Hizbul gives notice of major bombings

ISLAMABAD, AUGUST 11: The Hizbul Mujahideen has warned that it will be undertaking massive bombings in India, more powerful than the car b...

ISLAMABAD, AUGUST 11: The Hizbul Mujahideen has warned that it will be undertaking massive bombings in India, more powerful than the car bomb explosion in the heart of Srinagar last afternoon, which left 11 people, including eight policemen and a photo-journalist, dead.

In an interview with the Pakistani daily, Jang, the supreme commander of Hizbul, Syed Salahuddin, has said: “India will have to pay heavily for its refusal to have tripartite talks on Kashmir,” adding that “the Hizbul during the next few days will undertake bombings on a scale that has never been witnessed during the past 10 years of the liberation struggle.”

He said the Hizb had made it very clear to the international community that in future talks, if any, would be held on a tripartite basis and reiterated that there would be no talks without Pakistan.

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He rejected India’s charge that the mujahideen’s struggle was manned by the ISI. He also denied that the mujahideen had unilaterally announced the cease-fire because they were tired and wanted some rest. He claimed that besides the U.S, representatives of several other countries had appealed to the mujahideen for a cease-fire so that talks could be initiated with India.

“But because of the intransigence of the Indians, our friends were disappointed…”

Hizbul spokesman Salim Hashmi has, however, expressed sorrow over the death of a Press photographer and injuries to several journalists in yesterday’s bombing. “We are deeply grieved over the death of a Press photographer and injuries to some journalists,” he said.

The United States and Britain have strongly denounced the attack, which killed 12 people, mostly policemen. Pakistan has condemned it as a “criminal act” and called for an impartial inquiry.

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“The major powers remain silent spectators to the unrelenting Indian atrocities against Kashmiris but they come out with denunciations when the mujahideen retaliate against this repression,” Hashmi said.