Sopur, June 26: Fresh from his class 12 bi-annual examinations and waiting for the result, Firdous was busy helping his father to earn livelihood for the family. He along with some friends had just finished loading a truck in the locality to earn some quick bucks.
 On his return to home, Firdous’s father, Nazir Ahmad Khan, insisted him to go to paddy fields to irrigate them. Firdous obliged. But within 15 minutes he was shot dead by the CRPF troopers.
 “We were together moving near paddy fields when we heard some gun shots. I told Firdous that we should return since situation was bad. However he insisted that encounter was going on at far off place and there was no danger. As he reached near the fields, he was shot at from behind by the troopers,” said a local and eyewitness, Nisar Ahmad.
 The 19 year-old Firdous, Nisar said, was alive for quite some time after being shot. “But we were not allowed to come close to him till he died,” said Nisar.
 “What was my son’s crime? He would never harm anybody not to talk of participating in protests,” cried Nazir Ahmad Khan whose family now consists of two sons and a daughter besides his wife. “He was killed in cold blood,” he said.
 Firdous’s brother, Muddasir, who is shocked over the death, said he had gone to his aunt’s home at Watergam following reports that situation was bad. “They killed my brother. My world is shattered,” he said, amid sobs.
 Beating her chest, Firdous’s mother was calling her son back. “Come home, I am waiting for you since last evening. How can you leave me alone?” she cried.
 Like Shakeel Ahmad Ganai, another youth killed in the CRPF firing on Friday, Khan Family’s story is also of abject poverty. The family lives in a single-storey mud house with father earning the livelihood by daily labour.
 There was visible anger among locals against the government, paramilitary CRPF and army. “They are killing us, one by one. Government has given free hand to the forces to kill us. There is no accountability,” the locals said.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST