Ex-BJP sarpanch killed in Kashmir was asked for ID before being gunned down by militants

The couple — Tabrez and wife Farha – were moved from the Government Medical College in Anantnag to the Army’s 92 base hospital in Badamibagh Cantonment, Srinagar, Sunday.

Relatives of former sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, a resident of Herpora village in Shopian, said gunmen barged into his house Saturday night and fired at him. “We heard some gunshots but stayed inside out of fear,” said a relative. “A few minutes later, his wife came wailing. She said Ajaz has been shot at. Sometime later, Army and police arrived and we took him to hospital. The doctors said that he was dead.”

Police sources said the gunmen asked Sheikh for his identity and then opened fire from point blank range. “He was hit by eight bullets,” said a police officer. “The bullets hit him in his chest and abdomen.”

On Sunday morning, as Sheikh’s body arrived in his village, hundreds of people came out to attend his last rites. The villagers praised Sheikh’s work as a sarpanch. Elected sarpanch five years ago, his term ended in January this year. Associated with the BJP, a video of Sheikh praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for development efforts had gone viral recently.

The attack on him came barely 15 minutes after unidentified gunmen in a two-wheeler fired at tourist couple Tabrez and Farah in Pahalgam.

At their home Pathanon ka Chowk in Jaipur, Tabrez’s father Aslam Khan said both his sons along with their families and 50 others from the locality were on a 10-day trip to Kashmir.

He said he was having dinner Saturday night when his elder son called to inform about the attack on Tabrez and Farah around 8.30 pm.

“The family was returning to the hotel at night. Tabrez and Farah along with their children were walking behind when suddenly terrorists on a bike started shooting. A bullet ran through my son’s eye and nose while Farah received a bullet on her shoulder,” said Khan.

“The children were shocked and hid under a table nearby. Others in the group also hid in a shelter. When the shooting stopped, they came out to help the two. After around 30 minutes, the military arrived and they were taken to hospital.”

Aslam said the daughter of the couple is so shocked that she has stopped speaking. The tourist group is now trying to return to Jaipur.

Tabrez’s mother Majida has not had any food since Saturday night after getting to know of the attack.

A relative said Farah and Tabarez have been married for 15 years. The twins were born after previous complications.

Farah’s mother Afzal Bano said she is praying for her daughter and son-in-law. “If anything happens to them, who will look after the children? I cannot imagine what the children must have gone through.”

She said she had a word with our daughter Sunday morning before she underwent a surgery. “She was crying,” said Bano.

Farah’s father Shaukat Khan appealed to the state government to help at least two persons from the family to visit Kashmir to take care of the children.

He said they want all of them to return to Jaipur. “We cannot keep an eye on the progress of their health from Jaipur. If they arrive home, we can take care of them. We cannot tell you how thankful we are that they have not lost their life,” said Shaukat.

Condemning the twin attacks, Lt-Governor Manoj Sinha Sunday said the government has given a free hand to J&K Police and security forces to “crush terrorists and their associates”.

“I am deeply shocked at the terrorist attack and the brutal killing of former sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh. He was an exemplary grassroots leader and will be remembered for his selfless service to the people. … The heinous attack on tourists at Pahalgam is also distressing,” Lt-Governor Sinha said.

Elections in South Kashmir for the Anantnag-Rajouri seat will be held on May 25. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Vijay Kumar and CRPF Inspector General Ganender Verma visited Pahalgam and Shopian, respectively, to review the security situation.

Mainstream political leaders in the Valley also condemned the attacks.

“I have said it time and again that these people in Delhi say that Article 370 was responsible for terrorism. How many years have passed since 370 has been abrogated? Has terrorism ended? Ask them who reign in Delhi,” National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said. “An innocent sarpanch of BJP was killed. Didn’t he have a right to live? This is a free country. Anybody can be with any party.”

Abdullah also cautioned Pakistan. “I want to tell our neighbour Pakistan that peace will not come till terrorism remains,” he said. “Stop this terrorism and then the two countries will sit and talk.”