Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Jan 15: Security forces have intensified patrolling in sensitive areas of Kashmir valley where the Panchayat members were targeted last week and threatened since last year.
In the meantime, 4 more Panchayat members today resigned from hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s native village in North Kashmir’s Sopore area taking the number of resignations in the area in the past three days to 72.
The fresh wave of panic among Panchayat members spread in Sopore villages of North Kashmir following killing of a Sarpanch in village Bomia and attack on a woman Panch in village Hardshiva in North Kashmir last week.
Army and Police patrolling has been intensified in Sopore areas where a Sarpanch was killed and a Panch was injured in two separate attacks last week. Besides this the patrolling has also been intensified in Pattan areas and in sensitive areas of South Kashmir’s Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian districts.
The patrolling has been intensified after security review meeting taken by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah with the top security officials. The Chief Minister told to security top brass to ensure the sense of security of the Panchs and Sarpanchs in sensitive areas of Kashmir valley.
The four Panchs – Sara Begum, Mushtaq Ahmad Gania, Mohammad Rafiq Mir and Firdous Ahmad Bhat – of village Dooru, Sopore while announcing their resignations said that they fear for their lives due to recent militant attacks.
The Sarpanch of the Panchayat didn’t resign. The Panchs said that he is in Jammu with the entire family while rest of the Pachayat no more exists.
Six Sarpanchs and 29 Panchs of six Panchayats of villages of Dangarpora, Brought, Lagripora and Rashidabad in Sopore announced their disassociation with the Panchayats in front of media at Dak Bunglow, Sopore in North Kashmir yesterday.
On Sunday 33 Panchs and Sarpanchs of Hardshiva and Yemberzalwari villages of Sopore resigned in panic in front of media in Srinagar.
The terrified Panchs and Sarpanchs resigned after the killing of Sarpanch Habibullah Mir of Gooripora Bomai in Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday and attack on a woman Panch, Zooni Begam, of village Hardshiva in Sopore on Saturday in which she was critically injured.
According to official figures, around 1250 Panchayat members resigned so far since 2012 in Kashmir valley when the militants started targeting them by physically eliminating 4 Panchayat members and carrying out armed assault on over two dozen of Panchayat members and issuing threats to them through posters.
The fresh attacks on Panchayat members followed by resignations took place after last month’s successful Legislative Council elections in which over 16000 Panchs and Sarpanchs voted for two LC seats of Kashmir valley.
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