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Shopian killings: separatists rejects judicial probe by CM
Separatists, on Wednesday, rejected the judicial probe announced by chief minister Omar Abdullah into the twin cases of killings in south Kashmir's Shopian district and described it "an attempt to shield the culprits".
Separatists, on Wednesday, rejected the judicial probe announced by chief minister Omar Abdullah into the twin cases of killings in south Kashmir's Shopian district and described it "an attempt to shield the culprits".
Hardline Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani termed the announcement a "joke".
"Such inquiries never reached any conclusion in the past. We reject the fresh judicial inquiry," said 84-year-old Geelani.
On the floor of the state assembly, the chief minister on Tuesday announced a probe by a retired judge into the killings of September 7 -- when four people, including a militant were killed, in CRPF firing -- and September 11 -- when a protester was shot during a protest.
The probe announcement came after the principal opposition party, People's Democratic Party (PDP), moved adjournment motions to discuss the recent killings in Markundal, Gool, Kishtwar and Shopian killings.
South Kashmir's Shopian and Kulgam districts were on the boil for weeks together after civilian killings. The government had to put several towns in south Kashmir under curfew for two weeks to bring situation under control.
Moderate Hurriyat, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, also accused the chief minister of "resigning the killings' cases to an unending process of another fake probe".
"It has become a routine that the government announces a probe to douse passions of people after the civilian killings. The probes are announced to shield the culprits," said a moderate Hurriyat spokesman.
Describing the mainstream leaders as "so-called representatives of a so-called assembly," the Hurriyat spokesman accused the politicians of double standards.
"When ex-army chief VK Singh disclosed payoff being made to these politicians, they created a scene inside the so-called assembly. But the same people never demanded an inquiry or this assembly never reprimanded anyone involved in killings of civilians," alleged the Hurriyat spokesman.
