Salahuddin, whose real name is Mohammad Yusuf Shah, unsuccessfully contested the 1987 Jammu and Kashmir assembly election on a Muslim United Front ticket. The election was widely reported as being rigged by poll allies, the National Conference and Congress party. Disillusioned by the democratic process, Salahuddin moved to Pakistan and took up the gun.
He has led the terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen since November 11, 1991.
Salahuddin is a longstanding member of the separatist Kashmiri political group, the Jamaat-e-Islami -- one of the 26 original constituents of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference -- which is headed by hardliner separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Before taking over Hizbul's Muzaffarabad-based command, Salahuddin acted as its 'district commander' from late 1989.
The Hizbul Mujahideen drew its first cadre from the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front -- another separatist political organisation -- with Mohammad Ashraf Dar, Maqbool Illahi and Abdullah Bangroo starting the pro-Pakistan outfit on instructions from the Jamaat leadership.
Mohammad Ashraf Dar soon fell out with his ISI masters, and was thrown out of the Hizbul, paving the way for Salahuddin.
Now things seem to have come full circle: Salahuddin is at war with his Kashmir valley-based commanders, notably Abdul Majid Dar.
There are no police records against Salahuddin relating to pre-1991 crimes. It was only in 1997 and 1998 that serious efforts were made to build a case against him.