Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 27: On the auspicious occasion of Eid Ul Azha, this police official was killed by militants much before his wife and three little kids. But the people of Kashmir and the separatists have been silent as if nothing happened. On August 22, Muhammad Ashraf Dar, a police inspector was observing the Eid with his family at their residence in native Pulwama, when two cops had already been killed that day in same south Kashmir. Things took an ugly turn for Ashraf when left home to offer evening prayers at nearby mosque. Within minutes two armed militants forced their entry into the house. Before his wife Shaila would argue, the duo pounced upon her. She was pushed to the kitchen. Police said one of the militants was armed with a pistol and the other one was brandishing a big sharp knife. The militants trained the weapons on Shaila's neck seeking Ashraf's whereabouts. She wanted to make a phone call, but the militants snatched the phone warning her of dire consequences. Hearing noise, two sons, who were playing in the other room, came out see their mother hostage. The kids tried to resist, but were beaten by the militants. The mother and her kids kept begging for mercy. In the meantime Ashraf returned to be caught unaware. Holding his youngest of the three kids, his 18-month-old daughter in his lap, he pleaded innocence. "Why you entered my house? And let me know my sin before my death. Please verify from localities wherever I have been posted about my conduct. I have never done anything wrong," he pleaded. But, the militants were unwilling to listen to anything. Asrhaf requested for mercy but he was fired multiple bullets on his head. He died on the spot and his blood splashed faces of his kids and their newly brought dresses for Eid celebrations. "It was Eid of blood for us," the bereaved family said. Though many people watched the tragedy, no one dared to condemn the incident. |