Sabzar — from spurned lover to top militant

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 28

Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmed Bhat’s killing has triggered fear of another unrest, forcing the authorities to impose restrictions at various places today, for Sabzar had a criminal past before he joined militancy.

It is being said Sabzar also had a failed love affair. His offer to marry a girl was reportedly spurned by her parents, thus he took refuge in religion for some time.

Later, he met Burhan Wani, his mentor and commander, and joined the militant ranks. He joined militancy on the same day when Burhan’s brother, Khalid Muzzaffar, was killed in an alleged encounter and Sabzar snatched a rifle from a CRPF man in Tral and joined militants.

His close association with Burhan had catapulted Sabzar to the ranks of top Hizb commander over the years even as his death triggered spontaneous protests and valley-wide shutdown on Saturday.

The J&K Police records say before joining the militancy, there were many criminal cases registered against Sabzar, alias Sahab Don, and some of them were even challaned.

“He was known in the area as Sahab Don and there were cases of theft, jungle smuggling and abduction registered against him. There was also a case against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act,” a police officer in south Kashmir said.

A resident of Rathsuna Tral, Sabzar was involved in many stone-throwing protests in the area. He operated mostly in and around Tral.

However, after joining the militancy in 2015, Sabzar became a close confidant of Burhan and in most of the social media images and videos, that emerged over the year, Sabzar was seen accompanying him.

There are fears that his killing may push more youth to join militancy. However, a senior Army officer said Sabzar’s death would not make more militants.

“Sabzar’s death won’t attract youth to militants and there will be no spurt in violence,” General Officer Commanding of Army’s counter-insurgency unit Kilo Force, Major General AK Singh, said on the sidelines of a function in north Kashmir.