed for unity among “pro-freedom” leaders and youth and said “It is time to remain united and follow the cherished goal with spirit of persistence and unity among all concerned factions.” They further said, “Freedom movement is in its crucial stage and we need to be careful as our enemy can derive an advantage from the prevailing crises.”

The separatist leaders alleged that New Delhi was hatching conspiracies to sabotage “our freedom movement” and said “We won’t allow anybody to create rifts among resistance camp or divide the leadership and nation.” They also claimed that they had succeeded in removing the “so-called terminology of hardliners and moderate”, thus “united the nation on one point program of freedom from forced control.” Many people took to the social networking sites –some supported Musa and others questioned his wisdom. Few  even doubted his integrity.