Shopian remains shut for second consecutive day

SRINAGAR: South Kashmir’s Shopian, which witnessed the killing of four civilians and two militants in a shootout on Sunday, and other adjoining areas remained shut for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, even as the Valley’s separatist leaders called for a ‘Shopian Chalo’ march on Wednesday.

Normal life in rest of the Valley was unaffected but train services remained suspended across Kashmir although there are apprehensions about the development of law and order.

Four youths and two militants were found dead after a shootout involving army at Pahnoo, Shopian, on Sunday. While two bodies — one youth and one militant — were found near the site of shooting on Monday morning, four bodies — comprising three youths and a militant — were found on Sunday night itself.

Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik termed the Shopian incident as “another example of brutal Indian aggression” in a joint statement and called on people to march to pay homage to the dead.

The situation in Kashmir is “grim and fast deteriorating”, observed Mirwaiz in a statement on Tuesday. “These forces enjoy complete immunity from any accountability or legal prosecution under the cover of the draconian law AFSPA.”

WHY NO FIR IN SHOPIAN INCIDENT, ASKS NC

The National Conference asked for clarification from the state government on why legal action has not been taken in the Shopian firing, even after CM Mehbooba Mufti accepted that those killed were civilians.

Commenting on Mehbooba’s tweet accepting the youths killed as civilians, NC spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said the CM has not been elected to be a “mute spectator” to civilian killings and express condolences. “She (Mehbooba) is duty-bound to hold the culprits accountable and, if she chooses not to do so, this would be a serious dereliction of her constitutional duties yet again,” Mattu said in a statement.