PDP on the march, demands probe

NT Correspondent

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir CM and Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday led a protest march against the killing of civilians in the Srinagar “encounter” and also demanded a judicial probe into the incident.

Mufti who started protest from her residence, along with the party workers marched towards Raj Bhawan. Families of three out of four people killed in Monday’s evening encounter at Hyderpora locality have denied that their kins had any links with militancy. The encounter, triggered a massive controversy in the valley, forcing authorities to return the dead bodies of two civilians. The J&K government is yet to return the body of Amir Ahmad, from Ramban district in Jammu who was described as “terror associate” by JK Police - a claim rejected by his family.

On Sunday, Mufti at the march urged the J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to take strict action against those involved in the encounter. She also said LG should “apologize” for the Hyderpora encounter. “There should be a judicial probe into the incident and family should be given compensation as well,” she said.

Mufti also demanded that “overg round workers” (OGWs) label given to the three slain men should be removed. “It was claimed that they were OGW’s. But they were innocent... There should be a judicial probe and those involved should get strict punishment,” she said. The LG administration has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. But there are demands that a judicial probe should be ordered into the incident. Mufti also said the security forces haven’t shown any picture of the fourth militant which police said was a Pakistani.