Srinagar: Abid Hussain Ansari, the senior leader of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) and General Secretary of the All Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association, paid heartfelt tributes to the brave martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Kokernag encounter.
According to a press release, he paid the tributes at a press conference. Ansari extended a cautious welcome to the Hurriyat’s transition into mainstream politics. “He raised poignant questions about the accountability for the decades of turmoil and suffering in the region. For nearly 35 years, the Hurriyat leadership played a significant role in guiding the course of Kashmir’s struggle, during which time countless lives were lost, many were left maimed by pellets, and numerous innocent individuals found themselves behind bars. Ansari’s query resonates with the collective anguish of Kashmir’s people, echoing their demand for justice and answers regarding the brutalities endured. It calls for a comprehensive examination of the past and a sincere commitment to a better, more peaceful future for the region,”it said.
Ansari expressed his concerns about the long-standing suffering endured by the residents of Jammu and Kashmir at the hands of terrorists. He underscored the fact that while some leaders of the region had previously distanced themselves during the peak of militancy, they now sought to become prominent figures in mainstream politics. Ansari, in contrast, emphasised that his organisation, founded in 1932, has consistently stood by India, despite facing hardships and marginalization.
Ansari also shed light on the harrowing situation in the Gund Khawaja Qasim area of Baramulla, where individuals like Hakeem, Ghulam Hassan, Manzoor Ahmad, and others were brutally killed.
