New Delhi: The Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) said it was deeply shocked and strongly condemns the dastardly assassination of Shujaat Bukhari, editor-in-chief of Rising Kashmir on Thursday by armed gunmen just as he was getting into his vehicle after leaving office. Two of his personal security officers also died as a result of the shooting.
Dr. V. Suresh, National General Secretary of PUCL, in a statement said a very experienced journalist Shujaat was a strong voice for peace in Kashmir who very clearly articulated that peace can come to the valley only by finding a political solution to the conflict that has engulfed the valley for several decades.
In one of his last major articles on May 25, 2018, on the month long ceasefire during the holy month of Ramzan, Shujaat pointed out that the rhetoric of “development” as a solution to the Kashmir problem is not bound to work.”
A fearless critic of militaristic solutions, he consistently highlighted human rights abuses. The PUCL said it is clear that Shujaat’s assassination is meant to derail the peace process by silencing a voice of reason and sanity.
It is the duty of all democratically minded people all across India not to allow his assassination to go in vain by working unitedly to help find a resolution to the Kashmir conflict.
