Unknown Gunmen gunned down a civilian in broad day light in North Kashmir’s restive Sopore town on Tuesday. The killing evoked spontaneous shutdown while hundreds of people amid pro-freedom and pro-Lashkar-e-Toiba slogans denounced the cold-blooded murder.Reports said that Sheikh Altaf son of veteran Jamat-e-Islami leader Sheikh Muhammad Yousuf after completing his night shift in Sub-District Hospital Sopore was on way to his residential house located in Iqbal Nagar when unidentified gunmen intercepted him near New Colony Sopore and fired four bullets upon him at a point blank range. Sheikh Altaf suffered critical injuries while few people quickly shifted him to local hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. Block Medical Officer Sopore Dr Masood told CNS that the deceased had received four bullets, two in head, one each in neck and chest. “Sheikh Altaf was an employee in Sub-District Hospital Sopore and we are shocked over his death,” he said.
Eyewitnesses told CNS that as the news about the death of Sheikh Altaf spread in the town, people in large numbers assembled outside the hospital and amid anti-BJP, anti-PDP, anti-India and pro-freedom slogans participated in procession that was taken out from Sopore hospital to Iqbal Nagar.Locals informed CNS that the deceased was associated closely with Tehreek-e-Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Geelani. “Due to his close association with the pro-freedom leaders and for being an ardent supporter of Kashmir freedom struggle,Sheikh Altaf spent many years in different jails. He was religious and pro-freedom activist,” said a group of locals. Recalling an incident that occurred few years back, one of the friends of the deceased told CNS that Sheikh Altaf once slapped a police officer in police station Sopore, after the later allegedly abused him. “He was bold and always used to lead the pro-freedom protest marches in Sopore,” he said.
Pertinently, Sheikh Abdul Rouf, the brother of the deceased was killed in a gun fight in 1999 with the Indian Army.Sheikh Altaf who was laid to rest at martyr’s grave yard Iqbal Market is survived by two daughters and a son. Meanwhile a police official said that a murder case has been registered and investigation has been taken up to trace the suspected militants.
Reports said that hundreds of people participated in the funeral procession of the slain youth while groups of youth clashed with police at Main Chowk Sopore. (CNS)