On 9 March, an independent sarpanch, Sameer Bhat, was shot dead on the outskirts of Srinagar and on 2 March, an independent panchayat member, Mohammad Yaqub Dar was killed in Kulgam
Srinagar: Militants shot dead a sarpanch in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said.
This is the third killing of a local elected representative by militants in Jammu and Kashmir this month.
One of the officials said, “At about 8:50 pm, terrorists fired upon Shabir Ahmad Mir near his residence in Adoura in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.” They said Mir was taken to a hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Mir was an independent sarpanch.
The area has been cordoned off and a hunt launched to nab the attackers, the officials said.
The killing drew condemnations from political parties. National Conference vice president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said, “Shocked by the targeted killing of Sarpanch Shabir Ahmed Mir. Political workers get killed, we offer our condolences, life goes on and then the same thing happens again. There is a mind-numbing pattern to these killings & our reactions. Sadly nothing changes.”
“I can only offer my condolences to Shabir’s family & my prayers that he finds place in Jannat. I wish his death was the last one we would see but sadly that will not be,” he added.
“Strongly condemn the killing of a sarpanch in Kulgam. May the killers rot in Hell, Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone said in a tweet.
The Peoples Conference said it was worrisome that public representatives were continuously being targeted to spread fear.