Hizbul leader threatens to behead separatists

Zakir Rashid Bhat, alias Zakir Musa, the successor of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani has threatened to behead separatist leaders and Ulema (Islamic scholars) who create hurdles in the terror outfit's path of enforcing Sharia in Kashmir.

Musa released a 5:40 minute audio clip lashing out at Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) for calling the Kashmir struggle "political and not Islamic". JRL is an amalgam of Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Geelani, moderate Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, who spearheaded unrest in the valley in 2016.

"They are political leaders. Please do not refer to them as Islamic leaders. Do not create hurdles in our path of enforcing Sharia Law. We will otherwise slit their throats and hang them at Lal Chowk. I warn you again, if you come in our way. We will hang you first then others," said Musa.

Hailing from Noorpora in Tral, Musa dropped out of a civil engineering course at a Chandigarh college and joined Hizbul in 2013. Growing up in an affluent family, Musa's father is also an engineer by profession.

"We are fighting for the implementation of Sharia and supremacy of Islam. We will not rest until we enforce Sharia in Kashmir. If you come in our way, we will not spare you," he warned.

Musa also purportedly spoke about establishing an Islamic caliphate in Kashmir. The clip also warns separatist leaders of Kashmir not to meddle in the move to set up a caliphate in Jammu and Kashmir along the lines of the rule established by the ISIS in parts of Syria and Iraq.