J&K Apni Party worker shot dead by terrorists in Kulgam

Militants on Thursday evening shot dead a leader of Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the fourth such political killing in the last 12 days.

A police official said that the militants fired upon JKAP zonal president, Ghulam Hassan Lone, at his residence in Devsar, Kulgam this evening. He was shifted to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries later.

Lone was previously affiliated with Mehbooba Mufti led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and had switched back to JKAP just a few months back. The JKAP, which is believed to be a proxy of the BJP, is led by former Finance Minister of J&K, Altaf Bukhari, who was expelled by the PDP in early 2020.

On Tuesday, militants had shot dead BJP’s Kulgam constituency in-charge, outside his residence in Brazloo Jagir in the same district. On August 9, militants had barged into the rented accommodation of Ghulam Rasool Dar and his wife Jawhara Banoo in neighboring Anantnag district, and shot at them from a close range. 65-year-old Dar was the Kulgam district president of BJP Kisan Morcha and a sarpanch. His wife was also a panch from the same village.

More than 40 political activists, including panchayat members and grassroots workers, mostly affiliated with the BJP have been killed by militants in Kashmir since the abrogation of special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 in August 2019.

Meanwhile, PDP president and former chief minister Mehooba Mufti while condemning the latest killing, tweeted: “Unfortunately there seems to be no end to the spree of political killings in Kashmir. Unreservedly condemn the killing of Apni party leader Ghulam Hassan Lone. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family (sic)."

National Conference leader and former chief minister, Omar Abdullah also condemned the killing. “Very sorry to hear about the assassination of Ghulam Hassan Lone in Devsar area of South Kashmir. This renewed trend of targeting mainstream politicians by militant outfits is very worrying & I condemn the same in the strongest possible terms. May Allah grant the departed Jannat,” he tweeted.