New Video of Pulwama Mastermind Surfaces After Killing in PoK

• New video shows Hamza Burhan carrying AK-47 in PoK
• Terror commander was killed by unknown attackers on May 21
• Hamza linked to Pulwama attack and terror recruitment network
• Funeral attended by Pakistan-based terrorists with weapons

GG News Bureau
Srinagar, 27th May: A new video of slain Al-Badr operational commander Hamza Burhan, also known as Arjamand Gulzar and “Doctor”, has surfaced days after he was shot dead in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The footage reportedly shows Hamza carrying an AK-47 assault rifle while embracing another individual, underlining what security agency sources described as his constant fear of being targeted. Officials said the video has also raised fresh questions over the role of Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI and the functioning of terror networks operating openly in PoK.

Hamza, a resident of Ratnipora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, had been associated with anti-India terrorist activities for several years. He was considered a key figure in radicalising youth in South Kashmir and was allegedly involved in online propaganda and recruitment activities.

According to security sources, Hamza travelled to Pakistan around seven years ago using valid travel documents and later joined the banned Al-Badr terror outfit. Over time, he rose to become an operational commander and allegedly handled recruitment, terror funding and arms supply networks in Jammu and Kashmir. He was also accused of issuing operational instructions to local Over Ground Workers (OGWs).

Investigators had linked his name to several terror-related cases, including recovery of explosives, grenade attacks and recruitment drives. Hamza was also associated with the February 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

In 2022, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs designated him as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Sources said Hamza operated in PoK under the cover of working as a principal at an educational institution, where he allegedly spread radical ideology among students and young people.

On May 21, Hamza was shot dead by unidentified attackers in Muzaffarabad after stepping out of the college premises. Officials said he was hit multiple times in the head at close range.

His funeral, held the following day in Islamabad, was attended by several Pakistan-based wanted terrorists, including Syed Salahuddin and Bakht Zameen Khan. Several attendees were reportedly seen carrying AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons.

Meanwhile, Hamza’s father Gulzar Ahmed Dar publicly distanced the family from his activities, saying his son “got what he deserved” for choosing the wrong path. He also appealed that other family members should not face harassment because of Hamza’s actions.

Dar said Hamza had left for Pakistan on January 28, 2018, claiming he was going to pursue an MBBS degree. According to the father, the family informed police and security agencies after learning about his travel.

“He left on his own without consulting us,” Dar said, adding that the family later realised he had joined terrorist activities and subsequently lost contact with him.

He also said his second son Shahid Gulzar, currently lodged in a Jammu jail after being arrested in 2022, should not be punished for his brother’s actions. Another son, Arif, who holds a PhD and qualified the NET examination, has allegedly had his passport confiscated, affecting his research plans abroad.