J-K political activist killed in firing by militants

A political worker was shot dead by unidentified militants in Rajpora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday.

A police official said that militants fired at the vehicle of Ghulam Nabi Patel at Rajpora chowk, 32 km from here, leaving him and his two personal security officers (PSOs) injured. Patil, a resident of Shadimarg, Pulwama later succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital while the PSOs are battling for their lives, he said.

Reports had earlier suggested that Patel was associated with the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). But a party source said that he was no longer with them. In separate statements, both the Congress and PDP condemned the killing but neither of the two parties owned the slain activist.

Last year in October, a PDP worker was shot dead by militants in neighbouring Shopian district while in the scuffle that ensued between the attackers and the family members of the victim, a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant was also killed.

A day after on October 18, the house of the slain worker was set ablaze by an angry mob which according to police was instigated by “anti-national elements and over ground workers” of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.