Pan-Islamic groups welcome ceasefire with blasts

SRINAGAR, JULY 30: In a bid to render the Hizbul Mujahideen ceasefire irrelevant on ground, the pan-Islamic groups have intensified their ...

SRINAGAR, JULY 30: In a bid to render the Hizbul Mujahideen ceasefire irrelevant on ground, the pan-Islamic groups have intensified their attacks on soft targets.

The peace initiative was first welcomed by a series of bomb blasts in the Mughal Gardens and on Sunday a tourist vehicle was blown up killing one and injuring four others at Gulmarg. There is, however, no report of any violation of the ceasefire from both the Government and the Hizb since the operations were suspended.

The mood in the Valley is, however, full of hope and excitement as there is a substantial decrease in security force operations since the Hizbul move. The Centre8217;s open invitation to all the militant and political groups for an 8220;unconditional8221; dialogue and then the statement of the separatist Hurriyat welcoming it as a positive step has further strengthened the belief that things will change.

8220;It is a good omen for Kashmir. Once guns fall silent, reason and logic will start working,8221; a senior political science lecturer of Kashmir University said. 8220;Common man desperately needs some respite and this ceasefire will surely provide it,8221; he said. He said the move was significant because it came from Pakistan and that too by the strongest pro-Pakistan outfit. 8220;What makes this ceasefire offer much more significant and meaningful is that it has the blessings of Pakistani establishment,8221; he said.

In fact, the ceasefire and its implications are the main topic of discussion everywhere here. 8220;Whatever the result of the talks, the ceasefire has definitely given an immediate relief to people. There is a change in the attitude of the security forces. The Task Force is not seen on the roads,8221; said Dr Abdul Hamid, a medical officer in Baramulla. In fact, there has not been a single major security force operation launched since the ceasefire. Sources said the two main counter-insurgency forces, the Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations group of the Police have been given strict orders to avoid any hot pursuit8217;.

Though the people don8217;t give much credence to the foreign-militant dominated outfits opposition to this peace initiative, the security agencies feel the threat has increased immediately. 8220;There are elements, who have a vested interest in going against this peace process. They are trying to create a sensation,8221; said Brigadier Mohan Bhandari, Brigade General Staff BGS, 15 Corps. 8220;They will try to scuttle the peace process but we are alive to it,8221; he said.

The police here believes that pan-Islamic outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba is behind today8217;s blast in which a tourist, Satish Kanyal from Alwar, Rajasthan was killed while five others, Pawan Aggarwal, Satish, Deepak Gupta, Baks Gupta all tourists from Alwar, Rajisthan and the driver of the Tata Sumo Kewal Krishan of Nagrota, Jammu were seriously injured.

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Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Gurbachan Jagat, however, believes today8217;s bomb blast as an attempt to scare away tourists. 8220;They are unnerved by the number of tourists roaming around here,8221; he said. 8220;It would have been much more devastating otherwise. They have been attacking at tourist places but making it sure that there are minimum or no casualties,8221; he said. However, he said, the ceasefire with the Hizb was successful and there was no report of any violation.

There is a growing belief that if the peace initiative does not get derailed and the modalities of the ceasefire get a bit clear, the opposition of the foreign-dominated outfits will not mean anything on ground. 8220;Hizb has been sustaining their militant activities despite the killing of around 5,500 of its cadres during the past 10 years. They are locals and know the nuances,8221; a senior police officer said. 8220;The foreigners cannot even infiltrate without the local help. Militancy in Kashmir cannot sustain without Hizb8217;s involvement8221;.

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