Hizbul Mujahdeen outfit has threatened terrorist-turned-BJP worker Farooq Ahmad alias Saifullah who recently filed nomination papers to contest urban local bodies election from capital Srinagar. Warning posters against Farooq and several other contestants have gone viral on social media sites. Farooq had earlier challenged militants to prove him wrong.
The outfit’s unknown “Divisional Commander Abu Umair Al Hizbi” has also issued warning to a political worker Imran Zargar alias Imran Billa whom Hizbul Mujahideen describes “a turncoat working at the behest of intelligence agencies for helping different candidates to win elections in lieu of millions of rupees”.
Meanwhile, unknown persons attacked the residences of two candidates in old Srinagar city who are contesting Municipal elections for Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) with petrol bombs last evening.
Unknown persons hurled a petrol bomb on the house of a Bhartiya Janta Party candidate at Gojwara in old city. Reports said that the door of the house of Shoukat Raja of Gojwara area of old city caught fire due to the attack. Raja was not present at his home at the time of incident.
In another incident unknown persons targeted car of an independent candidate Nisar Chudisaz at Kaka Mohalla in Rainawari area of old Srinagar. The car was parked outside his house and its tyres caught fire. Nisar was also not at home at the time of the incident.
On the other side, Joint resistance leadership (JRL), an amalgam of separatist political parties, comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Faro and Yasin Malik called for a complete shutdown in Jammu & Kashmir on October 8 to protest against the commencement of municipal and Panchayat elections. A statement issued to media asked people to “observe subsequent protest shutdown in their own respective areas as per the poll schedule on 10th, 13th and 16th October and show their complete disassociation and resentment against it.”
The arrest of JKLF chairman Yasin Malik and the arrest of dozens of Hurriyat activists and youth and raids on their homes, has been resented by JRL.
The State Government has formulated unprecedented security plan for the smooth conduct of upcoming Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and Panchayat elections in the State. The plan covers safety and security of both contestants and the voters in most sensitive areas in Kashmir and elsewhere in the State.
The panchayat elections are being held on non-party basis. Additional 400 companies of central security forces would be deployed in the State over and above the security forces already stationed.
The ULB elections are being conducted in four phases from October 8 and Panchayat elections in nine phases beginning November 17. This would be a massive exercise to elect more than 39, 500 representatives.
In an unprecedented move, the Government employees deployed on election duty would be paid a month’s additional salary.
The two main regional political parties National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party have decided to boycott the elections as they have asked the Central Government to clear its stand on the issue of Article 35-A and take steps for its protection. The Communist Party of India (CPI) also decided not to participate in the polls keeping in view the prevailing situation in the valley.
Meanwhile, a Border Security Force man was detained along-with another person as Police busted an Over Ground Workers (OGWs) module of terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen that was operating in Lolab area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara.
Security sources said that two locals of Tekipora Lolab area in the district were detained on the basis of specific input who after sustained interrogation confessed to be Over Ground Workers of Hizbul Mujahideen.
The arrested persons were identified as Shakir Ahmad Wani and Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh.
Sources said Shakir is a BSF man who is posted in North East and was providing arms training to local terrorists. He had returned home on vacations.
Sources said a pistol was recovered on their disclosure.
The module was engaged in providing logistic support to terrorists apart from luring more youth into militancy.
A case under relevant sections of law has been registered and further investigation initiated into the matter.