LeT admits killing separatist leader Moulana Showkat Ahmad Shah

For the first time in 20 years of turmoil, dreaded Lashkar-e-Taiba has admitted militants have killed moderate separatist leader and Jamait Ahle Hadees chief Moulana Showkat Ahmad Shah in an IED blast outside his mosque at Maisuma Bazaar in Chennai on April 8.

LeT seemingly endorsed the J&K police investigation into the case noting two Tahreek-ul-Mujhadeen (TM) militants, Javid Ahmad Munshi alias Bill Papa and Nisar Ahmad alias Ishaq, arrested, were the ones who have killed the slain cleric.

However Lashkar has remained tightlipped on other arrested men including Abdul Gani Dar alias Abdullah Gazali a former militant and a leader of Sout-ul-Haq, a religious-political outfit and Abdul Majid Dar, an Imam of Batamaloo mosque.

This followed the All Parties Investigation team formed by Jamait Ahle Hadees to independently enquire into the assassination case of the Moulana. The team comprised chairmen of both hardline and moderate factions of Hurriyat, JKLF chairman Yasin Malik and other separatist and religious leaders.

Jamait Ahle Hadees on Thrusday held a meeting and discussed the reports received from Lashkar and TM which were also involved in the investigation process to unravel the conspiracy.  It was decided to release the Lashkar report to media to clear the air.

"When Moulana was killed we (Lashkar) initially thought it was the handiwork of the Indian agencies to weaken our movement. It was not in the wildest of dreams that men in our ranks would be responsible for the assassination of Moulana", said Ghulam Rasool Malik, president of Jamait Ahle Hadees quoting the Lashkar report.

Police said members of radical Sout ul Haq, breakaway faction of Jamait, were believed to be behind the conspiracy because some of its members are also the members of Jamait Ahle Hadees and wanted to dislodge Moulana. In fact the first conspiracy to eliminate him was hatched in 2010.

Police said Javid Ahmad Munshi alias Bill Papa, the recycled militant of TM, prepared the IED using the galantine sticks and other material. Nissar Ahmad Khan alias Ishaq, a local trained militant of TM detonated the IED by a remote control on April 8 outside the mosque.

Lashkar operational commander in his report submitted to Jamait Ahle Hadees however absolved top field commander in Kashmir Abdullah Uni from the crime. But the police stated that Uni was one of the conspirators in the killing.

"Javid Munshi and Nissar were introduced to me by Abu Umair living in Muzaffarabad (capital of PoK), who is the right hand man of TM Jameel ul Rehman in Pakistan. Munshi was very important man for Umair and he wanted him to be in Pakistan because he had developed differences with Jameel. In 2010 a consignment of grenades and detonators were handed over to him. He took Rs one lakh from us (Lashkar commanders) for making the explosive but later said it was seized by the forces", Lashkar Operation Commander said in his report.

He said Munshi was a double agent since he was also involved in tipping off army about the movement and hideouts of the militants. "In one case out two of our militants got killed. In another instance he got our upper ground workers arrested. He was arrested twice but miraculously was released. This clearly shows Munshi was a double agent", he said.

Lashkar noted one of the released militants of the outfit was told by Munshi that they killed Moulana and JKLF chiarman Yasin Malik is next in the hit list.