The Hizbul Mujahideen distanced itself from the statement of its commander Zakir Musa against the separatist leadership, signalling a rift in the militant outfit which has been fighting for Jammu and Kashmir's annexation to Pakistan since 1989.
"The outfit has neither got anything to do with the statement of Musa nor the statement is acceptable to it," Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman Saleem Hashmi said in a statement from Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Terming Musa's remarks in an audio slideshow that surfaced in Kashmir's social media as his "personal opinion", Hashmi cautioned that any statement or step which will create confusion "can prove a death knell for our struggle".
Reacting to the statement, Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Musa on Saturday released a fresh video where he disassociated himself from the outfit. "If Hizbul doesn't treat me its member, I too don't represent it," Musa said adding that he stands by his earlier message.
The Jammu and Kashmir government will consider any request for security from separatist leaders if they approach the Mehbooba Mufti dispensation following a threat by Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Musa.
"When somebody will seek security from us we will think over it," Mufti told reporters today on the sidelines of a function when asked about the threat given to separatist leaders by Mussa.
In the 5.40-minute audio, Musa had warned the separatist leaders not to meddle in their aim to establish a caliphate in Jammu and Kashmir along the lines of the rule established by ISIS in parts of Syria and Iraq.
Hashmi said the outfit was pondering over the statement of Musa and will not "hesitate in taking any step or rendering any sacrifice" in the interest of the ongoing struggle.
Director General of Police S P Vaid had told PTI that the police had carried out a voice analysis and found that it was Musa's voice.
The clip is seen as worrying twist in Kashmir's militancy which has largely been about independence and annexation to Pakistan without ever emphasising Islam or connecting it to jihad.
Hizbul Mujahideen is almost as old as the Kashmiri militancy which started in 1989. The group is made up almost entirely of local youths, and had always campaigned for joining Pakistan.
The clip surfaced after Hurriyat leaders recently sought to downplay the growing influence of ISIS ideology in the Valley.
Earlier this week, Hurriyat leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yaseen Malik issued a joint statement in which they claimed that the Kashmir struggle has nothing to do with ISIS, Al-Qaida and other such organisation.
Hashmi said the "entire leadership" demonstrated unity on all fronts after the killing of Hizb's Burhan Wani in July last year and are striving to carry forward the ongiong "struggle for freedom and Islam".
"In such a situation, any statement or step which will create confusion can prove a death knell for our struggle and," Hashmi said and asked the youths to discourage "negative thinking and confused statements" in the media.
Earlier, Musa, the successor of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani threatened to behead separatist leaders and Ulema (Islamic scholars) who create hurdles in the terror outfit's path of enforcing Sharia in Kashmir.
Musa released a 5:40 minute audio clip lashing out at Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) for calling the Kashmir struggle "political and not Islamic".
"They are political leaders. Please do not refer to them as Islamic leaders. Do not create hurdles in our path of enforcing Sharia Law. We will otherwise slit their throats and hang them at Lal Chowk. I warn you again, if you come in our way. We will hang you first then others," said Musa.
Hailing from Noorpora in Tral, Musa dropped out of a civil engineering course at a Chandigarh college and joined Hizbul in 2013. Growing up in an affluent family, Musa's father is also an engineer by profession.
"We are fighting for the implementation of Sharia and supremacy of Islam. We will not rest until we enforce Sharia in Kashmir. If you come in our way, we will not spare you," he warned.
Musa also purportedly spoke about establishing an Islamic caliphate in Kashmir. The clip also warns separatist leaders of Kashmir not to meddle in the move to set up a caliphate in Jammu and Kashmir along the lines of the rule established by the ISIS in parts of Syria and Iraq.
With inputs from PTI
