The Canadian high commissioner to India and his family got caught up in a street protest in Kashmir Valley as they were making their way to Gulmarg on Saturday.
The incident occurred in Kuzer town of Baramulla district, some 40 km north of Srinagar, and left the diplomat’s wife with minor injuries and their car damaged.
Canadian envoy Stewart Beck and his family were 20 km from Gulmarg when they ran into the protestors. “They pelted stones at the car, damaging the windshield,” a government source said.
It is not clear how Beck’s wife was injured. Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) AG Mir told HT that it wasn’t a stone that hit her, “The stones only hit the vehicle’s tyre,” he insisted, failing to explain how the windshield was damaged. “No one has been injured,” he said.
Asked whether the envoy was given a full security detail that is usually attached to heads of visiting foreign heads of missions, Mir said: “Everyone got security in the state.”
An official from the Canadian high commission confirmed the incident, “But they (Beck and family) are fine,” the official added.
Saturday’s street protest came after a call for bandh from Kashmiri separatist leader SAS Geelani to protest the alleged killing of five civilians by security forces this month. Protestors were out in full strength in several parts of Kashmir, blocking traffic and attacking vehicles on the roads in several parts of the Valley.
{{/usCountry}}Saturday’s street protest came after a call for bandh from Kashmiri separatist leader SAS Geelani to protest the alleged killing of five civilians by security forces this month. Protestors were out in full strength in several parts of Kashmir, blocking traffic and attacking vehicles on the roads in several parts of the Valley.
{{/usCountry}}