After a brief lull, ‘unidentified’ terrorists shot dead a non-local resident late on Wednesday evening while injuring another in the Shaheed Gunj area of Srinagar. The deceased person has been identified by the police as Amritpal Singh, a hawker and a resident of Amritsar city in Punjab.
Confirming the firing incident, the Kashmir Zone Police posted on X, “Terrorists fired upon a non-local identified as Amritpal Singh, a resident of Amritsar, at Shaheed Gunj, Srinagar, who succumbed to the injuries. One more person is grievously injured and has been evacuated for medical attention. The area has been cordoned off. Further details shall follow.”
The injured person has been indentified as Rohit, another resident of Amritsar. Police said Rohit is undergoing treatment at a local hospital
Earlier, on December 24, 2023, in the Gantmulla locality of the Sheeri area in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, a retired police officer was shot dead by unidentified terrorists while he was giving the call for azaan from inside a mosque.
In a similar strike, Inspector Masroor Ahmad, a courageous officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, was targeted by terrorists at the Eidgah ground in downtown Srinagar on October 29, 2023, while he was playing a game of cricket. The police officer succumbed to his injuries on December 7 at the AIIMS, New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the situation remained volatile in the Pir Panjal region of the Jammu division following the passage of the bill that granted Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari community in Jammu and Kashmir.
To prevent any untoward incidents and curb the spread of rumours, the local authorities imposed restrictions on internet access and gatherings in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Parliament passed a bill on Tuesday granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Pahari community residing in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Similar restrictions were also imposed by the District Magistrate in Jammu by implementing Section 144 of the CrPc.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was also barred from visiting the Sunderbani area of Rajouri to attend a party function.
The National Conference vice president mentioned that he had intended to visit the Sunderbani area of Rajouri to participate in a party function but was refused permission.
“Even the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) accompanied me to the (party) office as if I were a criminal being escorted. This is the first time the SDPO has accompanied me from my house to the office to personally ensure that my vehicle does not take any other turn,” he said.
The former chief minister reiterated his previous assertion that democracy is not allowed to flourish in Jammu and Kashmir.
“They have once again proven it. They claim that everyone is free to engage in political activities, but it is only for those who praise the BJP and its government,” Abdullah said.
“People like us, who are not government stooges or involved in flattering the BJP, face such types of restrictions. We are now accustomed to such things,” he added.
Responding to a question about being denied permission due to authorities’ concerns that his visit might escalate tension between the Gujjars and the Paharis following the latter’s inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes, Omar retorted, “that means the government is weak, and I alone can disturb the situation.”