Latest news with #Muzamil
New Indian Express
30-04-2025
- New Indian Express
After video goes viral, NIA picks zipline operator
SRINAGAR: Zipline operator Muzamil Ahmed Kumhar, who was heard chanting 'Allahu Akbar' as the terrorists started firing at tourists in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadows on April 22, has been picked up for questioning by the NIA, which is probing the terror attack in which 25 tourists and a local resident were killed. Muzamil was heard chanting 'Allahu Akbar' thrice in a selfie video shot by Rishi Bhatt, a tourist from Ahmedabad, while taking the zipline ride on the day of the deadly terror attack. Muzamil's father said his son had visited his home in Anantnag on Monday and was picked up by policemen in the evening. When told that his son had chanted 'Allahu Akbar' when the terrorists fired at the tourists, he said, 'We are Muslims and even if the storm comes, we will say 'Allahu Akbar'. If we do some work, we will say 'Allahu Akbar'. What is in it?' A sources said, 'The zipline operator is being quizzed by NIA officials about his chanting 'Allahu Akbar' at the start of the terror attack. The NIA and J&K police are probing if he has links with terrorism.' Muzamil's brother Mukhtar Ahmed said his brother was picked up by police on April 23, a day after the attack, and released on Monday and then picked up again by police in the evening. He said his brother has been working in the zipline for the last three years. Referring to the video in which Muzamil chants 'Allahu Akbar', Mukhtar said, 'If you see the video, he himself does not know that the terror attack is taking place. He is releasing the tourist's zipline because he himself does not know of the attack.' He said after the terror attack, he returned home and was very scared. 'He was picked up the next day by police for questioning,' Ahmed said. Police have identified three Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists, including two Pakistanis and one local, for carrying out the attack on tourists at Baisaran. A massive search operation has been launched in Baisaran and its adjoining forest areas to track down the attackers. 'The operation continued on Tuesday. We will catch them very soon,' a security official said. TOUGH LINE 1 J&K authorities have transported 59 Pakistani nationals to Punjab for their repatriation to their country of origin, officials said. The Pakistani nationals, who were living in the Valley for decades and included the mother of Shaurya Chakra awardee Constable Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh, were collected from various districts and taken in buses to Punjab, where they will be handed over to Pakistani authorities. 2 EAM S Jaishankar on Tuesday discussed the terror attack with his counterparts from Slovenia, Panama, Algeria and Guyana during separate phone is understood to have stated India's policy on 'zero tolerance' towards terrorism. India would deal with perpetrators, planners and backers of the attack strongly, Jaishankar told UN Secretary António Guterre. 3 The RSS-affiliated 'Organiser' has found 'intelligence gap' coupled with infiltration from Pakistan. 'The Pahalgam attack has yet again underscored the challenge of continued infiltration from Pakistan-occupied territories coupled with intelligence gaps due to the local support,' the periodical said.
News.com.au
29-04-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Zip line operator targeted over two words in viral video of tourist unaware of terrorist attack
A longer version of a chilling video of a man smiling on a zip line during a horrific terror attack has revealed details that has sparked a debate across the world. At least 26 men were killed at Pahalgam in the Indian-administered Kashmir region last week. India accused Pakistan of backing the attack, which it denied, and relations between the countries have plummeted. Witnesses said militants came out of the trees at a meadow and started firing. In the zip line video, a tourist filmed himself oblivious to the terror unfolding below and as gunshots were heard in the background. (Watch in the video player above). The clip quickly went viral and made global headlines. A longer version of the video then emerged, with the zip line operator accused of chanting 'Allahu Akbar' before pushing the tourist off from the platform. Allahu Akbar is an Arabic phrase meaning 'God is the greatest' and is commonly used by Muslims. Its use here has drawn particular attention because some victims' family members have claimed they were told to recite Islamic verses during the attack and when they did not, they were shot. One Indian politician, Congress MP Pramod Tiwar, called for an investigation into the video, while another Indian politician, Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (JKPDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti, said action should be taken against those spreading hate on social media. As translated and quoted by Asian News International, Ms Mufti explained 'Allahu Akbar' was said by Muslims during any difficulty, like 'Jai Shree Ram' is a common expression said by Hindus. The family of the zip line operator, identified as Muzamil, also defended his words to Indian media, insisting he was not involved in the attack. Abdul Aziz, Muzamil's father, told NDTV his son was 'very scared, he started crying' after the attack and was now speaking with police. 'Even if the storm comes, we say Allahu Akbar. What fault do we have in this? Muzamil used to work only with the zip line; he didn't do any other work,' Mr Aziz said. The tourist on the zip line was identified as Rishi Bhatt from Ahmedabad, a city in western India. Towards the end of the recording, as the ride comes to an end and he moves closer to the ground, a tourist is seen falling down presumably after sustaining a bullet injury. Mr Bhatt told Asian News International as soon as he realised what was unfolding, he quickly unclipped himself from the zip line harness, found his wife and son and started running. 