KL Report
SRINAGAR
Pleading that Nawakadal firing incident reflects failure on part of armed forces to adhere to the Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) by resorting to direct firing at vital parts of protestors, the Hurriyat Conference (M) has approached National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking orders for investigations into the killing of a youth Bashir Ahmad Bhat on April 30 evening.
According to Hurriyat (M) letter addressed to Dr Ashok Sahu, IES, Secretary General National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, the Hurriyat (M) leader Syed Salim Geelani, head of the Human Rights Division of Hurriyat (M), has said that CRPF personnel opened fire on a group of youth in Nawakadal area of old Srinagar on April 30 and killed Bashir Ahmad Bhat (22) son of Mohammad Shafi, a Pashmina weaver and injured Haleema Bano wife of Reyaz Ahmad Shakhsaz and Nazir Ahmad Kaloo, all residents of Gratabal-Nawakdal, Srinagar.
“The victim was hit by three bullets in his abdomen and was shifted to SKIMS Hospital Srinagar but was declared as brought dead. Locals alleged that CRPF opened fire on youth without any provocation. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir as well as Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has censured CRPF for killing a youth,” the Hurriyat (M) letter in possession of KNS reads.
It adds that the incident has evoked a widespread resentment across Kashmir and authorities imposed curfew for three days. “The unfortunate part of the incident is that armed forces once again have miserably failed to adhere to the Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) and have resorted to firing directly at the vital parts of the protestors. No Rule of Law is followed by the security personnel. Kindly order investigations so that precious lives are saved in Kashmir,” Geelani has said in his letter to NHRC.
