Shabir Ahmad Mir another sarpanch killed by un-identified gunmen, third political killing this month
Terrorists shot dead a sarpanch in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Friday, the third killing of an elected representative in the Valley this month, police said.
According to police, unidentified gunmen opened fire at Shabir Ahmad Mir outside his residence. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the terrorists fired at Mir near his residence. In this terror incident, he sustained critical gunshot injuries and was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment where he succumbed to injuries,’ a police official said on condition of anonymity.
Condemning the attack, BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said: “Strongly condemn yet another barbaric and cowardice act wherein another public representative… was killed. It’s an attack on democracy and such attacks won’t be tolerated.”
National Conference vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said targeted killings had become a norm in the region. “Shocked by the targeted killing of Sarpanch Shabir Ahmed Mir. Political workers get killed, we offer our condolences, life goes on and then the same thing happens again. There is a mind-numbing pattern to these killings & our reactions. Sadly nothing changes,” he said.
On March 9, an independent sarpanch, Sameer Bhat, was shot dead by terrorists on the outskirts of Srinagar. A week earlier, terrorists shot dead an independent panchayat member, Mohammad Yaqub Dar, in Srandoo area of Kulgam district.
