26 % polling in Srinagar,Youth killed in CRPF firing at Old city

Mirwaiz, Geelani, Malik called for Strike on Thursday

5 Dariya News (Muzaffar Bhat, Rouf Pampori)

Srinagar 30-Apr-2014

As the polling in Srinagar by and large passed off peacefully on Wednesday, it ended with a dreadful note of the killing of a youth in Nawakadal area of the old city.According to the reports received as the polling staff was leaving the respective election booths from Eidgah area, the vehicles carrying polling staff was attacked near Gratabal area of Nawakadal where youth hurled stones towards them.The police sources told that it had to fire in self defiance as the cavalcade was heavily attacked with the stones from all sides. Reports maintained that the protesters had injured some CRPF personnel through stones and it retaliated by firing on protesters.Bashir Ahmad, age 24 was reportedly injured during the firing. He was hit by  a bullet in his abdomen. Bashir was taken to the SKIMS where doctors declared him brought dead.The news of Bashir’s death spread like the wild fire in the entire old city with youth took to streets to protest against his killing.Reports informed that the stone pelting incidents took place at various areas of the Srinagar with the protesters attacking the CRPF posts. Unconfirmed reports said that the protesters had tried set ablaze a CRPF bunker at Kawdara but the security forces foiled their attempt.

Panic griped the entire area of the Srinagar and also the pro-freedom camp while issuing the strike call for Thursday, slammed authorities over the incident. As Chairman Huriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani and JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik  issued a strike call for Thursday against the killing, JKLF chief who continues to remain detained from the last 23 days stated that the authorities has revenged people for boycotting the polls. “When it failed to lure people near polling booths, the authorities have now resorted to the killing spree of the youth,” JKLF spokesman quoting Yasin Malik told   The situation during the polling day in Srinagar was by and large normal with the heavy deployment of police and CRPF guarding the road. Several barricades were placed at various places of Srinagar to thwart any protest demonstration. Children were seen playing cricket in the inner streets of Srinagar with the people at various areas in downtown discussing the expected poll percentage. Kashmir’s pro-freedom camp already had issued a strike call on April 30 and had asked people to stay indoors and not to vote.

Dr Showkat Zargar, director SKIMS confirmed that a youth who was brought to SKIMS was already dead due to excessive blood loss. He said that two injured CRPF personnel were also brought to SKIMS for treatment. The deceased youth was laid to rest at Eidgah. A senior spokesman in the civil administration told that curfew will be imposed in old city on Thursday. “Curfew will be imposed in the areas falling under jurisdiction of seven police stations in Down Town area on Thursday to avoid any law and order situation,” said the senior spokesman in the civil administration. According to a police statement issued “In the evening after the polling was over a party of security forces came under severe attack by some miscreants in Nawakadal area jurisdiction of police station Safakadal Srinagar. The miscreants snatched the weapon of a security force personnel. In the ensuing scuffle two persons identified as Bashir Ahmed Bhat son of Ghulam Hassan Bhat resident of Gratbal Nawakadal and Nazir Ahmed Kaloo resident of Nawakadal got injured. Bashir Ahmed later on succumbed to his injuries. While Nazir Ahmed Kaloo has got injured in arm and is out of danger.” 

Meanwhile, around 26 percent of the total electorate of the 02-Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency cast their vote in today’s polling. Disclosing this at a press conference here today, the Chief Electoral Officer, Umang Narula said 11.46 percent votes were cast in Srinagar, 39.50percent in Budgam and 45.61percent in Ganderbal districts and figures of exact polling are being received from different areas of these districts, which would subsequently add up the final poll percentage. He said around 2500 migrant voters also exercised their franchise in special polling booths set up in Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi.

The Chief Electoral Officer said that as many as 1546 polling stations were set up across the Parliamentary Constituency, which included 233 critical and 1021 hypersensitive. He also said that web casting was done in as many as 44 booths, besides 15 digital as well as 51 video cameras were installed for covering the voting process.  Narula said 197 Micro Observers were deployed for the Parliamentary Constituency. The Chief Electoral Officer said 14 candidates were in fray for the Constituency which comprised 1206919 electors covering 15 Assembly segments.