Bashir Ahmad Pir, also known as Imtiyaz Alam, was shot dead on Monday in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi. He was a “top-ranking commander” for Hizbul Mujahideen, which has been fighting Pakistan’s proxy against India in Kashmir.
Alam is believed to have been close to Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.
In October 2022, Alam was designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was identified as a “launching commander” of Hizbul Mujahideen, “especially for infiltrating into Kupwara, and coordinating with other terrorist groups for terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir”.
The notification said Alam was involved in “a number of online propaganda groups to unite ex-militants and other cadres for the furtherance of activities of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and others”.
