Six people, including a policeman died in continued violence in Kashmir Valley on Sunday taking the death toll to 22 in massive public protests that erupted after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen divisional commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani in a gunfight recently.
The Mehbooba Cabinet expressed grief and anguish over the loss of precious human lives during the prevailing law and order problems in Kashmir and called upon various shades of political opinion to help restore calm in the State.
Government spokesman and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar told mediapersons after a Cabinet meeting, “The parents of young children also have the responsibility of keeping an eye on their wards. If you see the security footage, you see small kids who do not know why they are doing this but still have stones in their hands.”
Meanwhile, the annual Amarnath pilgrimage remained suspended for the second consecutive day as normal life remained paralyzed in entire Kashmir Valley due to separatist-sponsored shutdown and curfew imposed by authorities in various localities. Train services between Banihal and Baramulla also remained suspended for the second consecutive day.
Many areas have been dominated by protesters who are refusing to withdraw despite crackdown by the security forces. Police said that at Sangam in south Kashmir a mob overturned a mobile police bunker and threw it into Jhelum River along-with a Constable who could not escape after being waylaid by the protesters. The Constable drowned as the vehicle plunged into the depths of the river.
A police spokesman said that the situation in the Valley remained under control though many incidents of arson and mob attacks were reported.
The incidents of stone pelting were reported from Newa Pulwama, Main Town Shopian, lasipora, Rajpora, Hall Pulwama, litter, Tahab Pulwama, Tanchibagh Pampore, Damhal, Sangam, Zainapora, Qoimoh, Yaripora, Behibagh Kulgam, Vailoo, Warpora Sopore, Tikipora Sogam, lalpora Kupwara, Kanyal Bagh Baramulla, Armpora Sopore, Tarzoo, Batamaloo, Qamriya Ganderbal, Soibugh Budgam, Mirgund and Sheikpora, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, unidentified militants shot at and injured an off-duty police personnel at laam village in Tral ara of south Kashmir.
Sources said that a man was shot dead at Tengpora locality on the outskirts of Srinagar when security forces opened fire on a group of protesters while chasing them. At lasipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama, a group of protesting youth torched a security vehicle in the morning. The cops on board the vehicle opened fire, resulting into bullet injuries to two people. They were immediately rushed to hospital where doctors declared them dead on arrival.
Another youth Irfan Malik was killed when security forces resorted to firing to quell protests near Rajpora chowk in Pulwama town. Several protesters have been wounded in the incident.
At Qazigund, a youth Mashooq Ahmad was killed when police and paramilitaries opened fire on protesters.
Besides the fresh killings, five people including a girl who had been admitted to various hospitals in Srinagar succumbed to their injuries raising the overall death toll to 22. Till late Saturday evening 12 people had been killed.
Unconfirmed reports said that paramilitaries opened fire on protesters at Chitragam in Zainpora area of south Kashmir killing Asif Ahmad Bhat.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti presided over a cabinet meeting that that expressed deep grief and anguish over the loss of precious human lives during the prevailing law and order situation in Kashmir and called upon various shades of political opinion, who have expressed concern for people’s lives, to help restore calm. “The Cabinet expressed grief and anguish over the loss of precious human lives and made a fervent appeal to all shades of political opinion, including the mainstream and the separatists, to help restore calm as the violence has neither served any purpose in the past nor is it going to do so in the prevailing circumstances,” Government spokesman and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar told media persons after the meeting. When asked if Mehbooba Mufti would resign over the spate of killings, Akhtar refused to answer and walked out from the conference room. He was confronted by a reporter that during similar circumstances in 2010, the PDP had demanded Omar Abdullah’s resignation.
Akhtar said the Cabinet also asked the police and the security forces to exercise restraint to prevent loss of human lives as any fatal retaliatory action only leads to a vicious cycle of death and destruction. He said the complaints of disproportionate use of force are being looked into to restore public confidence in the law and order setup. He said while the loss of property can be compensated, the loss of lives cannot be compensated. Akhtar said the Government is seized of its responsibilities and all steps will be taken for ensuring safety of life and property of the people.
The Cabinet, he said, also desired to request different airlines to provide additional flights for taking out the stranded tourists. The Cabinet also said efforts are being made to resume the Amarnath Yatra so that the people can undertake the Yatra smoothly.
The annual Amarnath Yatra remained suspended and no pilgrim was allowed to proceed towards Kashmir Valley from the base camp in Jammu. However, on Sunday 8,611 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave. These pilgrims had already reached Kashmir before the law and order situation took a different turn. During nine days of the pilgrimage, around 1,27,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave.