SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 5: He faced the militants' guns and even took two bullets but saved his father's life. Lying on a hospital bed, ten-year-old Waseem Ahmad is in pain but the incident is more traumatic for the family as they feel unprotected.``They (militants) had come to kill my papa. They called him mukhbir (informer for security forces),'' Waseem said. ``He (militant) put hispistol on papa's head, fired but missed. I closed my eyes and for asecond felt papa was dead. Then I jumped over him. Papa was saved.''Waseem's family had moved from their mohalla at Bagh-e-Mehtab just threedays ago to their relative's house at Bemina to avoid the wrath of SpecialOperation Group (SOG) of Police, who were allegedly harassing them.Waseem's father, Abdul Majeed, had been arrested by SOG for harbouringmilitants. But while he was in SOG custody, the militants too becamehis enemy and followed him to their new residence. In fact, a top militantcommander, Nazir Malik, along with another militant, had come personally to``punish'' Majeed for being an informer.``A man in a red sweater came inside the house. Papa and me were having the morning tea. The main door was open and he looked at us. The other man standing outside recognised my papa and shouted, `he is Majeed','' recollects Waseem. ``The man in the red sweater took out a pistol and placed it on papa's head. I thought he was from the Task Force (SOG of Police). Then the other person too barged in and I recognised him. He was Nazir Malik, a militant. I knew him because he used to drop in at our home.''Waseem said the militant in the red sweater placed the pistol on his father'shead and fired. ``I was sitting next to him. It happened in seconds and Iclosed my eyes. I felt papa was dead. But there was no sound. He hadmissed,'' Waseem said. ``He then cocked the pistol to fire again and thisis when I jumped. Papa also pushed him and the bullet hit the othermilitant standing on the door in the leg.'' The child and his father hadmanaged to push the militant out of the door and were trying to lock it. ``Papa was pushing the door and I was trying to lock it. They started firing on the door. I felt something burning in my belly and fell down. Then a bullet scratched my shoulder and I was crying for help,'' Waseem said.Abdul Majeed said his son saved him from a certain death. Majeed kissed his son on the forehead: ``Nothing will happen to me now.''Waseem's older brother Gulzar (12) was stranded on the first floor where hismother and grandmother were crying for help. He said the injured militanthad taken out the pin of his grenade but it exploded in his hand. Thescuffle had been on for 15 minutes when the Border Security Force personnelcamping nearby rushed after hearing sound of the grenade blast. ``Theythen shot him while the other militant had already fled,'' Gulzar said.``My father is not a mukhbir. They (militants) got angry because he tookthe police for raids at a few places,'' said Gulzar. ``What could he havedone? They (the police) were torturing him in their custody. To save hislife, he accepted that militants used to visit our house.''The entire family has made the hospital ward their home. They cluster around Waseem's bed as if making a security ring for the child, who is lying there with his belly ripped apart by a bullet. A bullet has scratched his shoulder as well. He may be out of danger, but there's little hope that the family may be able to resume normal life again.
