‘I don’t know why my son was kidnapped’
In a two-storey cemented house in Tral in south Kashmir, family members of Ghulam Hassan Mir are anxiously waiting for any news about their younger son, Nasir Ahmad, 22, who was abducted by unidentified gunmen late on Thursday soon after he stepped out of his house to offer prayers.
Ahmad, along with 10 other relatives of policemen, was abducted by militants from Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir.
Ghulam Hassan Mir, who works as a cook in the police training college Manigam in Ganderbal, learned about the abduction of his son from senior police officials on Thursday evening. “I was on duty at the police training school in Manigam when I got news about the abduction of my younger son. I don’t know why my son was kidnapped. I am a cook and have never harmed anyone in my life,’’ he said, tears flowing.
Mir, who is in mid-50s, says he returned home in the morning. “Had I done something wrong, you would have never found me here. I want my son to return unharmed,’’ he said, while his two older sons, Shabir Ahmad and Mushtaq Ahmad, tried to console him. Nasir has done a Masters in Commerce and had set up a school in his village of Al Furkhan in Tral. The village, surrounded by orchards, is located on the foothills of a mountain range.
“My brother left home around 8:30 pm for evening prayers... and didn’t return... after an hour we came to know through social media that he had been abducted,’’ said Shabir, who works at the Public Health Engineering department. The same night, unidentified gunmen also ransacked the house of a Special Police Officer, barely 50 yards from the Mir residence. The SPO was not at home. However, army and special operation group of police were in the village till morning. Even today, the army’s bulletproof vehicle was making rounds of the village.
About seven kilometres away, Asif Ahmad Rather was abducted by unknown gunmen from the village of Pinglish on Wednesday night. His father is an officer in the police. “My son is innocent and has not committed any sin. He should be released,’’ his mother said. Rather is pursuing a bachelors course at the Sher-e -Kashmir University of Agriculture. The university faculty has also appealed for his release.
The kidnapping of family members started after the police arrested the fathers of three top militant commanders, Riyaz Niakoo, Lateef Tiger and Adil Dar, all from Pulwama district. The relatives of the militants were picked up hours after the killing of four policemen at neighbouring Shopian district in an attack on Wednesday afternoon. In revenge, the militants started kidnapping the relatives of the policemen. Earlier, operational commander of the Hizbul Mujahedeen, Riyaz Naikoo, had asked cops and officials to leave their jobs or face action.
On Friday afternoon, police released the father of Naikoo. Officials said Naikoo’s father had been released and that the police may also release the relatives of other militants who were picked up. There are also reports that some of the abducted relatives of police officials have returned, though senior officials didn’t confirm the news. In a message posted by a group considered close to militants, Riyaz Naikoo has said that releasing his father is not going to solve any problem and J&K policemen should clarify whether they are with people. “We are custodians of whole population, not just our families.’’
MIDORA (TRAL):