Ill make you cry today,hed told mother

In the presence of senior police officials,the CRPF and police were trying to disperse a crowd of protesters on the Baramulla-Srinagar National Highway,barely 150 metres from Asifs home. Since morning protesters had gathered at the spot and in the afternoon they were joined by hundreds of others from Baramulla town heading towards Sopore.

To scare them away,the CRPF fired a few shots,one of which killed the boy standing metres away from the protest.

Family members and relatives remembered Asif as a polite boy who never took part in any protest. On Monday,he went out trying to locate his elder brother Touqeer who had left home in the morning. He was searching his elder brother when he was hit by a bullet in the chest, said his father Ghulam Ahmad Rather,who works in Jamp;K Polices Home Guards department. He was a nine-year-old. Even if my son would have thrown a stone at any person,it could have never harmed anyone, he said. It was a murder of an innocent child.

He said Asif had just returned home after staying at a relatives place for three days. My son was never part of any protest. He was shot by the CRPF when he was trying to run away after hearing the gunshots. My innocent son had jokingly predicted his death when he told his mother I will make you weep today.

Outside his single-storey house,hundreds of villagers gathered to condole the boys death. Asif is the youngest victim of police firing in North Kashmir.