Kashmir shuts over Pattan killings

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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SRINAGAR, Sep 16: Kashmir valley on Wednesday observed near-total shutdown over the separatists' call to protest the mysterious killing of the three suspected militants in Pattan area of Baramulla district on September 14.

Severely tortured and bullet-riddled bodies of the three teenagers-----Naveed Ahmad Sheikh s/o Mohammad Rajab Sheikh r/o Batpora Sopore, Aamir Ahmad Rishi s/o Ghulam Qadir Rishi r/o Imbarzalwari Payeen Hardushiva Sopore and Ashiq Hussain Wani s/o Mohammad Ramzan Wani r/o Lolipora Pattan-----had been recovered from Pattan area on Monday.

According to Police records, the youths were missing from their residences respectively since October 2014, July 2015 and June 2014. All the three were believed to have joined Hizbul Mujahideen but subsequently aligned with Najar and purportedly his front organisation Lashkar-e-Islam. Their bodies were spotted and recovered from an orchard between near Dangarpora village.

Even as all the militant groups and separatist leaders, with the exception of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, remained mute spectators to recovery of the three bodies, Police claimed that the slain youths were estranged members of Hizbul Mujahideen who had lately sided with Qayyum Najar'sgroup. Only Mirwaiz in the separatist camp and the ruling PDP President Mehbooba Mufti among all mainstream politicians had condemned their killing on Monday.

However, on Tuesday, Hizbul Mujahideen, followed by all the separatist leaders claimed the three teenagers as 'freedom fighters', alleging that their "cold blooded murder" was the handiwork of the Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police. Hardline Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani called for State-wide shutdown on Wednesday. His call was supported by Hizbul Mujahideen and almost all the separatist leaders.

Reports said that traffic was off the road and most of the shops, business establishments and educational institutions were closed for the whole day in almost entire Kashmir valley. Police and residents said that minor clashes took place between thin groups of youngsters and Police at three places in downtown Srinagar. Nobody was reported injured.

Attendance was remarkably thin in government offices as commercial passenger services did not operate and almost all the major towns and district headquarters in the valley wore a deserted look. It was distinctly different from the poor impact of the separatists' shutdown calls witnessed until beginning of the current year.

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[Published in today's STATE TIMES]