Killing of mentally ill-man in Shopian, a familiar disturbing trend: Sehrai

Srinagar: Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman Mohd Ashraf Sehrai on Saturday said, “The way Indian forces not even spared mentally challenged persons reflected the mental and immoral bankruptcy of occupational forces towards the Kashmiri people.”
In a statement issued to KNS, he said that “the forces were taking advantage of draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which give unbridled powers to these forces and instigate them to target unarmed civilians.”
Sehrai strongly condemned and anguished over the cold blooded murder of mentally challenged person, Rayees Ahmed Wani of Kulgam in Shopian by forces and said, the “draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) allow security forces to shoot at anybody merely on the basis of a suspicion”. And because “the government promises probes but nobody is ever held responsible, there is no accountability infact these murderers rewarded and promoted.”
“Even before this barbaric killing, the JKCCS had documented 15 alleged killings of mentally ill people in J&K between 2003 and 2011. The circumstances of most of these deaths were similar, according to the JKCCS’s records,” he said.
Meanwhile, TeH delegation led by Distt President Budgaam Tashooq Ahmed Banday accompanied by Ab Majeed Rather and Mohd Sultan Beigh visited the house of slain Mukthyar Ahmed Khan who was killed during Budgaam encounter and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family.
While addressing the mourners, he said, the unprecedented sacrifices of Kashmiri people for Kashmir cause would not go waste.
He said that “India could not silence the voices of Kashmiris through use of brute force.”
The delegation said that the sacrifices of Kashmiri martyrs would bring fruit and Kashmir would be liberated from the clutches of India.
Moreover, another delegations led by Mohd Rafiq Owaisi distt president sgr along with John Mohammad visited the house of TeH activist Mohd Afzal Lal Bazar on the demise of his Mother in Law and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family. (KNS)