JKLF activist among 8 injured in Bemina shootout

Curfew continues without break on 13th day in Kashmir valley

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Sep 24: Former “Srinagar District Commander” of Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Shaukat Bakhshi, and three more members of his family were among eight civilian who sustained injuries when Police opened fire during a clash with residents at Gausiya Colony in Bemina outskirts of this capital city today. Even as authorities granted some relaxation in four towns, curfew continued without break on 13th consecutive day in Kashmir valley.

SSP Srinagar, Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, told early Times that Dy SP Sajjad and SHO Parimpora, Inspector Ghulam Mohiuddin, were advising residents of Gausiya Colony and Firdaus Colony, Bemina, against violating curfew when some people turned violent and began pelting stones on the Police party this evening. He said that in defence, Police used the non-lethal Pump Action Gun and fired some pellets. Four women and a male, later identified as Shaukat Bakhshi, sustained “minor pellet injuries”.

The injured were evacuated and rushed to SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, where doctors referred them to SKIMS Soura.

Residents, however, insisted that a Police party entered into a heated exchange with Shaukat Bakhshi and his family members and began suddenly smashing doors and windows of a row of houses. According to them, Police allegedly abused and roughed up inmates including a number of women. They said that the angry Policemen opened fire straight on Bakhshi and his family members. Six females and two men, including Bakhshi, sustained injuries.

Informed sources said that six civilians---four women and two men---reported for treatment at SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, with multiple pellet injuries over their bodies. On examination, doctors referred them to SKIMS, Soura. JKLF Chairman, Yasin Malik, who reached the spot within minutes personally rushed his party colleague and other members of the Bakhshi family to SKIMS Soura.

Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Soura, Dr Syed Amin Tabish, told Early Times that two men and four women with poly-trauma (multiple injuries) were admitted to Accidents & Emergency Department of the tertiary care hospital. He described all the six as stable and said that they were ‘under treatment’. Eyewitnesses said that Bakhshi was found hit in his arm at several spots as also in his head. Sources said that Bakhshi’s sister, niece and sister-in-law were among four women who sustained pellet injuries in the Bemina shootout.

Previously involved in organizing a separatist demonstration during an international cricket match at Sonwar, Srinagar, in 1983, Bakhshi became a prominent commander of JKLF in 1989-90. He was allegedly among half-a-dozen JKLF militants who planned and executed kidnapping of then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s daughter, Dr Rubaiya Sayeed, in December 1989.

After functioning as “Srinagar District Commander” with JKLF for several years, Bakhshi was arrested by security forces. He was later released on bail. While Bakhshi’s elder brother, Shakil Bakhshi, has been functioning as Chairman of Islamic Students League (ISL) since 1987, his younger brother, Shariq Bakhshi, was among four militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad who were killed by Army and Police in a joint operation at Peerbagh on Srinagar-Airport Road in 1998.

Meanwhile, curfew continued on 13th consecutive day without break in Srinagar and other major townships across Kashmir valley. Authorities, however, granted relaxation of two to four hours in Trehgam, Kralpora (Kupwara), Anantnag, Bijbehara, (Anantnag) and Kangan. No significant incident of violation, demonstration or stone pelting was reported from anywhere. One-odd incident was reported from Bemina outskirts in the capital city at the end of the day.

Having already amended his shutdown calendar, Chairman of so-called hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, today announced yet another modification. He granted two days of relaxation on Sep 25 and 26. He had earlier called for total shutdown on both days while announcing relaxation on Sep 23 and 24. However, in an obvious attempt to break Geelani’s writ, authorities strictly enforced curfew on Sep 23 and 24. Now that Geelani has announced that there would be no shutdown on Sep 25 and 26, officials are likely to continue curfew for both days.

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