Lawaypora Gunfight: Father of slain ‘militant’ digs grave, demands dead body

SRINAGAR — The father of one of the three slain ‘militants’ killed in Srinagar encounter on Tuesday (December 29), has dug a grave in his native Bellow village of Pulwama, demanding the dead body of his son.

Mushtaq Ahmad, father of slain Ather Mushtaq, while digging the grave, said, “I am asking the Indian government and particularly DC Pulwama to handover the dead body of my son.”

“My son was innocent who was killed in cold blood,” he said.

Alleging that he wasn’t given a chance to have the last glimpse of his dead son, he said that all his efforts failed as officials denied him any opportunity in this regard.

“I want justice and if I was denied my dead son’s body, I will end my life,” he said.

Police have already said that three youth killed in Lawaypora Hokersar encounter were militants. It said that two were hardcore over-ground workers while the third one might have joined militancy recently.

These three slain youth were identified as Ajaz Maqbool Ganaie of Mitrigam Pulwama, Athar Mushtaq Wani of Bellow Pulwama and Zubair Ahmed Lone, a resident of Turkwangam Shopian.

The trio was buried in Sonamarg area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.