Srinagar: Political leaders from various parties in Jammu and Kashmir visited the residence of ex-serviceman Manzoor Ahmad Wagay in Kulgam on Wednesday to offer condolences after he was shot dead by terrorists on Monday.
Leader of Opposition in the J-K Assembly and BJP leader Sunil Sharma, state BJP president Sat Paul Sharma, and former MLA Ravindra Raina were among those who met the grieving family. PDP leader Iltija Mufti and National Conference (NC) spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar also visited to express their sympathies.
BJP leaders accused Pakistan of orchestrating targeted killings out of frustration over peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir.
“This is condemnable, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” said BJP’s Ravindra Raina.
Sharma further blamed the National Conference for the region’s prolonged bloodshed, particularly pointing to the deaths in 2010 during Omar Abdullah’s tenure as chief minister.
“The National Conference has been responsible for the unrest in Kashmir since 1931. The party must remember that their chief minister oversaw the killing of 110 people in just 10 days,” Sharma alleged.
His remarks came in response to NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar, who had earlier claimed that the Centre’s assertions of improved security post-Article 370 abrogation had proven false.
Dar hit back, accusing BJP leaders of politicizing the ex-serviceman’s killing.
“They should be ashamed. I did not blame anyone, but do they forget that the Lieutenant Governor, who controls law and order, belongs to their party?” he said.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti, after meeting the bereaved family, emphasized their plight, stating that they had lost their sole breadwinner.
“The family must be compensated, and an investigation should be ordered as they fear further targeting,” she said.
She also criticized the authorities for detaining a large number of youth in the aftermath of the attack.
“Are we all militants? There is an atmosphere of fear. People tell me they cannot sleep at night. Kashmir has been turned into an open prison,” Mufti remarked. (KINS)
Pol leaders visit family of slain ex-army man in Kulgam
