Srinagar: Thousands of people on Wednesday attended the funeral prayers of youth namely Adil Farooq who was killed in government forces firing yesterday at Shopian district of South Kashmir while scores of youth and policemen were injured in clashes against the killing amid shutdown in Shopian and Pulwama districts.
According to GNS correspondent, thousands of people converged at Ganawpora in Shopian for the last rites of Adil Magray who was killed yesterday when clashes raged in Ganawpora following a cordon and search operation. The youth was killed when forces opened fire on pro-militant protesters who were pelting stones to help trapped militants flee in the village. The youth was hit in abdomen and succumbed at Shopian hospital.
Following the youth’s killing, massive protests broke out in Shopian yesterday and today thousands of people thronged Ganawpora for the last rites of Adil Farooq. Reports said men, women and children staged pro-Islam, pro-freedom and anti-India protests at Ganawpora during the funeral of the slain. The funeral of the slain was attended by thousands and he was laid to rest amid tears and sobs.
Though no group had called for strike, a complete shutdown was observed in Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora, Pampore and other areas of the South Kashmir against the killing of youth. Reports said massive clashes broke out in Memandar, Imam Sahab, Sofanawan villages of Shopian between the youth and government forces against the killing. Many youth sustained injuries during the clashes.
Around seventeen students were injured when hundreds of students at Kadlabal and Namblabal areas of Pampore town staged violent protests against killing of Adil Farooq. The students pelted stones on forces and engaged them in pitched battles. The day-long clashes in Pampore resulted in complete shutdown in the area. Locals alleged that several people were beaten to pulp by government forces without any provocation.
Massive clashes also broke out at Awantipora along Srinagar-Jammu highway after scores of students of Islamic University of Science and Technology were teargassed by police. The students had blocked the highway and were shouting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. The clashes in the area resulted in chaos after which shopkeepers downed their shutters. Reports said that the clashes also broke out at Pulwama Town and Newa between students and government forces.
Police said that the students of IUST Awantipora and students of Higher Secondary School Pampore both girls and boys protested and indulged in stone pelting on the forces. “They also blocked National Highway. In order to maintain peace and tranquility security forces deployed in the area dispersed them with maximum restraint. Large number of police personnel received injuries due to heavy stone pelting by the students in Namblabal Pampore and University Road Awantipora. The situation was brought under control and the National Highway was kept through for vehicular movement,” a J&K police spokesperson said.
Deputy Commissioner Shopian has ordered a probe into the killing of Farooq and appointed ACR Shopian as enquiry officer. The DC has asked the ACR to probe the circumstances which led to the death of the youth and submit probe report within 25 days. The DC said that the probe was ordered on the demand of local delegation which met him today.
The Joint resistance leadership while strongly condemning the killing of Shopian youth today called for a Valley-wide strike on Friday. The leadership including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik in a joint statement issued to GNS also appealed people to protest what they termed cold blooded murder of Adil Farooq on Friday.
According to IUST authorities, the classwork shall remain suspended in the varsity on Thursday and Friday. The District Magistrate Pulwama has also ordered suspension of classwork in all colleges and higher secondaries of the district.(GNS)
(GNS)
