PDP leader Abdul Gani Dar shot dead by militants

SRINAGAR: Suspected militants gunned down Abdul Gani Dar, Pulwama district president of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday afternoon while he was travelling towards Srinagar.

While expressing sorrow over the killing, BJP leader Ram Madhav tweeted: “It is high time tougher measures r taken against militants.” Senior PDP ministers, including J&K finance minister Haseeb Drabu, termed the killing as “insane and inhuman”. The opposition National Conference too condemned the killing, but accused the PDPBJP governm e n t o f plunging the state into total “chaos, uncertainty and turmoil”.

“Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti should acknowledge her shameful role in bringing the state to this situation and take moral responsibility for the continuously deteriorating situation,” said NC spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu.


This is the third attack on political workers in last 10 days. On April 15, militants killed Bashir Ahmad Dar of Pulwama and injured Muhammad Altaf Dar, both associated with PDP. The very next day militants killed Advocate Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan of NC in Shopian. Attacks on political functionaries have increased in the recent past in south Kashmir.

According to police officials, about 80 local militants are active in the five districts of south Kashmir and most of them are from Shopian and Pulwama. The situation in Srinagar remained tense on Monday as students clashed with police, on a day colleges reopened in Kashmir after a five-day shutdown ordered by the government.

Police had to fire dozens of tear smoke shells in an attempt to disperse stone-pelters .