Shopian: J&K govt wants CRPF camp replaced

The state cabinet,which met on Thursday under the chairmanship of J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah,expressed concern violence in Shopian in south Kashmir,where five people have allegedly been killed by the CRPF in a week. “It (the cabinet) took stock of the investigation by the police into the incident of firing on September 7 at Gagren,Shopian,and noted with dismay that there is no clarity on the facts even five days after the incident,” an official spokesperson said. The cabinet also directed the police to determine all facts pertaining to the case,including the identity of the deceased person,within the next 48 hours.

Related: Curfew in parts of Shopian,Kulgam

The CRPF maintains all four people it killed on Saturday were militants,but the police claim three of the slain youths were civilians,while the fourth,Abdullah Haroon,was a Pakistani militant.

Locals in Shopian as well as separatist leaders,meanwhile,allege that the fourth person killed was a non-state laborer.

The officials said that if the facts are not established on time,a judicial inquiry may be ordered. On Wednesday,a youth identified as Rafiq Ahmed Rather was allegedly killed by CRPF personnel from Gagran camp amid a shutdown called by the separatists over the earlier killings.

Meanwhile,senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a shutdown across the Valley on September 13 and 14. On Thursday,too,the Valley observed a complete shutdown. Angry protesters pelted stones in Baramulla,Delina,Sangrama and Qamarwari. The police had to resort to cane charge and fire teargas shells to quell the protesters.

Moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Omar Farooq said the Gagren CRPF camp has turned into a “killer camp” and demanded its immediate removal from the area. Locals in south Kashmir have also been protesting since Saturday,demanding the removal of the camp.