Abdul Ghani Lone, a senior leader of the APHC and Founder-President of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference was assassinated in Srinagar on 21 May 2002. He was paying homage to Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq, father of Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, a young leader of the APHC. Many questions need to be answered and if there are no answers some need to be raised.

First, the callous attitude of the state and its police. Two young men in police uniform killed him, with a crowd of around 5000 around. The assassins shot at Lone’s guards and then shot him, threw grenades and escaped. This reflects on the failure of the state security apparatus, which needs to be critically looked into. The fact that the Prime Minister was to visit the Valley cannot be the excuse for the State’s failure to provide adequate security to a leader under threat. Worse, the SHO was of the opinion that “no police presence was necessary, because it was a matami function.” (Greater Kashmir, 22 May 2002)

Given the emotional and psychological dimensions of such gatherings, the State should have provided adequate security. The failure to identify the killers shows the inefficiency of the state police system. Unless the state police apparatus improves its organization and thinking, any level of military and para-military presence would not bring about normalcy in Kashmir. It dawned on Farooq Abdullah, only after the assassination that the leaders disliked by Pakistan should be given maximum security. 

Secondly, the assassination makes it very clear that the militants and their mentors would not tolerate any leader with an anti-Pakistan policy. Lone was not only against India’s rule but also against Pakistan. His objective was to establish a united but independent Kashmir. His assassination on the anniversary of Mirwaiz Maulvi Mohammad Farooq’s killing by the militants twelve years ago has an implicit message,– “If you are not with us, you are against us.”

Thirdly, the killing of Lone sends a message from another actor – the militants. Lone had initially supported militancy in the early 1990s, but his views changed later. When he spoke publicly against the foreign mercenaries, the so-called “guest militants”, they attempted to eliminate him in 1996 – Lone was lucky enough to survive a car bomb attack. The militants share the same Pakistani belief that – if you are not with us, you are against us. The turning point, which made the militants and their mentors across the border take the crucial decision to eliminate Lone, obviously would have emanated from the Dubai meeting that took place last month with other leaders such as Sardar Abdul Qayoom Khan from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The United Jihad Council (UJC) led by its Chairman Syed Salahuddin openly criticized the Dubai meeting. It is believed, that the anti-militant stand of Lone during this meeting led to his assassination.

Fourthly, the killing of Lone has crucial implications for other leaders in the APHC. Most of them have repeatedly claimed that the killing of Lone was a conspiracy against the people of Kashmir and their movement. But the question that needs to be raised is who benefited from the killing of Lone? The APHC leaders should understand that their political mentors across the border are averse to any independent thinking and actions inside Kashmir. They only need puppets. The APHC should also realize that any dialogue with the Indian Government should be based on what is best for Kashmiri society and not what is being dictated by Pakistan. But it is doubtful, if the APHC will realize this, appreciating the added threat of physical elimination.

Finally, there was a lot of unfounded enthusiasm in New Delhi over the outbursts against Pakistan by Sajjad Lone, Lone’s son shouted and when Syed Ali Geelani, the pro-Pakistan extremist leader of the APHC was not allowed inside Lone’s house to pay homage. It was interpreted by the media and some analysts as expressing pro-Indian and anti-Pakistani sentiments. Such presumptions need to be avoided, if one has to be realistic about the situation inside Kashmir. It should be remembered that during the final procession, in which Lone was carried to the burial ground, pro-Pakistan slogans were raised such as Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan, Pakistan se rishta kya la illa ha illala, Bharat ke aiwanoon ko aag lagado, Al-Qaeda zindabad, Taliban zindabad...

India should realize, that the death of Lone will not lead to any changes inside the APHC and certainly, there is not going to be any split. The Indian government should base its future calculations on this reality in Srinagar and stop dreaming with its eyes opened in New Delhi.