Separatists defend Salahuddin

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 28

In their first reaction, separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik have termed as highly unjustifiable and regrettable the US administration’s branding of Hizbul Mujahideen chief and United Jihad Council supreme commander Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist.

In a joint statement today, the three leaders said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been “peacefully engaged in their struggle for freedom through self-determination”, as promised to them by the UN and supported by the US, UK and world community.

On June 26, just ahead of the Modi-Trump meet, the US Department of State designated Mohammad Yusuf Shah, aka Syed Salahuddin, as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist”, which was considered as a diplomatic win for India.

It was for the first time that a Kashmiri militant had been designated as a “global terrorist”. “That the US has targeted a veteran freedom fighter under Indian state influence is unfortunate and uncalled for,” they said.

While the US claimed to espouse and stand for democratic principles of liberty and justice, they said, how could it turn a blind eye to “brazen violations” in this part of the world? “What kind of double standard and opportunism is the US exhibiting?” they asked.

“Especially when the United States has always acknowledged that the dispute in and on Kashmir has to be resolved for peace and stability of the region and has, in fact, many times offered mediation between India and Pakistan over resolution of this dispute,” they said.

Stating that non-resolution of the Kashmir issue had led to “bleeding” of Kashmiris “each day” and had made Jammu and Kashmir the world’s “highest militarised zone”, the separatist leaders said they hoped that the international community, including the US, would always support their “just struggle” as “enshrined” under UN resolutions.

“The people of Kashmir are peacefully and resiliently resisting this occupation by a mighty military power and demanding their just right despite the fact that all means and methods of resistance are barred to them by force,” the separatist leaders said, defending their “cause”.

Budgam native

• Known for his anti-India stance, Mohammad Yusuf Shah, aka Salahuddin, hails from Budgam district
• Before joining militancy, Salahuddin had contested the Assembly elections from Amirakadal in 1987
• Now based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, he is chief of home-grown militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen
• He is supreme commander of United Jihad Council, an umbrella organisation of several militant outfits
• They added that it was incumbent upon the international community, including the US, to “honour their commitment” made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir “by granting them self-determination and settling the dispute”.