Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Aug 2: A protester was killed and three others were wounded, one of them critically, when Personal Security Officer (PSO) of Sub District Magistrate Ramban fired at protesters on the National Highway at Letpora in Pulwama after the vehicle in which they were travelling was torched by protesters.
Education Minister Naeem Akhtar’s house at Parray Pora, Srinagar was attacked with petrol bombs last night causing minor damage to the house. However, no one was hurt.
Tonight, the official vehicle of Sub District Magistrate Ramban, Babu Ram, was set afire at Letpora in Pulwama on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and his Personal Security Officer (PSO) opened fire killing one protester and injuring three others.
Reports said that SDM Ramban was on his way to Ramban from Srinagar and when he reached Letpora in Pulwama on National Highway tonight, his vehicle was stopped and he was asked to come out of the Scorpio and it was torched.
The PSO of the SDM opened fire on the protesters killing Farooq Ahmad Kuchay son of Ghulam Nabi Kuchay of Letpora and injuring three others. One injured, Suhail Ahmad Wani of Letpora, is critical and is undergoing treatment at SKIMS hospital in Soura, Srinagar. The SDM was later rescued by the Army along with the PSO.
Last night, two petrol bombs were thrown at the Education Minister’s house at Parray Pora in Srinagar. One of the bombs fell in the compound and another one outside on the road. No one was hurt in the attack. However, window panes of the house were broken due to the impact of the bomb.
Akhtar was not in the house as he is living in an official bungalow in the high security Gupkar Srinagar for last over a year. The attack is first of its kind on the house of a Minister since the eruption of violence last month. Earlier, for last few days there have been petrol bomb attacks on police in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Elsewhere in Kashmir, there were massive protests even as curfew continued in parts of Srinagar and Anantnag for 25th day today. There were restrictions in other parts of the Valley and security was also heavily deployed at sensitive places to prevent any clashes. Meanwhile, a Bhartiya Janta Party leader has announced his resignation from the saffron party publicly in Kulgam district of South Kashmir today.
In Kulgam, a BJP leader, Ghulam Hassan Zargar who unsuccessfully contested 2014 Assembly polls, announced his resignation from the party publicly during a protest rally at Bugam in the district.
The curfew continued in 8 police station areas of Srinagar to prevent protests. The curbs also continued in parts of South Kashmir that has been the epicenter of violence after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen divisional commander Burhan Wani last month in which 52 people including two cops were killed and over 6000 injured.
Clashes erupted at Nowhatta, Saraf Kadal, Safa Kadal and Khanyar areas of old city in the evening soon after the deployment was withdrawn. The clashes also erupted at Palhallan, Trehgam and Hayen in Tral. At Trehgam Kupwara, three protesters including one Shabir Ahmad and Javaid Malik were injured.
Large number of women today also protested at Abi Guzar, Nowgam and other areas of Srinagar. The women protests also erupted at Singhpora in Pattan, Vihil, Memandar and Khansahab areas of Shopian. The protests, however, remained peaceful.
In the meantime, over two dozen motor cycles were seized by police that were being used in protest rallies and some youth were also threatening shopkeepers by using these two wheelers for communication.
The residents in Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama districts at several places held nocturnal protests against police raids on stone pelters in these areas. Residents in Kareemabad, Gudoora, Sirnoo, Monghama and other nearby villages came out last night after police conducted raids in these villages.
In the meantime, members of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (JKHCBA), Srinagar, today protested against the use of pellet guns on protesters and civilian killings in Kashmir. The protesting lawyers assembled in lawn of High Court and marched towards the main road.
The Valley observed shutdown, protests and curfew for 25th day today. Schools and colleges remained closed. The attendance in the Government offices was negligible in Srinagar city and other parts of Kashmir valley.
The train services between Banihal and Baramulla remained disrupted for 25th day today and major roads and highways also remained shut.
The shops, business establishments and most of the banks remained shut with only some shops selling essentials opened in the early morning and late evening and people were seen busy in buying essentials.
The prepaid cell phone services and mobile internet continues to remain blocked across Valley and only BSNL broadband internet services are functional.
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