'We saw people hiding at a spot which was like a pit, so they could not be spotted easily,' he said. 'We hid there too. When the firing stopped a little after 8-10 minutes, we started running toward the main gate … The firing resumed and four to five people were shot. Around 15-16 tourists were shot in front of us. When we reached the gate, we saw the local residents had already left. One pony guide helped us to leave the place.' 'Pursue them to the ends of the Earth' Relations have plummeted between India and Pakistan since the attack on April 22. Both countries have since exchanged gunfire in Kashmir and diplomatic barbs, as well as expelled citizens and ordered the main land border crossing shut. Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to pursue those who carried out the attack in the tourist hotspot, and those who had supported it. 'I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,' he said on Thursday. 'We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth'. The bellicose statements have prompted worries of a rapid spiral into military action, with calls from several nations for restraint. The US State Department said top diplomat Marco Rubio would call his Pakistani and Indian counterparts soon to urge them 'to not escalate the situation'. UN chief Antonio Guterres meanwhile held calls on Tuesday with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in which he 'offered his Good Offices to support de-escalation', his spokesman said. Mr Sharif's office later said he had urged Mr Guterres to 'counsel India' to exercise restraint, while pledging to defend Pakistan's 'sovereignty and territorial integrity with full force in case of any misadventure by India'. Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full. Rebels in the Indian-run area have waged an insurgency since 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan. Indian police have issued wanted posters for three men accused of carrying out the Kashmir attack – two Pakistanis and an Indian – who they say are members of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba group, a UN-designated terrorist organisation. They have announced a two million rupee ($36,770) bounty for information leading to each man's arrest and carried out sweeping detentions seeking anyone suspected of links to the alleged killers. The worst attack in recent years in Indian-run Kashmir was at Pulwama in 2019, when an insurgent rammed a car packed with explosives into a security forces convoy, killing 40 and wounding 35. Indian fighter jets carried out air strikes on Pakistani territory 12 days later. Iran has already offered to mediate and Saudi Arabia has said Riyadh was trying to 'prevent an escalation'. US President Donald Trump downplayed tensions, saying on Friday the dispute will get 'figured out, one way or another'. — with AFP
India Gazette
29-04-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Muslims say 'Allahu Akbar' in distress: Mehbooba Mufti urges action against those spreading communal hatred online after Pahalgam attack
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 30 (ANI): Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said that the Union government must take strict action against those spreading communal hatred on social media in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. When asked about a zipline operator allegedly shouting 'Allahu Akbar' in a video during the attack, Mufti told ANI, 'There are some people on social media who are very communal... Like we say, 'Jai Shree Ram', Muslims say 'Allahu Akbar' and when we are in any difficulty, we say 'Allahu Akbar'... The government of India must take strict action against those who are spewing venom on social media...' The family of Muzamil, the zipline operator accused of shouting 'Allahu Akbar' during the attack, has defended him. Muzamil's father, Abdul Aziz, said his son was scared and crying after the incident. 'Right now, Muzamil is with the police. He was very scared, he started crying at that time. He said, 'Don't say anything to me, something happened here',' Abdul Aziz told ANI. When asked about the viral video in which Muzamil was heard saying 'Allahu Akbar', Aziz said, 'Even if the storm comes, we say Allahu Akbar. What fault do we have in this? Muzamil used to work only with the zipline; he didn't do any other work.' He emphasized that Muzamil was simply doing his job and had no malicious intent. Earlier in the day, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also reacted to the viral video and demanded a thorough investigation into the matter. 'This is a matter of investigation. I have also seen that video. There should be an investigation into it... The truth should come out... No security force was deployed there... Everyone except the Indian Government knew that tourists in large numbers are coming there (in Pahalgam)...,' he said. The controversy began after a video of Gujarat tourist Rishi Bhatt went viral. In the video, he was seen ziplining when the terrorist attack began. Speaking to ANI in Ahmedabad, Bhatt claimed, '9 people ziplined before me, but the operator did not utter a word. When I was sliding, he spoke, and then the firing started. So, I have my suspicions about that man. He said 'Allahu Akbar' thrice and then the firing started... He looked like a regular Kashmiri.' 'Firing started when I was ziplining... After about 20 seconds, I realised that it was a terrorist attack... and people on the ground are being killed,' Bhatt recalled. 'I saw 5-6 people getting shot.' He added that he immediately unlatched himself from the zipline and ran for safety with his family. 'I unlatched my belt and jumped down, took my wife and son and started running away. We saw people hiding in a spot that resembled a pit, making it difficult to spot them easily. We too hid there,' he said. The terror attack occurred on April 22 at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, where terrorists opened fire on tourists, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen, and injuring several others. Following the attack, the Central government said that the terrorists and those behind the conspiracy would face severe punishment. (ANI)
