Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front
Flag of Kashmir Independence

The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) is a political organisation in Jammu & Kashmir founded by Amanullah Khan and Maqbool Bhat. Originally a militant wing of the Plebiscite Front, it changed its name to JKLF in Birmingham, England on May 29, 1977. From then until 1994 it was an active militant organisation. It first established branches in several cities and towns of the UK, and other countries of Europe, United States and Middle East. In 1982, it established a branch in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir; in 1987, a branch in Indian-administered Kashmir Valley.

After 1994, the JKLF in Kashmir Valley, under the leadership of Yasin Malik, declared an 'indefinite ceasefire' and reportedly disbanded its military wing. It committed itself to a political struggle for achieving its objective of independence for the entire region of the former princely state. The JKLF branch in Azad Kashmir did not agree with this change of direction and split off from the JKLF in the Valley. In 2005, the two groups merged again retaining the original identity.

Even though the JKLF has only Muslim members, it is notionally secular. It continues to assert that a secular, independent Kashmir free of both India and Pakistan is its eventual goal. Despite having received weapons and training from Pakistani military, it regards Pakistan as an 'occupation power' and carries out political struggle against it in Azad Kashmir.

JKLF was founded by Amanullah Khan in Birmingham in June 1976. Maqbool Bhat is often credited for being its co-founder. Khan was born in Gilgit, studied in Srinagar and emigrated to Pakistan in 1952. Bhat was born in Kupwara and also emigrated to Pakistan after studying in Srinagar. The duo had earlier formed Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Front (NLF) in the late 1960s, along with Hashim Qureshi. The group carried out the hijacking of Ganga, an Indian Airlines plane flying from Srinagar to Jammu, in January 1971, and diverted it to Lahore. The Pakistan government returned all the passengers and crew to India, and subsequently tried the hijackers and several members of NLF on charges of being Indian agents. Khan was imprisoned in a Gilgit prison during 1970–72, released after protests broke out. Bhat was released in 1974, and he crossed over into the Indian-administered Kashmir where he was arrested in a bank robbery.