Hizb Commander Threatens Hurriyat For Calling Kashmir Issue Political, Says Islamic Caliphate Final Goal

In a video statement circulating on social media, the militant commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Zakir Musa, has warned Kashmir’s separatist leadership, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yaseen Malik, against calling the ongoing struggle in Kashmir a political problem.

Threatening to chop off their heads and display them at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, the militant commander said the final goal of the Pakistan-backed armed struggle is to enforce the rule of Sharia and establish an Islamic caliphate in the state.

“Some days back the joint resistance leaders issued a statement saying Kashmir struggle is political and it has nothing to do with religion,” the militant commander says in the clip, adding “we just want to ask these political hypocrites (sic) if Kashmir is a political issue, why are you raising slogans like ‘Azadi ka matlab kya, la Ilaha Illallah’, ‘Pakistan say rishta kya, la Ilaha Illallah’.

This clip went viral in the valley following Hurriyat’s attempt to downplay fears of the growing radicalisation in Kashmir. Earlier this week, Hurriyat leaders had issued a joint statement saying the struggle in Kashmir had nothing to do with groups such as Islamic State, Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

“This movement is purely local and indigenous. It has no international agenda. Al Qaeda, Daesh or Taliban have no involvement in Kashmir,” the statement read.

Although there is no confirmation about the source or authenticity of the video, senior police officials in Kashmir believe it was Musa’s voice.