SRINAGAR The National Conference on Monday demanded a time-bound inquiry into the killing of seven civilians at an encounter site in Pulwama district and urged the administration to put an end to use of lethal weapons for dealing with law and order situations. Incidents like these does not auger well for a democratic country, National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said.
“I urge the Governor’s administration to initiate an inquiry into the incident and depute a fact-finding team to the place where the gory incident took place,” Sagar said.
The civilians died on Saturday when security forces allegedly opened fire at a crowd that tried to storm the site of an encounter in which three militants and an army man were killed, police had said. Provincial president of the party Nasir Aslam Wani said the probe should be time-bound and the perpetrators be brought to book.
“The incumbent administration must initiate a time-bound inquiry into the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Wani said.
Sagar said the Centre should put a stop to “civilian killings in Kashmir” and immediately initiate reconciliatory process.
He said it was “unfortunate” and “criminal” that militants and protestors are being dealt with the same yardstick. “The Governor administration should make sure that non lethal weapons like water cannons are used to quell the protests. Incidents like these will not help to bring peace to the valley. Such horrendous incidents will push the already aggravated and aggrieved people especially the youth to wall,” he said.
Killing Of Civilians Is Unacceptable: Azad
Former chief minister and Leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday expressed concern over the civilian killings in Pulwama saying that killing of seven civilians is unacceptable.
In a statement he said, Its always praiseworthy when our armed forces eliminate militants but it pains when innocent civilians are killed. Killing of more than 7 civilians in Pulwama, Kashmir is unacceptable.
The matter should be probed and security forces should be asked to avoid firing on civilians so that Pulwama like situation does not arise in future, he said.
My sympathies with the families of those civilians who got killed in this firing and I also sympathies with the killing of the soldier who sacrificed his life, he added.
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