Handwara killings: NC barred from visiting victims’ families

‘We allowed Opposition during our Govt’

5 Dariya News

Srinagar 15-Apr-2016

National Conference Friday said that its leaders were barred by the authorities to visit the bereaved families of the Handwara firing victims.“We were on way to Handwara when police stopped us at Sopore and asked us that we will not be allowed to move ahead towards Handwara,” NC’s General Secretary, Ali Mohammad Sagar said in press conference at Nawa-i-Subah.Sagar said that the party has selected a group of leaders, including MLA Sonawari Mohammad Akbar Lone, NC provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, former minister Saifullah Mir and MLC Kaiser Jamsheed Lone to visit Handwara to offer condolences with the families.“Police on Thursday had told us that we will be allowed today (Friday) to visit Handwara but they stopped us. During our government, we allowed the opposition (PDP) to visit the families of victims,” he said. 

The NC leader said that the government’s claims that one of its ministers is camping in Kupwara to meet the families of the victims is “totally wrong”. “The families of the victims told us that no PDP minister had met them in these days. PDP is lying that it has kept one of its ministers there,” Sagar claimed. The government on Thursday had said that minister for rural development Abdul Haq Khan is camping in Handwara and meeting the families and the administrative officials to pacify and monitor the situation.Four civilians including an elderly woman were killed in Kupwara district this week after protests against the alleged molestation of a school girl by an army man. The Kashmir valley has been tense since then. (KNS)