April 23
Suhail Dar
A low voter turnout, deserted streets with not more than three areas coming out to cast their votes, the Islamabad (anantnag) township in South Kashmir which is going to polls in three phased polls for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday.
Sitting in a corner of his single-storey old-fashioned house in Takiya Behram Shah village, Ali Mohammad Dar is sitting silently to remember his 17-year-old son Hilal Ahmad, a Class 10 student who was shot dead by government forces in Harnag village near Srinagar-Jammu highway in July 2016 in the aftermath of Burhan’s Killing that year
Hilal Ahmad Dar, 17, a Class 10 student, was shot dead by government forces in Harnag village near Srinagar-Jammu highway on July 12 2016. He was accompanied by his younger brother Zubair Ahmad, 14, when forces shot him dead.
“I had a chest infection and Hilal accompanied me to a local medical shop that is located near the highway. On our return, as we turned towards our village, we heard someone calling out and abusing us from behind. When Hilal turned back to see who was calling, the troops who were in a vehicle fired at him,” Zubair told The Kashmiriyat.
As per Zubair, a bullet hit Hilal in his eye, leaving him in a pool of blood. They cried for help but nobody could come near. Then he took off his shirt and tried to plug his wound. Meanwhile a private vehicle was on road and they put him in it.
The family of Hilal Ahmed Dar, seven siblings, four brothers and three sisters. “Among us only Hilal had a love for studies. I and two brothers elder to him had given up studies in school. But to support Hilal, the entire family was encouraging him to keep studying,” said Manzoor one his brother.
“We cannot sell the blood of our brother and go there to vote, nobody voted here in love and respect for my brother,” his brother told The Kashmiriyat. adding that Kashmir has seen a lot of blood in the past three years.
21 Votes have been polled in Rooh Monghal Belt out of 1100, 5 out of 3000 in Souf Shali in Kokernag, Native of Slain Militant commander Bashir Lashkar, 82 out of 3600 in Khanabal, 32 out of 4000 in Achabal.
In Khanabal Belt, 2 Votes have been polled in Seepan-A, Seepan-B 16 votes have been polled, In Khanabal-B 86 votes have been cast, 10 Votes have been polled in Khanabal-A.
In Shangus and Dooru belt, voters were seen coming out of their houses amid tight security arrangements in the area.
Mobile internet services have been suspended in the South Kashmir to prevent any law and order situation.