A purported video featuring Hizbul Mujahideen Deputy Supreme Commander Shamsher Khan has reignited scrutiny over Pakistan’s alleged support for militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. In the video, Khan claims that Pakistani militants fought and died in the region, remarks that appear to reinforce India’s longstanding accusations of cross-border terrorism.
Srinagar: A purported video of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Shamsher Khan has surfaced, in which he openly claims that Pakistani militants participated in the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir and lost their lives there. If authentic, the statements would lend weight to India’s longstanding position that Pakistan-based militants have crossed the Line of Control to wage violence in the region.
The speech is reported to have been delivered on 8 July in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). In the video, Khan claims that cemeteries across the Kashmir Valley contain the graves of militants who came from different parts of Pakistan to fight in Jammu and Kashmir.
He is heard saying: “From Lolab and Kupwara to Kathua, there is not a single cemetery where young men from different parts of Pakistan are not buried.”
The remarks have drawn attention because they appear to contradict Pakistan’s repeated denials of direct involvement in militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. By acknowledging that Pakistanis fought and died in the region, the speech is being viewed by many as an apparent admission that individuals from Pakistan participated in the conflict.
During the address, Khan also reportedly asserts that no one can break the bond between Pakistan and Kashmir or foster hostility against that relationship.
