Delhi, Demilitarize Thought Processes: PDP Asrar Murder Underlines Credibility Crisis

Press Release/Srinagar, July 08: Expressing shock at the cold blooded murder of yet another youth, Asrar Ahmed of Srinagar, in the unabated Violence across the state, Peoples Democratic Party has reiterated its call for addressing the fundamental problems facing Jammu & Kashmir.

In a statement issued here today a spokesman of the party said the brutal killing of a budding youth in the heart of the city and the understandable response from people once again underlines the crisis of credibility that governance and investigation system in the state is afflicted with. This credibility, he maintained can not be restored without addressing the basic sentiment behind the current unrest.

The spokesman said the insensitive response of police to the demand for a speedy investigation into disappearance of Asrar Ahmed, as in Shopian earlier, had fuelled the impression of complicity, having come as it did in the wake of a spate of atrocities ranging from Gupkar Road deaf and dumb victim to Larkipora survivor.

No knee-jerk responses from the government, inquiry or probe could bring relief, he said asserting that the government of India had to change its mindset and take major political and diplomatic initiatives in resolving the problem.

Referring to the U turn made by the chief minister Omar Abdullah on the reduction of central forces in the state, the spokesman said it only served to confirm the general belief that the present state government was not competent enough to take bold initiative to address real issues facing the state. It was now useless to expect it to display the desired courage for projecting the aspirations of the people, he said and added that even the supporters of the government were now disillusioned with its capacity to govern. He said it took the chief minister just half an hour meeting in Delhi to get convinced of the necessity for “caution” in withdrawing troops after he had publicly set himself a deadline of 10 days.

The spokesman reiterated the party’s resolve to fight for an end to the miseries of the people resulting out of over militarization of the state which had reduced holding of elections into a democratic formality. He said democracy will continue to lack meaning and substance in the state unless the armed forces presence from civilian life is completely segregated. For that it was necessary to persuade government of India to demilitarize its thought processes about J&K, the spokesman added.

Conveying the heartfelt condolences of the party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti to the bereaved family the spokesman said the family’s loss was nothing less than a tragedy and they stood by them in this hour of immense grief. It will be the party’s endeavour to fight for creating an atmosphere of security for all citizens of the state and that would be the fitting tribute to all the victims of repression, violence and institutional failure, he said.

Senior party leaders, Muzaffar Hussein Baig, Molvi Iftikhar Hussein Ansari, Mohammad Dilawar Mir, Abdul Rashid Kabuli have also expressed deep shock at the cold blooded murder of Asrar Ahmed and conveyed their condolences to the family.