4 Killed On Qadr Eve In Pattan; 12 Injured; Protests In Srinagar, Pampore
Pattan/Srinagar, Sept 6: Four persons were killed and 12 others injured when police opened fire on protesters at Palhalan and Wussan in Pattan on Monday. The killings on the eve of Shab-i-Qadr- holiest night of the year- come after a week of relative calm in the Valley which saw several relaxations in strike. With today’s killings, the number of civilians killed by police and para-military CRPF since June 11 in the valley has reached 69. Those killed are mainly youth and children.
Eyewitnesses said that the incident occurred at Palhalan village after a police cavalcade, on its way to Varmul, was attacked with stones by a group of youth staging pro-freedom protests on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.
“The policemen from the cavalcade fired directly at the protesters and the bystanders,” witnesses said. “I was coming out of the Masjid and I saw policemen firing indiscriminately on the people,” said Ghulam Muhammad, an eyewitness. A youth died on the spot while 10 persons were injured. The dead was identified as 16-year old Feroz Ahmad Malik (also known as Showkat) son of Abdul Aziz Malik of Naik Mohalla, Pattan. He received several bullets in his abdomen.
The injured were shifted to different hospitals. One of the injured persons Noor-ud-Din Tantray of Tantra Mohalla, Palahalan succumbed to injuries at SKIMS.
The word about the deaths brought hundreds of people from neighbouring villages to Pattan. They staged massive protests raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
Police and CRPF again opened fire killing Muhammad Ramzan Mir, 45, son of Muhammad Sultan Mir of Wassan Khoi on the spot and inuring several others. Mir was a farmer. One of the injured, Mudasir Ahmad Mir son of Muhammad Abdullah Mir of Wussan Khoi succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Several injured admitted in the hospitals were said to be in critical condition. One of the injured, Muhammad Ashraf Mir, is battling for life at SKIMS. He has a bullet in his neck.
Doctors at sub-district hospital Sumbal where most of the injured were admitted identified the injured as Farooq Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Tantary, Abdul Hamid Bhat, Showkat Khan, Muzaffar Hajam, Muhammad Iqbal Naik, Javaid Ahmad Dar—all residents of Palhalan; Nazir Ahmad Wani and Muhammad Lateef Mir of Wassan Khoi.
The Pattan town and its peripheries were tense even as protests continued after the killings. Protesters blocked traffic on the highway. Locals said forces continuously fired for at least an hour in several streets and alleys. “They terrorized the whole village. They even barged into several houses and dragged out men, women and children,” said Ali Muhammad, a local.
Protests also spilled over to Delina, Khawja Bagh, Varmul, Sumbal, Bandipora where young boys pelted stones on forces, triggering clashes.
The summer capital here was abuzz with activity in the afternoon today as per the Hurriyat’s protest chart, which had suspended strike in the afternoon.
However, earlier in the day, protests broke out at several localities of the downtown including Bohri Kadal, Malaratta and Nowhatta.
Youth took to streets and staged protests. Large contingents of police and paramilitary rushed to these localities and dealt with them using force.
12 INJURED IN PAMPORE:
At least 12 persons were wounded when police and CRPF troopers fired teargas canisters and baton charged protesters at Pampore.
Eyewitnesses told Greater Kashmir that police and CRPF troopers used brute force on people who were staging peaceful protests at Namlabal after prayers.
Three persons Bilal Ahmed, Tawheed Ahmed and Amir Shafi were critically were wounded and were shifted to SKIMS Soura.
“When I came out of a lane, 10-12 troopers caught hold of me and thrashed me mercilessly for 15 minutes. They beat me up with gun butts and bamboo sticks. I received fracture in arms and legs,” said an injured Bilal Ahmed who was lying on bed.
PROTESTS IN GANDERBAL:
Police resorted to heavy smoke shelling and baton charge after people protested growing human rights violations in valley and raised pro-freedom slogans here on Monday.
Witness said hundreds of the residents of this district offered namaz outside the Jamia Masjid Duderhama on the Srinagar- Safapora road and started chanting pro-freedom slogans and started marching towards Srinagar-Leh highway. However police intercepted them and resorted to smoke shelling and lathicarge to disperse the protestors which was retaliated by stone pelting.
In the ensuing clashes three persons including a police official were reportedly injured.
Meanwhile protestors alleged that police used undue force on the peaceful protests demonstration.
COPS GO ‘BERSERK’ IN HABBA KADAL
Residents of Habba Kadal alleged that police and paramilitary CRPF troopers barged into the houses and resorted to arson. “Police and CRPF men appeared in Habba Kadal area and went on a rampage without any provocation. They smashed the windowpanes of the parked vehicles,” locals alleged.
Meanwhile, as the word about the death of four youth spread in old city areas, hundreds of people took to the streets and staged massive pro-freedom protest.
POLICE SPEAKS:
“At 1430 hours this afternoon large groups of stone pelting mobs attacked the traffic, security force and police vehicles at Palhalan, Pattan, and Singhpora in Baramulla (Varmul) district. On return from the spot, IGP Kashmir and his entourage, accompanied by senior police officers came under heavy stone pelting at Palhalan. To prevent mobs from merging into the police party the accompanied force chased the mobs so as to disperse them off. In dispersal some persons were injured, three of them later on passed away. This spot has been witnessing frequent stone pelting by frenzy mobs. Police, security force and civilian vehicles are being targeted at this place. Many civilians including the passengers of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus were injured in a number of stone pelting incidents,” a police spokesman said in the evening.
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2010/Sep/7/kashmir-soaked-in-blood-again-50.asp
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