Kashmir Valley shuts to mourn, protest Shujaat Bukhari's killing

Srinagar: Kashmir is shut on Thursday to mourn and protest the gruesome murder of journalist Syed Shujaat Bukhari and other unabated killings across the Valley.

Bukhari, the editor-in-chief of ‘Rising Kashmir’ was along with two security guards gunned down by three motorcycle-borne assailants in his car outside his office in Srinagar’s media hub Mushtaq Press Enclave on June 14 evening.

Shops and other businesses and educational institutions in the Valley are closed whereas only skeleton transport services including auto-rickshaws and private cards are plying on the roads.

The call for the one-day strike had been issued by ‘Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL)’, an alliance of key separatist leaders. It has demanded a probe into Bukhari’s killing by “a neutral credible international organization.”

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chief Muhammad Yasin Malik who is part of the JRL was taken into preventive custody by the police from his residence in Maisuma area of Srinagar early Thursday. The police sources said that Malik had planned to lead a protest demonstration in the summer capital against the murder of Bukhari and what the alliance has alleged “unabated killing of civilians” by the security forces in the Valley.

His detention triggered protests in Maisuma and its neighbourhood, witnesses said.

On Wednesday night, a J&K policeman identified as Tanveer Ahmed was killed and two others were injured when their vehicle was ambushed by militants in Kandizaal area outside the township of Pampore in southern Pulwama district.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) SP Pani said that the militants targeted the police vehicle with rifle fire injuring three cops on board.

“They were rushed to the Army’s 92-Base Hospital at Badami Bagh where one of them succumbed to his injuries soon,” he said.

This was the first militant strike carried out after the imposition of Governor’s rule in the State on Wednesday morning.