Hyderpora Encounter: Families intensify protest to get bodies of slain for burial

The families urged J&K’s mainstream camp, especially former chief ministers—Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti asking them to move beyond tweets and join the protest demanding justice and decent burial of slain youth.

Srinagar (Jammu-Kashmir):Family members of Muhammad Altaf Bhat and Dr Mudasir Gul, who were killed in crossfire in the Hyderpora encounter, continued to protest on Wednesday, demanding bodies and justice without any further delay.

The families also urged Jammu & Kashmir mainstream politicians, especially former chief ministers — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti- to join the families in their protest seeking decent burial of the slain.

“Today, we are protesting to seek the body of slain Altaf back without any delay. If the police don't give us his body back, we will block all roads and protest on streets,” Dr Haneef Ahmed, brother of Altaf, said.

He further said that all the former chief ministers — Omar Abdullah, his father Farooq Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, and other politicians should move beyond Twitter and join the families in the protest.

READ:Hyderpora encounter: PDP chief demands judicial probe into Srinagar gunfight

“Today, this has happened to us and tomorrow it may happen with you also. We also appeal to all Muslims, Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits living in Kashmir to stand with us,” Haneef said, adding, "when IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar has himself admitted that Altaf was a civilian and was killed in a crossfire, what prompted him to take my brother’s body to Handwara for burial.”

“We appeal to the IGP to return to us the body of Altaf and at the same time we seek LG Manoj Sinha’s intervention too in the issue,” he said.

Relatives of Dr Mudasir Gul, who were also part of the protest, urged the administration to ensure that his body was handed over for a decent burial.

"My husband was not a militant supporter. My only demand is justice and his body be returned without further delay," Gul's widow Humaira said.

"We have an 18-month-old daughter who has been asking for her baba (father) since yesterday and he won't be home ever," she rued.

On Tuesday, police claimed to have killed a foreign militant Haider along with his local aide Amir Magray. Police also claimed that civilian Muhammad Altaf Bhat and militant associate Dr Mudasir Gul were killed during the Hyderpora gunfight.

IGP Kashmir also admitted that Bhat was killed in the crossfire. However, all four were buried in north Kashmir's Handwara area.

READ:Jammu & Kashmir: Four, including a civilian, killed during gunfight in Srinagar