Killings, Abductions, Encounters Continue as Panchayat Elections Enter 3rd Phase in J&K

On Saturday, November 24, Panchayat Elections in Jammu and Kashmir entered the third phase of polling. Voting took place in 2,773 polling stations of which 918 are located in Kashmir division and 1,855 are in Jammu division. Meanwhile, security measures in Kashmir have been increased after an unabated rise in the incidents of abduction and killings across the region.

Overall voter turnout in the Jammu division was around 83 per cent, with 85.2 per cent voters turning out in Ramban and Kishtwar districts to exercise their franchise. Polling was held in Ramban, Kishtwar, Doda, Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri and Poonch districts.

However, in the Valley, the overall voter turnout was 55 per cent with Kupwara registering the highest turnout of 59 per cent and Ganderbal the lowest at 12 per cent.

In the Ladakh region, 75.6 per cent voters cast their votes in Kargil district while in Leh district, the voter turnout was 64.1 per cent.

Overall, the voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir was 75.3 per cent.

Also Read: J&K: Panchayat Polls Plagued by Fraudulent Candidature, “Vote Theft” and Killing

On the same day, two civilians, Ishfaq and Muskan, who were earlier injured during the exchange of fire between government forces and militants succumbed to injuries.

Ishfaq was shot in his head near an army camp in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday evening. He succumbed to injuries on Saturday morning at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS). Ishfaq Ahmad Ganai was the son of Nazir Ahmad Ganai, a resident of Magraypora. He was shot near 50 Rashtriya Rifles (a wing of Indian army) camp at Chattergam in Budgam.

Locals of the village alleged that Ishfaq died due to a bullet fired by the government forces from the camp. But details regarding the circumstances in which the youth was killed are turning murkier as the government forces denied the “allegations”. In their statement, they said that he received a bullet fired by the militants.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, demanding immediate action, said, “The unabated civilian killings in Kashmir must be a cause of concern for every right-thinking person in the state and the country. The killing of civilians in Kashmir is highly condemnable and it should stop immediately.”

He further said that in Kashmir, killings of teenagers are commonplace. The reasons for these murders are often nothing more than the sadism of the one or other party involved in the conflict. It is heart-rending to learn about civilian killings, which have become the norm of the day. The situation calls for immediate de-escalation from all sides.

Former Chief Minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah took to social networking site Twitter, asking the administration to clear the doubt over the killing of Ishfaq. Omar tweeted: “Conflicting reports of the circumstances surrounding Ishfaq Ahmed’s shooting. It’s imperative that the administration establish the factual position to the satisfaction of the people, especially Ishfaq’s family. May Ishfaq find his place in Jannat.”

The other victim was a 14-year-old girl who had received bullet wound in another incident of fire exchange on Thursday this week. According to reports, the girl from Qaimoh, Khudwani area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, was wounded during the exchange of fire between militants and government forces. Muskan Jan was the daughter of Ghulam Nabi. She had sustained injuries on her neck after she was hit by a stray bullet in Wanigund Khudwani of Kulgam district.

As per reports, she was standing near the campus of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology (SKUAST) research centre when the militants were involved in an exchange of gunfire with the government forces. Locals claim that the government forces targeted Muskan from the camp to push militants away. The army camp located near the research centre had earlier been attacked by militants. Muskaan was soon rushed to SKIMS for the specialised treatment where she succumbed to injuries this morning.

Killing and abduction, especially of youth, has become a new phenomenon during the panchayat elections in Kashmir. A day before the third phase of panchayat elections, a former SPO (Special Police Officer) was abducted and later, in the evening, his bullet ridden body was recovered.

An official, while speaking with NewsClick, said that the bullet-riddled body of the former SPO identified as Basharat Ahmad was recovered from Nikloora village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district. Basharat was among the three persons abducted by unknown gunmen from Reban village. Later, the two other abducted people, Riyaz Ahmad Wagay, son of Abdul Hamid and Zahid Ahmad, son of Ali Mohammad were set free.

During last week as many as nine persons were abducted from South Kashmir. Of them, seven were later set free while two persons of Safanagri in Shopian district were killed.