Unknown gunmen shot dead a Hurriyat activist in southern Shopian district on Thursday afternoon, the police said.
A police official said that Tariq Ahmad Ganie, an active member of Hurriyat Conference (G), was shot near his residence in Memander village, resulting in his death on spot.
Ganie, a former militant, was arrested in mid-nineties and had joined the Hurriyat soon after his release. He had also served as district president of the Muslim League led by Masarat Alam Bhat.
Over the years, Ganie was several times booked under the Public Safety Act. He walked out of jail on July 29, 2017 after facing a year-long detention under PSA, a police official said.
As the word about Ganie’s killing spread, large number of people from several places in Shopian and far-off areas reached his native village to participate in his funeral prayers.
A witness said that a group of militants surfaced during the funeral and offered a gun salute to the deceased.
Ganie is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen shot at and injured a special police officer at Karimabad village in southern Pulwama district on Wednesday night.
A police official said that gunmen barged into the house of SPO Bilal Ahmad Ganie and fired upon him at around 11.40 pm. He was rushed to district hospital Pulwama from where doctors referred him to the Bone and Joints Hospital, Srinagar, for advanced treatment, he said.
In the same village, gunmen also thrashed another policeman after forcing entry into his house. He was identified as Muhammad Ashraf Bhat.
JRL CONDEMNS
In a statement, the JRL strongly condemned the killing of Hurriyat activist Ganai.
“Before this incident, many pro-freedom activists have been targeted by unidentified gunmen and it seems that under a well thought-out plan, some forces are strengthening the hands of unidentified gunmen to kill pro-freedom leaders and activists,” the statement read.