Thousands in Kashmir bid a teary goodbye to Bukhari
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister has already ordered a probe. The accused will not escape... Nobody will be spared,” minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir said in Mumbai.
“It is not a loss only to our family, but to entire Kashmir, especially the journalist fraternity,’’ said Tariq Ahmad, a cousin of Bukhari. “This death has left us devastated. We have no words to express our grief,’’ said another relative, Shabir Ahmad.
A journalist for more than three decades, Shujaat Bukhari established Rising Kashmir a little over 10 years ago.
The paper published a tribute to him on its front page and said it won’t be cowed down.
“You left all too sudden but you will always be our leading light with your professional conviction and exemplary courage. We won’t be cowed down by the cowards who snatched you from us. We will uphold your principle of telling the truth howsoever unpleasant it may be...rest in peace!” the paper said.
Remembering his days with Shujaat Bukhari, president Press Club of Jammu, Ashwani Kumar called the incident as unfortunate. He said it was an attack on democracy. “He was a gentleman and a professional journalist,” he said, adding that Shujaat’s killing was a well planned conspiracy to gag sane voice.
Bukhari is survived by his wife, two children and elderly parents.
OUTFITS BLAME INDIA
Two militant groups on Friday blamed Indian security agencies for the murder of journalist Shujaat Bukhari and demanded an independent probe of his death.
“The killing of Shujaat Bukhari at a time when the UN human rights Commission released a report on human rights abuses by Indian forces in Kashmir raises many questions,” said Syed Salahuddin, head of Hizb-ul-mujahideen and the United Jehad Council. A spokesperson for the Lashkar-e-taiba quoted its chief Mahmood Shah as saying that Bukhari’s murder was a “conspiracy” as “Indian agencies have enmity towards every individual who is loyal to the freedom movement”.