KNZ NEWS DESK
When the family of slain youth Shahid posted an appeal on social networking site Facebook about his disappearance few days back, they were optimistic about his peaceful return. However, a bullet-riddled body of Shahid, with his face painted in blood, is what they saw on Wednesday, rendering them shell-shocked.
“We received a phone call from police station Vilgam on Wednesday to identify a body and once we saw Shahid lying motionless, we were devastated,” said his father Bashir Ahmad Mir.
Ahmad, a farmer by profession, said that Shahid was “our hope for a better tomorrow and despite all odds, he was pursuing his education in degree college, Handwara.”
As the body of slain youth was brought to his house in Daril, a remote village of Handwara town, his three sisters and younger brother were shell-shocked.
“Get up Shahid, how can you leave your family like this? We need you. Your younger sister and brother are yet to get married. Who will now share the responsibility of the family?” his elder sister cried as she touched Shahid’s face.
Shahid’s mother has not spoken since she saw his blood-drenched body. The only words on her lips are, “Gobro, Gobro (my son, my son).”
One of the sisters of Shahid said he was a pious boy who would offer prayers five times a day.
Locals said that Shahid is the first martyr from this small hamlet. Refuting the allegations made by government forces, they said he was not even remotely connected with militancy and was killed in a fake encounter.
“How long will they go on killing us like this? Aren’t we humans? Don’t we have a dignity? The present government must be held accountable for this killing,” a group of local residents said, adding: “If they can’t provide protection to the citizens, then they have no moral authority to govern us.”
