Author: Press Trust of India
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: August 5, 2002
URL: http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=13495
Differences between Hizbul Mujahideen's
expelled Kashmir-based militants and its PoK-based leadership took a turn
for worse on Sunday when its deposed chief commander Abdul Majid Dar announced
appointment of a parallel commander for frontier district of Kupwara.
Dar, who was sacked from the post
of Hizbul's chief commander of operations in Kashmir last year and subsequently
expelled from the outfit along with several top commanders, appointed commander
Imran as district commander for Kupwara following the killing of Asgar
Abdul Rehman by unidentified gunmen in Srinagar on Saturday.
Asgar, a native of Abur-Langate
in Kupwara who was residing at Mustafabad-Zainakote on the outskirts of
Srinagar, was abducted by unidentified car-borne gunmen and later shot
dead at Malroo in Zainakote.
Asgar had sided with Dar when the
latter was shunted out of the post of the chief commander and had openly
criticised the PoK-based leadership. He was also expelled from the outfit
for his remarks against the PoK based leadership of Hizb.
Expressing grief over the killing
of Asgar, Dar made a dramatic announcement appointing Imran as district
commander for Kupwara bringing to fore the differences in the outfit.
Dar, in the past, had denied rumours
that he had floated a separate group and asserted that he was with the
Hizbul Mujahideen.
