Fate of Dooru boy unknown
Srinagar, July 4: The Elaqai Welfare Committee (EWC) formed by residents of Chakpath Larkipora in Dooru to seek whereabouts of Basharat Ahma Bhat, who was subjected to enforced custodial disappearance by army on Sunday said Basharat Ahmad, 16, son of Muhammad Maqbool Bhat disappeared in an army camp in Larkipora where the troops had called him on Sunday morning.
People fear he has been murdered. His disappearance sparked violent protests prompting police to file a case against army. “Yesterday, police arrested a PCO owner and a woman on suspicion. They also searched for Basharat in the army camp with the help of sniffer dogs,” Bhat said, adding “we fear Basharat has been tortured to death.”
Basharat’s father Muhammad Maqbool told PBI that the administration was only making false promises and tall claims, but doing little to trace his son. In past five days, he said, the police have failed to get any clue.
“I am helpless. I don’t know whether my son is alive or dead,” he added. The DC, Islamabad, Sheikh Mushtaq told Press Bureau of India that the investigation was progressing in right direction and a breakthrough is expected soon.
The residents of Larkipora village of Dooru and other adjoining areas in Islamabad held strong protests demonstrations for the sixth day today. The authorites has imposed restriction in the area to prevent peoples voice.
They were demanding that Indian army must disclose the whereabouts of Basharat Bhat, 18, who is missing in 36-Rashtirya Rifles custody.
Meanwhile World Kashmiri Students Association (WKSA), in a statement has set a deadline for July 10. "The administration should ensure that Basharat returns to his home, safe and sound by July 10, or, else every Kashmiri students above the age of 18 will go on a mass hunger strike to death," a WKSA spokesman said.
WKSA has also appealed to Kashmiri students to abstain from attending classes, schools and universities from July 10 if Basharat is not traced and all Kashmir University students have been urged to wear black headbands on July 9 while attending classes and following their routine activities.
The organisation has also called for students rally at Polo Ground on July 17 to protest against Shopian incident and subsequent incidents.
Meanwhile, Vice chairman JKLF, advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat said that the protests will continue till the guilty in Shopian and Baramulla firing incident were given stern punishment.
Bhat regretted that JKLF chief, Mohammad Yasin Malik was undergoing house arrest for past few months and not allowed to visit the affected Shopian family. He condemned that several other leaders of front have also been arrested and put under house arrest. He said that forces were committing unprecedented excesses on peaceful people across the valley and alleged that a boy was subjected to enforced disappearance by army at Dooru.
Vice chairman JKLF condemned the arrest of youth at Shopian and other places under the PSA. He viewed that the state has been transformed into a police state and it is reeling under the lawlessness. He said that the ongoing movement will continue until it reaches its logical end and viewed that complete withdrawal of security forces from valley was inevitable at this point of time.