Srinagar, October 08, 2021 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the family of a civilian who was mercilessly killed by Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at a checkpoint on Monghal Bridge in Islamabad district, last evening, has questioned the Indian forces for not firing warning shots but instead killing him on spot.

The civilian, Parvez Ahmad, was living with his family in a rented accommodation at Kiherbal in Islamabad district and was a daily wager working in paddy fields during the harvesting season. He was initially mistaken as Yasir Ali from Jammu, however, the family said that his name was Parvez Ahmad Khan and he along with his family used to come to Kashmir every year for six months for job opportunities.

“This year also he along with his family was here. Khan himself was engaged in paddy cultivation. Apart from that he used to do any labour work available to earn his livelihood,” Zakir Khan, brother-in-law of Parvez told The Kashmir Walla over the phone.

Zakir said that Parvez was supposed to travel to Jammu the next day with the household staff of his sister as the family was planning to move in the next few days following the onset of winter season. “He went to arrange the vehicle in which he was supposed to travel to Jammu the next day. But on his return he was killed by the government forces,” Khan said. “Just minutes before the incident he had called his wife that he was on his way for dinner,” he added.

Parvez is survived by his wife and two daughters aged 5 and 2 years. The family said that his wife is pregnant and both were excited about their new born baby. Indian police in a statement claimed that a naka had been set up at Monghal Bridge by the 40 battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). When the vehicle, which did not have a license plate, was asked to stop, it allegedly rushed towards the checkpoint which led the officers to fire upon it “in self-defence”. The police noted further that the driver of the vehicle managed to escape and that the identity and credentials of the deceased are yet to be identified.

Zakir said that though they are not aware whether Parvez jumped the check point or not, he didn’t deserve to be killed. “Even if he had jumped the check point, why didn’t forces shoot the tyre of the vehicle or fire warning shots,” he said. “Both the driver, who was accompanying my sister’s husband and the vehicle, is under police custody.”

Zakir maintained that the Indian police didn’t let them have a proper burial of Parvez and forced the family to bury him in the dead of the night. “We couldn’t even give him a proper bath. The police all night were compelling us to hurry up. Even his grave was not properly dug,” he said. “It was around 7:30 am that we finally buried him.”

Zakir said that the family tried to take pictures and make videos of the entire episode [the police highhandedness] of the incident, “but police confiscated all their phones.” “We asked them to return our phones, but they feared that we would leak the videos,” he said.

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