Injured in militant attack, 65-y-old PDP worker dies

SRINAGAR: A 65-year-old worker of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was injured critically yesterday after fired upon by militants, succumbed to his wounds in SKIMS Soura on Monday.

Mohammad Jamaal, who was associated with the PDP, succumbed at around 9:30 am in Srinagar, Medical Superintendent, SKIMS Soura, Dr Farooq Jan said.

Jamal, was shot at by militants outside his residence at Zangalpora in Kulgam on Sunday evening following which he was shifted to Kulgam hospital from where he was shifted to SKIMS, the Valley’s only tertiary care hospital.

He was immediately operated upon at SKIMS and died this morning.

A senior police officer had said, “Police have taken the cognizance and investigations are on.”
Jamal was PDP's polling agent during the recently concluded Parliamentary election.

PDP President and former chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has condemned the killing of Jamal and termed it as a cold blooded murder.

Expressing grief over the incident, Mehbooba termed the killing as inhuman and an act of terror.

"Heartbreaking. Party workers in Kashmir put their neck on the line & have to suffer for their beliefs," Mufti tweeted. "Ironic that such mindless violence is justified in the name of Islam in the month of Ramzan. Shame on these cowards who call themselves Muslims."

Mehbooba expressed her condolences to the family of deceased and prayed for the departed soul.
Former IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal and CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami also condemned the killing.
"The reckless killing of civilians at the hands of both the parties involved in the conflict continues unabated. Whether a civilian is killed by the bullet from one side or the other side, it is loss of precious human life," Tarigami said in a statement.

"Whose 'cause' is fulfilled by the killings of civilians? Unfortunately, it is a Kashmiri who is getting killed every day," the CPI(M) leader added.

Jamal is the second PDP activist worker to become victim of militants in last 5 days.

Earlier on May 16, Irfan Sheikh, son of Abdul Hamid Sheikh of Zainapora had succumbed to injuries in SKIMS. Irfan, a PDP worker was attacked by militants on May 8, who they took away Irfan and another colleague Muzaffar Ahmed from their chemist shop in Zainapora towards a nearby orchard and fired upon them.