Army's bid to ‘grab’ graveyard land triggers protests in Balakote

5 Dariya News (Rouf Pampori,Yawar Shafi )

Poonch 18-Jul-2014

Protests erupted in Sabra Gali village in Mendhar area here on Friday after army allegedly tried to grab land belonging to a local graveyard.“Army men from 5 Grenadier camp appeared in a graveyard this afternoon  and began digging  graves for the construction of  a sentry post," villager Nambardar  Mohammad Reyaz,  told GNS."They paid no heed to our objections. When we tried to march towards police station Balakote, the army men closed the main gate of the village," Reyaz said.

Sub-pisional Police Officer, Surinder Chowdary told GNS that a police party was deputed to the area for ascertaining facts.“The police team led by DO Balakote found some construction material on the spot; the army men had dug some holes to erect the base of the sentry post”, the SDPO said, adding that the construction work was stopped following the intervention of higher army officials.Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Poonch Sajad Ahmad told GNS that if army had laid any material inside the graveyard for construction then action will be initiated as per the law.“No one can construct anything inside graveyard and no power can allow army men to construct sentry post”, he said. (GNS)