Freed Pakistani cleric to lead militants' effort to reclaim Kashmir

February 5, 2000
Web posted at: 10:39 a.m. HKT (0239 GMT)

KARACHI, Pakistan (CNN) -- Muslim clerics in Pakistan have agreed to form a new militant organization to wage war against India over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

And heading the organization will be a controversial cleric released from an Indian prison in exchange for hostages in a recent airline hijacking.

He is Masood Azhar, who along with two other released prisoners, was exchanged for 155 hostages who had spent a week aboard a hijacked Indian Airlines plane at the end of last year.

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Azhar attended a press conference here Friday announcing formation of the new group, to be called the "Army of the Prophet."

In brief comments he said he felt "burdened" by the responsibility.

Organizers said the new group resulted from meetings of Muslim clerics all over Pakistan.

They said it would aim to unite the many Pakistani and Kashmiri Muslim groups presently engaged in winning Kashmir's freedom from India.

The organizers said they already have "thousands" of volunteers who are willing to swear allegiance to Azhar as head of the "Army of the Prophet."

The announcement came on the eve of Kashmiri Solidarity Day, a public holiday in Pakistan.