Body of 70-year-old civilian exhumed in IHK after protests

Srinagar, April 18 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, body of a 70-year old innocent civilian, whom Indian troops had shot dead and labelled as a non-Kashmiri militant in a fake encounter in Handwara on April 14, was exhumed after massive protests by the locals and his family members. Hundreds of people including the family members of the victim, raising pro-liberation and anti-India slogans, staged massive demonstration at Handwara to demand exhumation of the body and punishment to the troops involved in the killing.

After exhuming the body of Habibullah Khan of Devar Lolab, the authorities handed over the body to the family. People took the body to his native place, where thousands of people attended his funeral prayers amidst slogans in favor of liberation and against India.

The killing of Habibullah Khan has once again orphaned his three grandchildren, Saneer Ahmed Khan, Nazir and Javeeda. Their father, Ahmadullhah Khan was also killed in a fake encounter by the troops 12 years ago. “We were just three to four years old, when our father was killed by the troops. After his death we were brought up by our grandfather,” said Saneer.

Saneer’s father Ahmadullah Khan, eldest among Khan’s seven children, according to the family members, had gone to nearby forests to collect the firewood on the fateful day. “Troopers killed him in cold blood and dubbed him as a non-Kashmiri militant. His death shattered our family,” said, Raj Muhammad Khan, younger brother of Ahmadullah. He said that after the death of Ahmadullah, his father used to do menial jobs to earn livelihood for his orphan grandchildren.

Meanwhile, the All Parties Hurriyet Conference and other Hurriyet leaders have strongly condemned the killing and demanded complete withdrawal of Indian troops from the occupied territory.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/body-70-year-old-civilian-exhumed-ihk-after-protests.