Hurriyat leader shot dead in Anantnag

A statement by the joint separatist leadership, comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Yasin Malik, blamed the government for killing and called for a complete shutdown in the Valley on Thursday.

Mir was killed when gunmen barged into his house in Achabal and fired at him from point blank range. (Representational)

Hurriyat leader Mir Hafizullah was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Kashmir’s Anantnag district Tuesday, eight days after he reportedly received threatening calls. Mir was killed when gunmen barged into his house in Achabal and fired at him from point blank range.

“Terrorists today barged inside the residential house of one Hafizullah Mir at Budoora Achabal district Anantnag and fired indiscriminately,” a police statement said. “In this incident Hafizullah sustained critical gunshot wounds and was evacuated to nearby hospital where he succumbed. Police has registered a case under relevant sections of law and initiated investigation in the matter.”

A statement by the joint separatist leadership, comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Yasin Malik, said, “Mir Hafizullah was a highly educated, sensible and visionary pro-freedom leader and his sincerity, dedication and sacrifices have earned him a distinguished place and status in the state political circles especially South Kashmir.” They blamed the government for killing and called for a complete shutdown in the Valley on Thursday.

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At Achabal, several thousand people attended his funeral, which was also addressed telephonically by Geelani, the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat founder.

Mir, the district president of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, was recently released from jail. He was arrested in 2016 for leading protests in Anantnag after security forces gunned down Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani

On November 12, the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat in a press statement had said that Mir is receiving threatening calls from some unknown numbers.

Bashaarat Masood

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More

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