Al-Qaeda in Kashmir: Pak should remember this is 2017, not 1990

Another point that the security officials make is regarding the deniability factor.

This is 2017 and not 1990. Pakistan does want to give the impression the uprising in Kashmir is similar to the ones in the 1990s, but in reality that is not the case. The security forces are more aggressive today and with the Doval doctrine and an iron fisted policy, Pakistan will find it hard to play the 1990 game in 2017.

The launch of the al-Qaeda in Kashmir on Thursday is yet another ploy by Pakistan to have a deniability factor. The al-Qaeda has never known to have any presence in the Valley. A feeble attempt to launch in this part of the world with the announcement of the al-Qaeda in the Sub-Continent fell flat in the outfit's face.

An Intelligence Bureau officer explains, 'this appears to be a repeat of the 1990s as many new outfits are mushrooming in the Valley. In 1990 the main group was the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. However over time, Pakistan introduced several outfits into Kashmir such as the Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba."

Intelligence Bureau officials suspect that Musa coming out of the Hizbul Mujahideen was just a ploy. He issued a statement threatening to behead the Kashmiri separatists and the Hizbul leadership distanced itself from it. Musa then came out of the outfit and in a 7.07 minute audio clip laced with a slide-show announced that he was launching a new terror group. Musa said that he supports the cause of the al-Qaeda in Kashmir.

In the audio clip he said that he was now part of the al-Qaeda and would establish the Caliphate in Kashmir. In the audio clip he announced that he would support the al-Qaeda and would continue to fight against the Indian forces.

The differences between the militant forces in Kashmir would make no difference, he also said in a 7.07 minute audio clip. He went on to say that his resolve to seek freedom for Kashmir remained intact. Musa explains in 16 slides how the al-Qaeda would establish the Caliphate.

Another point that the security officials make is regarding the deniability factor. Pakistan wants more home grown outfits in Kashmir. It proposes to recruit the local youth into these home grown outfits. This would give Pakistan the deniability factor. It would also show to the world that the war against the Indian security establishment is being fought by the local Kashmiri youth and not the Pakistanis, the Indian Intelligence Bureau official also said while commenting on Musa's new terror outfit in Kashmir.

OneIndia News