Lashkar146;s Id gift: Ceasefire

The Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba today declared a four-day unilateral ceasefire in Jammu Kashmir from Friday to mark the Id festival. Th...

The Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba today declared a four-day unilateral ceasefire in Jammu 038; Kashmir from Friday to mark the Id festival. This is the first time the terrorist organisation has ever called for a ceasefire since it launched operations in the state.

However, the Lashkar warned that though all offensives had been temporarily put on the shelf, 8216;8216;we will retaliate if we come under any attack from security forces8217;8217;.

Lashkar spokesman Abu Huzaifa today called up a local news agency to say that 8216;8216;the unilateral ceasefire will start a day before Id December 5 and will continue until two days after the festival December 88217;8217;. The decision had been conveyed to the organisation8217;s field commander, Shehzada Abdullah, he added. 8216;8216;Lashkar will not strike on security forces or any other agencies. There will be no attack carried out at the individual level or collectively. We will not also target even those people who8217;re on our hit list. We will not touch any surrendered militant or activists of pro-India political parties,8217;8217; Huzaifa said.

Security agencies were guarded in their reaction, considering that the group8217;s most recent fidayeen attack took place only this morning, when a BSF party was ambushed at around 1.10 p.m. at Choru near Sopore. Two senior officers were critically injured, including a batallion commander.

8216;8216;This is good news, we8217;d like them to declare a permanent ceasefire,8217;8217; Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, K Rajendra, told The Indian Express. 8216;8216;But let us see whether it translates on the ground. We will keep our guard intact8217;8217;.

Though the ceasefire period is too brief to make a significant difference to the security situation, the fact that a jehadi group like the Lashkar has even dropped the C-word is significant.

Especially since it was the Lashkar that opposed every peace effort in the past, even virulently opposing the Hizbul Mujahideen8217;s unilateral ceasefire in August 2000. The Lashkar killed at least 100 people within 24 hours after the Hizbul ceasefire, effectively derailing it.

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8216;8216;Ceasefire is one word that never existed in the Lashkar8217;s lexicon until today. It is true that a four-day break from violence will mean nothing for security forces but I see today8217;s statement as a good beginning,8217;8217; the editor of an Urdu newspaper here commented. 8216;8216;Now, a ceasefire is no longer taboo for the Lashkar.8217;8217;

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More