Is the Hizbul Mujahideen moving away from ISI control with ISIS tie up?

The meeting of a few ISIS commanders with the leaders of the Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan occupied Kashmir has sent panic signals among the security agencies. The coming together of these outfits is a signal that the Hizbul Mujahideen is gradually moving away from the Pakistan spy agency, ISI where the Kashmir issue is concerned.

Groups such as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizbul Mujahideen which have their focus on Kashmir were normally driven by the ISI. It was the ISI that set the agenda and also issued directives on when and how to strike in Kashmir. However if the talks between the Hizbul Mujahideen and the ISIS do materialise then it is a clear signal that they would battle without the blessings of the ISI.

Taking the Kashmir issue away from the ISI:

The ISIS has made its displeasure towards the ISI known very well. They consider Pakistan and its proxies stooges of the United States of America. In fact they term the Pakistan army and its proxies as an apostate force which allies with America. In this context if the Hizbul Mujahideen and the ISIS do come together it is quite clear that they will wage a war without the blessings of the ISI.

In the recent past when banners of the ISIS had surfaced in Kashmir, the Intelligence Bureau had suspected that it could have been the handiwork of some Hizbul Mujahideen operatives. There were subtle messages that were being sent out regarding the arrival of the ISIS. Another point that one needs to bear in mind is that the Wahabi ideology followed by the ISIS was first tested in the country at Kashmir.

The Hizbul Mujahideen too realises that many youth who were part of groups such as the SIMI or the Indian Mujahideen had bid good bye to the ISI and followed the ISIS. The clamour for the Caliphate and the implementation of the Sharia Law, they feel is only possible if they align with the ISIS. The ISI on the other hand according to them was fighting an agenda battle and over the years the recruits had caught this bluff and hence decided to distance them from the clutches of the Pakistan spy agency.