Majid Jahangir, Srinagar
A youth was killed in Border Security Forces (BSF) firing in Ratnipora area of Pulwama, Kashmir on Tuesday evening.
The incident took place following the eighteen-hour long encounter in the area in which two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed.
Soon after the news of security forces killing two militants spread in the area, large number of people took to the streets, protesting the killings of the militants and resorting to stone-pelting on security forces.
Eye witnesses said that BSF patrol opened fire on protesters to disperse the angry mob resulting into injuries of Bilal. It was not yet confirmed that whether Bilal was a part of any protest or not.
Bilal was brought to the SMHS hospital in Srinagar in a critical condition, but succumbed to his injuries.
The state government has ordered a probe into the incident. The statement issued by the government said, “The security forces have been asked to exercise maximum restraint while dealing with public protests, particularly to avoid causing physical harm to any civilian.”
It further added, “The state government has ordered time-bound investigation and inquiry into the incident to ensure that those who are guilty of the offence are brought to book and punished.”
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) chief spokesperson Dr Mehboob Beg, when contacted by the www.jantakareporter.com to ask his reaction on the killing of a civilian in BSF firing in Pulwama, said, “No doubt it pains and troubles everyone. But such incidents are bound to happen because of violence and when people take law in their hands we see such incidents. Separatists should also condemn violence . Why they are silent.”
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah has expressed grief over the civilian’s killing in Pulwwama.
He tweeted, “Very sorry to hear about the death of Bilal Ahmad Bhat. No words are ever sufficient. Allah unko Jannat naseeb karey.”
This is the third civilian killing since PDP-BJP formed the government in Jammu and Kashmir.