Before leaving for night duty on Monday evening, Haneefa said, Altaf brought vegetables for her and told her not to worry for anything.
Haneefa Begum, 67, sat silently among hundreds of women mourners who had gathered at her house to condole her son’s killing here yesterday.
After few moments, she broke her silence: “I had prepared my beloved son for this day. I am proud of his martyrdom.”
Haneefa’s son Sheikh Altaf-ur-Rehman—a Tehreek-e-Hurriyat activist—was shot dead by unidentified gunmen here Tuesday when he was returning to his home after night duty at Sub-District Hospital Sopore where he worked as a pharmacist.
Haneefa, a retired teacher, said she knew this day would come. “He was being harassed off and on by police and other security agencies. He was murdered under a plan,” she said. “I gave both sons for the Kashmir cause. Will sacrifice everything for it.”
Before leaving for night duty on Monday evening, Haneefa said, Altaf brought vegetables for her and told her not to worry for anything.
“In haste, he visited the market and brought vegetables for me. I could see happiness on Altaf’s face before he left for the night duty. Next day, I saw his body. He was killed in cold-blood.”
Haneefa said she sent packed dinner for her son on Monday evening. “Altaf’s daughters Shabnam and Shaista said they would hand over dinner to their father at SDH. They told me he was busy with patients and kept the dinner in his duty room,” she said.
In another room in the house, Sheik Muhammad Yusuf, father of Altaf, was being consoled by a large number of people. “Three days ago after Altaf was released from police custody, I had a feeling that some untoward incident will happen. I told him to be cautious,” said Yusuf.
“I had to fight with police for his release. He was arrested in connection with attacks on mobile towers. I told the police that my son has nothing to do with such incidents,” he said.
“Everybody knows who killed my son. I am surprised over DGP’s statement. Let me see who they will arrest. My son was killed under a well-planned conspiracy. We are determined to take freedom struggle to its logical end.”
