Contradicting militant groups’ claim that they were engaged in jehad in Kashmir, a hard-line Pakistani cleric stated that jehad is not mandatory in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir as people there were not demanding Sharia. The cleric, Sufi Mohammad, is the chief of the banned Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Sharia Muhammadi (TNSM). He added that the Kashmiris were demanding a state and not Sharia or Islamic law and democracy was ‘kufar’ (infidelity) and that backing democratic forces was useless1.

Meanwhile, three villagers were killed by unidentified militants at Mahore in Reasi district on May 72. Elsewhere, a militant, Khursheed ‘Doctor’, who was reportedly trained by Hizbul Mujahideen with the help of a surgeon to remove bullets and administer follow-up medical treatment, was arrested by police from Laloor village in Doda district on May 2. The person had opened a chemist shop at Laloor in order to hide his links with the militants. He however did not have any degree or a license to practice as a doctor. Preliminary investigations revealed that he was trained by some surgeons in Kashmir for providing first aid to the wounded militants3.

• 1. “Jehad not mandatory in Kashmir,” Daily Excelsior, May 4, 2009, at http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/09may04/news2.htm#1
• 2. “Three villagers shot dead,” Daily Excelsior, May 8, 2009, at http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/09may08/newsupdate.htm#1
• 3. “Militants' doctor' arrested in Doda,” Daily Excelsior, May 4, 2009, at http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/09may04/news.htm#4