Omar meeting Hasnain over Handwara killing

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Feb 5: The first threat to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah top priority of the year 2011 has come neither from Hurriyat nor from militants. Not even from ISI in Pakistan. Had the year’s first civilian killing happened in a segment of the local MLA’s or Minister’s disconnect with the masses, it would have arguably marked the beginning of what Omar has been desperately attempting to prevent. It remains significant as no civilian killing by troops or Police has happened since September 13, 2010. Over a hundred deaths had occurred in previous three months of mass turbulence.

“I have taken the Handwara killing extremely seriously. I am meeting Corps Commander and other officials in a meeting here tomorrow to chalk out how to put an end to such deaths for ever”, Chief Minister told Early Times. He called 21-year-old Manzoor Ahmed Magray’s killing “deeply regrettable” and asserted that he would pursue things “more seriously” with the concerned at the state as well as the national level to ensure that repeatedly made promises of political and defence leadership were seriously and sincerely enforced in the field.

The Chief Minister described the incident most unfortunate and said that he had given categorical directions to the Army, other security forces and Police in the Unified Headquarter meetings to apply highest degree of caution and restraint and stick to the Standard Operating Procedure to avoid civilian killings at every cost. “I repeat this once again”, he said and emphasized the need for such cautions while laying ambush for militants.

 “There are people who would try to exploit your pain and feelings for disturbing peace and order as was done by them after the killing of Tufail Mattoo last June”, he earlier told the bereaved family and a large number of people who gathered in Handwara village on the occasion. He appealed them not to get led astray by such elements.

Earlier he regretted in a Tweet that the incident could have been avoided if a "suggestion" made by him at a meeting of the Unified Headquarters had been implemented. "I am even more upset with the knowledge that if a suggestion of mine, made in the Unified Command (sic), could have avoided this incident," he posted. He, however, did not elaborate on the “suggestion”

"How can one not condemn the death of 21-year-old Manzoor at the hands of the Army late last night. Another needless death in a bloody Kashmir," Omar posted on the global social networking domain. He said he was trying to understand the circumstances in which the youth was killed but was not getting enough answers to his many questions.

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