Commander of Banned Outfit Faces Public Backlash in Rawalakot

In the village of Koiyaan, located near the town of Khai Gulla in Poonch district of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, a commander of a banned militant organization and his associates faced intense public backlash on Wednesday. According to local sources, the commander fled the scene along with his armed companions.

The local population, in response to the incident, has announced plans to hold a public jirga (community assembly) in the coming days to formulate a collective stance against militant recruitment and activities in the region.

A few days earlier, reports had gone viral on social media claiming that a young man named Habib Tahir, alias Chhoto, from Koiyaan village, had been killed by the Indian army in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. A funeral in absentia (ghaybana namaz-e-janaza) was held for Habib Tahir in his native village on Wednesday. However, in the wake of the news about his death, there was a noticeable wave of anger among the local community against militant organizations. As a result, Habib Tahir’s family had explicitly barred members of the militant group from attending his funeral.

According to local residents, Habib Tahir had been recruited and trained by the banned militant group Jamaat-ud-Dawa (formerly known as Lashkar-e-Taiba) and was then sent across the Ceasefire line Line of Control (LoC), where he was ultimately killed by Indian forces.

Despite the family’s clear instructions, a covert local commander of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Rizwan Hanif, and a public leader of the political front formed under its new name, United Movement, attended the funeral along with his three brothers and a nephew. Local sources stated that two of the individuals accompanying Rizwan Hanif were armed bodyguards.

When Habib Tahir’s family members began questioning Rizwan Hanif regarding the circumstances, his nephew allegedly attempted to intimidate them by brandishing a weapon. This provoked the family members and others present at the funeral to confront the armed men physically. It is noteworthy that Rizwan Hanif has reportedly designated his own brother and nephew as bodyguards, keeping all related expenses and salaries within the family.

As Rizwan Hanif and his armed associates exited the premises, they were reportedly chased and verbally condemned by Habib Tahir’s friends and other villagers. They pursued the fleeing group for quite a distance.

This is the second such incident in the Khai Gulla area in which the local community has actively opposed the activities of banned militant outfits. In April this year, residents of Barming village also reacted strongly during a funeral and memorial conference held after a young man was killed by Indian forces in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

A shift in the state’s policy also appears to be emerging after a long silence. On July 26, in the Khara Butt area of the Harighel tehsil of Bagh district, the banned militant organization Jaish-e-Muhammad had announced a conference. However, law enforcement intervened following the imposition of Section 144 by the District Magistrate of Bagh. A heavy contingent of police arrived at the location and prevented the event from taking place.

Over the past two years, there had been a noticeable surge in the public activities of banned militant organizations, often under state patronage. However, following heightened military tensions between Pakistan and India, a subtle yet significant shift in the situation has been observed. There has been a marked decline in militant activities, and if any are still occurring, efforts are being made to ensure that photos and videos do not reach the public domain.

Ultimately, the only sustainable way to protect the youth of this region from the dangers of militant exploitation is to impose a complete ban on organizations, recruitment centers, and training facilities that promote militancy. The policy of using young people as fodder for this imperialist conflict must be fully abandoned.

Note: The information in this report has been gathered from verified social media accounts, official documents, and credible local journalists based in the region.