Unidentified militants in South Kashmir’s Shopian and Pulwama district killed three Non-Kashmiris in two separate incidents happened on October 14 and 16.
An apple trader from Punjab and a brick kiln worker from Chhattisgarh were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Shopian and Pulwama, respectively on Wednesday. The killings happened a day after a truck driver from Rajasthan was killed on Tuesday.
The cold-blooded murders took place in the backdrop of three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants gunned down by the security forces after an encounter took place between them.
The killings of Non-Kashmiris were the first since the government of Jammu and Kashmir welcomed and invited the tourists to visit Kashmir last week following the restoration of postpaid networks.
Three Killings In South Kashmir
The horrific shooting of truck driver, Mohammad Shareef from Rajasthan in Shopian by two suspected militants on Monday evening – the first of the three civilian killings in Kashmir in less than two days – has further evoked a sense of fear and panic among the apple traders and Non-Kashmiri migrant workers.
Later on Wednesday, suspected militants gunned down a daily wage worker, Sanjeev from Chhattisgarh in Pulwama district. According to a staffer at the factory in Pulwama, the workers were warned by the owner not to venture out without permission due to the prevailing security threat and growing violence in the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370.
Hours later, an apple trader from Punjab, Charanjeet Singh, who went to Kashmir to import apples, was found shot dead in Shopian district.
Lamenting over the unfortunate deaths of three Non-Kashmiris, President of Fruit Mandi, Shopian said to News18, “We are dependent on transporters from other states for exports. But now, everyone is more afraid than ever. “With no one to come and get them, our apples will rot.”
With such frequent cold-blooded killings of Non-Kashmiris, Kashmir sees no sign of respite.
Also Read: Voices Of Dissent In Pakistan: How A Theatre Group Is Questioning Religious Dogmas
