e-mail: gulzar@journalist.com, writerasia@in.com
The Special Operation Group of JK Police claimed to have eliminated the " acting chief" of the pro-Pakistan 'AL-Fatha Force' identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Lone @General Mossa' in an counter with the SOG. Even as none of the militant organisation said anything about the man or the incident, some of the some of the journalists here claimed that Mr. Lone was not a militant but "printer, publisher and editor of vernacular weekly " Wehdat-e-Milli". JK Police have recovered from his person an identity card which described the deceased as "printer, publisher & amp; editor " of the Urdu weekly.
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| Shaheed Mushtaq A. Lone |
A police press release said that
'Gen Mossa' was functioning as Supreme Cammander of AL-Fatha Force' in the absence of Tariq Aziz alias
Zan-ul-Aabideen. It was further claimed that the top ranking militant had been
instrumental in reactivating and re-organizing militancy in Kashmir and
Udhampur after the installation of the democratic Government 'Gen. Mossa' was
described as a Pakistani trained
militant which attained training in handling of sophisticated weapons
and crossed back 1991.Immediately he was made
District Commander of Jehad Force
which ultimately splintered into Al-Fatha Force in 1994", said the
release. It adds that 'Mossa' was responsible for various activities including killings and attacks on
Army, STF as also for organizing anti-election campaign in South
Kashmir. " The deceased was also involved in killing of 21
Ikwanis, 34 Indian army jawans . He was also
described as "an very important
but 2nd in Command member of
" Shoura-e-Jehad". Yet another statement from the department
of Information Department said that Police had recovered " from the pocket
of the deceased militant, Prees Card in
the name of Mushtaq Ahmad Lone indicated him as printer, publisher and editor
of "Wehdat-e-Milli."
A senior Information Department
official, when contacted, confirmed that according to the records Mushtaq Ahmad
Lone son of Mr. Ghulam Mohidin Lone, resident of Pathan Pulwama was the bonfire
printer, publisher and editor of the Urdu weekly. A district Magistrate had
confirmed the declaration after necessary verification about the antecedents of the deceased by JK Police and
CID. Some journalist said that they knew the deceased as an editor for the last
several years and claimed that he had never been militant.
Inspector General of Police ,
Kashmir Zone, Gpoal Sharma when
contacted, said that Lone was the acting chief of the militant organisation and
the same had been " confirmed properly”. Neither any militant organisation nor the press community here issued any
statement about the man or the incident in which he was reported killed.
About the author: Sheikh
Gulzaar is a editor with Writer-South Asia and
can be contacted at: writerasia@in.com, gulzar@journalist.com
Mailing address: Writer- South Asia,
POB 667 Srinagar SGR J&K 190001 (Via
New Delhi-India)
