On 1st day of Ramzan, J&K terrorists kill youth

SRINAGAR: Terrorists on Thursday killed a 23-year-old youth in north Kashmir on the very first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, mercilessly rejecting Centre's unilateral ceasefire and reviving fears of massive violence committed in the previous ceasefire 18 years ago in the Valley.
Police on Thursday recovered the body of 23-year-old Hilal Ahmad Parray from an orchard near his house in Bona Mohalla of Hajin, Bandipora in north Kashmir. Parray, sources said, a painter by profession, had been dragged out of his house and abducted by two masked and armed terrorists last night. He was killed by strangling, police said.

The killing assumes significance in view of the Centre's initiative whose objective is to create an environment free of terror and violence for the common people in Kashmir during the month of Ramzan. The New Delhi's initiative, in line with the unanimous demand of the J&K government headed by chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and the opposition, expects the unilateral suspension of combat operations against terrorists to pacify terrorists and their sympathizers.

However, separatist leaders of Hurriyat Conference on Thursday joined Lashkar-e-Taiba in their rejection of the Ramzan ceasefire. While chairman of Hurriyat conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called it a “cosmetic measure” at a seminar ‘Responsibility of Leadership in Safeguarding the Sanctity of Martyrdom’, JKLF chairman Yasin Malik said the Centre had “given Kashmiris only a month to live”.

With no support for the ceasefire coming from militant groups, the killing of youth in Hajin has triggered fears amongst many in Kashmir, reviving the memory of terror through the previous ceasefire announced by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000.

The Vajpayee ceasefire of November 19, 2000, which was later extended three times till May 2016, led to more killings, with terrorists taking advantage of the ceasefire. Nearly 830 people including civilians, militants and security forces were killed during the periods of cessation of combat operations against terrorists. Of the total killings, 348 were civilians and 197 were security forces.

A resident of Pulwama, Ghulam Nabi Gania said that villagers had decided to shut their shops and homes early in the evening now. “It is scary after it turns dark,” he said.