PDP worker killed in Shopian, militant dead in scuffle

A ruling Peoples Democratic Party worker was shot dead by militants in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Monday night while in the scuffle that ensued between the attackers and the family members of the victim, a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant was also killed.

Sources said three Hizbul militants dragged former panch of PDP Mohammad Ramzan Shiekh out of his house in Imam Sahab area of Shopian, 52 kms from here, at around 8:05 pm and shot at him from point-blank range. This enranged his sons, who snatched rifle from one of the militants in a scuffle and fired from it killing one of them.

Sheikh, who was currently a halqa president of PDP, was shifted to nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The slain militant has been identifed as Showkat Falahi, who had joined Hizbul last year in October. It is for the first time that an amred militant has been killed in a scuffle with civilians.

Senior Superintendent of Police, SSP, Shopian, A S Dinkar said the militant was shot dead by his own associates after they had an argument over shooting PDP activist at around 8:05 pm.

“Showkat wanted the militants to shoot Ramzan in his leg but they refused and this resulted in scuffle. The militants shot dead their associate,” he said. However, SSP, Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain tweeted that Showkat was beaten to death by the family of the former panch. "This Hizbul terrorist was overpowered and beaten to death by family, after family head Mohammad Ramzan shot dead by him and his gang in Shopian", Hussain tweeted along with the picture of the slain militant.

Showkat had studied at Jamiat ul Falah, a seminary run by Jamat-e-Islami Hind, at Azamgarh in UP. His father was also associated with Jamat and was former Ameer (head) of politcio-religious Jamat-i-Islami, for Shopian district.

Former Chief Minister of J&K Omar Abdullah condemned the killing and prayed for the departed soul. "Allah jannat naseeb karay (May Allah bestow him Paradise). I unequivocally condemn the targeting of grass-root politicians at the hands of terrorists", he tweeted.