If elected to power, will probe all killings: Farooq Abdullah

Asking the people to support his party to bring an end to the human rights violations in Kashmir, National Conference chief and parliamentarian Farooq Abdullah Saturday said if his party is elected to power he will announce probe into all killings by a truth and reconciliation commission.

“We hope that God brings our party to power strongly and we don’t have to stand on crutches (referring to the coalition). This (probe) will be a great thing that we will announce on the very first day when the new government will take over,” he said.

   

He added, “We will appoint a commission (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) and see to it that the results are brought before the people,” said Abdullah.

He was responding to a question by the media men regarding the 2016 killings on the sidelines of the workers’ meet in Dakbanglow in Anantnag.

Around one hundred people were killed and hundreds more blinded due to use of deadly pellets by the government forces during 2016 summer uprising, which was triggered by the killing of popular Hizb commander BurhanWani when the PDP-BJP coalition government was in power in the state.

Abdullah who represents Srinagar-Budgam constituency in the LokSabha said his son and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah has already asked for such commission.

Abdullah also said his party won’t support ‘Operation All-out’ launched against the militants.

“How can we support such a thing where there is suppression? It is not a question of ‘all out’. We don’t want our people to suffer. That has never been part of National Conference’s policy,” he said when asked whether his party will support the continuation of ‘Operation All-out’.

Abdullah said his party was not going to support any violence or violation of human rights. “Everyone is free, we live in a free country. And therefore we as a government will have to see that freedom expression is not curbed,” he said.

Abdullah asked people to support the NC and give it a full mandate in the upcoming assembly polls to bring an end to the human rights violations.

“All political parties are unanimous in their stand against the civilian killings.  These killings should not happen at all. Even the United Nations Human Rights Commission has taken note of it,” Farooq added.

Accusing BJP of whipping up communal passions and dividing people in India, Abdullah, said, “The communal forces are up to divide us on the pretext of religion, caste, creed and language. However, we have secular-minded people in our country who have come together to fight them.”

He said that during the past five years of the BJP rule, “not only the Muslims but all minorities have suffered. Dalits and farmers have faced the worst form of oppression under this government.” 

Earlier, Abdullah flanked by senior party leaders Ali Mohammad Sagar, Nasir AslamWani, AltafWani (Kaloo) and Syed Basheer Ahmad Shah (Veeray) welcomed several people into the party fold. 

Those who joined the NC included PDP district coordinator for Anantnag Advocate GhulamMuhamadThokroo and Farooq Ganai son of former NC minister Akbar Ganai from Dooru.

Ganai who had unsuccessfully contested 2014 assembly elections from Dooru on the NC ticket rejoined the party two years after he had quit it.

Zonal president PDP for AnantnagNazir Ahmad Ganai has also quit the party. However, Nazir said he is yet to decide which party he would join.

Meanwhile, principal and district session judge Anantnag, Syed Tawqeer Ahmad has sought voluntary retirement citing “family compulsions”. Sources said that Ahmad who hails from Kokernag area of the district is likely to contest elections from there on the NC ticket.

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