Omar apologises to slain youth’s family
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday created history of sorts when he soon after hearing about the killing of an innocent youth by Army troops in frontier Kupwara district drove to the remote hilly region to meet his parents to apologise and shared their grief.
“I apologise for he has been killed while I’m the chief minister of the state. I know I can’t bring him back nor can my coming here but I assure you that the incident will be properly investigated and those involved in the murder will be given exemplary punishment under the law,” the chief minister told Gulam Ahmed Magray, the father of slain youth Manzoor Ahmed.
This is for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir’s more than two-decade old turmoil that a chief minister chose to visit the home of an innocent person who fell to the bullets of the security forces. Mr Abdullah, official sources said, had desired to fly to Chogal where the incident occurred on late Friday evening in a helicopter but was told that due to inclement weather it was not possible. Without waiting for the weather to improve, he after arriving in Srinagar from winter capital Jammu straightly drove Chogul, about 90-km northwest of here, to visit the bereaved family.
The chief minister spent quite some time with the family and expressed his deep sorrow over the “unfortunate” incident, showed sympathy and solidarity with it. An official release quoted him saying, “I’m here to share your grief and be with you at this movement of great tragedy.” He described the incident most unfortunate.
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