Who killed Shujaat and why?

Shafiq Mir
This is not surprising that all columnists known for writing columns of thousands of words on daily basis and the journalists known for doing investigative journalism  have suddenly gone silent over the brutal killing of veteran journalist and ambassador of peace Syed Shujaat Bukhari, because it is really dangerous to believe against the belief of your ruler. Here in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the ruler is masked “Gun Man”. Those who wrote something since his brutal killing took the safer side by writing either his qualities or pleading his innocence but no body touched the real part of the story that who killed him.
The story of story teller, Syed Shujaat Bukhari, Editor-In-Chief daily Rising Kashmir news paper ends like this. As per reports, on 14th June 2018 at about 7:30 PM or some minutes before two to three unidentified gun men came on motor bike and emptied full magzines of their guns on Shujaat Bukhari when he was boarding his vehicle just outside his office in press enclave area of Srinagar in the heart of city. He died on spot along with his one security guard while his second security guard died on way to hospital. The news of attack on Shujaat Bukhari spread like a wild fire in the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir with in minutes. Thousands of hands were up for prayers but all in vein as he had already gone to the eternal peace. Most of the people came to know about the stature of Shujaat Bukhari only after his death when mourning and condemning messages started pouring in from opposition to rulling class of India and abroad. Sensing the mood of the people back home, no body took the responsibility of this brutal murder as done in other cases in the past. On the following day,there was a sea of people in his funeral procession at his native village  Kareeri in Baramulla district of North Kashmir which included separatist leaders of the state beside opposition and rulling class of the pro-India political parties and perhaps his killers were also among the mourners.
Now the main question is who killed Shujaat Bukhari and why ? Though Government has blamed militants for this brutal murder and constituted an SIT sepcial investigation team to identify the shooters, who executed the orders, however, all major militant organisations including united jihad council and Lasker-e Toiba denied their involvement and put blame on the Government forces. But the majority including local journalists, activists and politicians have gone silent  fearing the same fate which Shujaat met because of speaking on such issues.
Here is an account which tells volumes about Shujaat’s murder. If his close friends are to be believed Shujaat knew in advance about a possible attack on his life and he had brought this thing to the knowledge of authorities in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Soon after his killing on 14th June 2018, at 8:28 pm, his close friend and journalist from Rawalakote PoK wrote on his Facebook page that Shujaat’s martyrdom is the result of a negative campaign launched against him on social media. He said the ground was being prepared for his killing adding that Shujaat had already informed him about the possible attack on his life. He said, in this connection, Shujaat had already informed the Government institutions in Srinagar about this and some concerned quarters in Islamabad were also informed in advance but no body cared. However, Ershad Mehmood didn’t divulge the details that which concerned quarters were informed in Islamabad. In his another Facebook post, on june 16,2018, (Eid Day) Ershad Mehmood wrote an other detailed article in which he said that the enmity against Shujaat had gained momentum  after he had organised a conference of cross LoC politicians and intellectuals in Dubai last year in 2017. He says with out any investigation, UJC chief Syed Sllah u Din had issued a statement in which he had declared all the participants of Dubai conference as traitors and paid agents of Delhi.
And next day, LeT had also threatened to teach lesson to all these traitors. Ershad Mehmood says some time before Dubai conference Shujaat had made a telephinc call to him from Srinagar that he was informed by the Government agencies that his shoot orders have been issued. “ Shujaat told me to talk to Peer Sahib”. “With a little effort I managed meeting with UJC chief Syed  Sallahudin and shared Shujaat’s apprehensions and sought his help. In his reply Syed Sallahudin told me that he was not such a low to issue the shoot orders for a journalist. Ask Shujaat don’t worry”, reveals Ershad Mehmood in his article. Ershad further says that for the past four months a strong campaign was launched against Shujaat in social media describing him as Delhi agent. He said some of such fake Facebook account holders are putting up in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.  Nothing more to say. Rest In Peace (RIP) Syed Shujaat Bukhari.
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