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
22-year-old Indo-Pak. ceasefire pact hangs by thread as armies exchange fire for 4th day in J&K
For the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday (April 29, 2025), Indian and Pakistani armies exchanged small arms firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, indicating an end of the 2003 ceasefire agreement that was ratified in 2021. Meanwhile, officials said a zipline operator, questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after a viral video, has 'no role' in the Pahalgam attack. An Army spokesman said Pakistan troops again resorted to 'unprovoked small arms firing' across the LoC during the night of April 28 and 29. The cross-border firing took place in areas opposite Kupwara and Baramulla districts in north Kashmir and the Akhnoor Sector in the Jammu region. 'The firing was sudden and without any provocation from the Indian side. The Indian Army responded to the provocation in a measured and effective manner, preventing any escalation and safeguarding civilian areas close to the LoC,' the Army said. In the past four days, most districts in the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley closer to the LoC have witnessed firing. However, no casualties or damage were reported in these skirmishes. In 2021, the Directors General of Military Operations-level talks between India and Pakistan resulted in reiteration to abide by the 2003 ceasefire agreement along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir on February 25. Both India and Pakistan agreed to the strict observance of all agreements, understandings and ceasefire along the LoC and all other sectors in spite of the 2019 actions of the Centre to end Jammu and Kashmir special status. Also read | Pahalgam terror attack: Tension grips LoC amid crackdown on militants Meanwhile, the zipline operator, Muzamil, who was present at the attack site and was seen chanting 'Allah-o-Akbar slogans' amid gunshots, was not apparently part of the attacks on April 22 in Pahalgam's Baisaran area, officials said. Mr. Muzamil's father said his son was detained after the video went viral. 'Muslims always chant such slogans when they face any trouble,' the father said.
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘We say Allahu Akbar when in distress': Mehbooba Mufti on zipline operator's chant during Pahalgam attack
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday responded to the controversy around a zipline operator allegedly shouting 'Allahu Akbar' during the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, saying the chant is a common expression among Muslims during times of distress, just as 'Jai Shree Ram' is for Hindus. She urged the central government to act against those fuelling communal tensions online. Mehbooba Mufti's statement comes amid suspicion expressed by a section of people over the zipline operator, which security agencies have not yet substantiated. 'There are some people on social media who are very communal... Like we say, 'Jai Shree Ram', Muslims say 'Allahu Akbar' and when we are in any difficulty, we say 'Allahu Akbar'... The government of India must take strict action against those who are spewing venom on social media...,' ANI news agency quoted Mehbooba Mufti. The April 22 terror attack took place at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, where terrorists fired at tourists, killing 25 Indians and one Nepali national, and injuring many others. In response, the Central government vowed harsh punishment for the attackers and those involved in plotting the assault. The family of Muzamil, the zipline operator heard chanting "Allahu Akbar" during the Pahalgam terror attack, has come forward in his defence. Muzamil's father, Abdul Aziz, told the news agency that his son was terrified after the incident and broke down in tears. "Right now, Muzamil is with the police. He was very scared, he started crying at that time. He said, 'Don't say anything to me, something happened here'," Aziz said. Responding to the viral video in which Muzamil was heard saying "Allahu Akbar", Aziz added, 'Even if the storm comes, we say Allahu Akbar. What fault do we have in this? Muzamil used to work only with the zipline; he didn't do any other work.' He insisted that Muzamil had no wrongful intentions and was simply carrying out his duties at the time. The controversy erupted after a video of Gujarat tourist Rishi Bhatt went viral, showing him ziplining just as the Pahalgam terror attack began. Bhatt alleged, 'nine people ziplined before me, but the operator did not utter a word. When I was sliding, he spoke, and then the firing started. So, I have my suspicions about that man. He said 'Allahu Akbar' thrice and then the firing started... He looked like a regular Kashmiri.' Bhatt recounted, 'Firing started when I was ziplining... After about 20 seconds, I realised that it was a terrorist attack... and people on the ground are being killed.' He said he witnessed 5–6 people being shot. Describing his escape, he said, 'I unlatched my belt and jumped down, took my wife and son and started running away. We saw people hiding in a spot that resembled a pit, making it difficult to spot them easily. We too hid there.' (With ANI inputs)
