In yet another controversial decision, the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP Govern-ment announced to offer ex-gratia relief to the next of kin of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s elder brother Khalid Muzaffar, who was killed in an encounter around 20 months ago.
Khalid Muzaffar Wani, 25, got killed during a raid by security forces in Buchoo forests of Tral in south Kashmir on April 13, 2015. While his family insisted that he had gone to the jungle for a picnic along with his friends, the Army contested the claim and declared him an over-ground worker of Hizbul Mujahideen who died during an encounter with militants. It was alleged that Khalid had gone to meet his brother in the forested area where he was pursued by security forces before a clash erupted.
His father Muzaffar wani, principal of a senior secondary school, told The Pioneer that the decision to offer ex-gratia relief was the admission of the Government that his elder son was a common civilian and not a terrorist.
The State Government compensates the families of the victims of violence in Jammu & Kashmir with monetary assistance or a Government job. The assistance is specific to the civilians who are targeted by terrorists or security forces or die in crossfire. Initially, a Government job and Rs 1 lakh was provided to the next of kin of a slain civilian but the policy was modified later with an alternative of Rs 4 lakh due to the dearth of vacancies in Government sector.
“I feel vindicated. It is another matter whether my family accepts the relief amount or not,” he said.
Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Pulwama released a list of 106 victims of death, injury and damage to property where Khalid Wani, figures at number 9. Khalid was a student of political science at the Indira Gandhi National Open University.
Thousands of people took part in Khalid’s funeral as his father alleged that he had been tortured to death. Then Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed had declared the incident as “unfortunate” but to this correspondent’s query refused to initiate a probe.
Muzaffar Wani said that he has been insisting on his elder son’s ‘innocence’ and now he feels vindicated. “I always knew that my other son (Burhan Wani) will be killed. But my elder son was not a militant and he was killed only because he was a militant’s brother,” he said.
The Army has not reacted to the announcement. The district administration has sought objections to the announcement within a week’s time.