| After Manan Wani, now Lolab's Bilal joins 'militancy' | | |  Mohammad Sarfaraz
Early Times Report
KUPWARA, Mar 15: A youth who had gone missing fifteen days back has reportedly joined some militant outfit as his picture posing with an AK 47 rifle has gone viral on social media.
Sources quoting police officials as having said that the youth, Bilal Ahmad Shah, 24, son of late Shams-ud-Din, of Shartmuqam village of Lolab in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, had left home on March 1 towards Parimpora Fruit Mandi Srinagar, where he works.
Today, a picture of him wielding the rifle was uploaded on Facebook announcing that he had joined Hizb on March 2.
Police have taken cognizance of the matter and are investigating the case, said sources.
"We are trying to ascertain how he joined the militant group," a police officer told. Bilal's uncle Ghulam Rasool Shah told Srinagar based news agency that his nephew was working at Srinagar Fruit Mandi. "We also heard that he (Bilal) has uploaded a gun-wielding picture and has joined militant ranks," he said.
"In 2016, when the whole valley was on the boil, clashes and stone pelting were the order of the day. In our Shartmuqam village, only Bilal was picked up by police and he was put behind bars," he said.
Shah said FIR was also registered against Bilal and whenever any incident happened in Shartmuqam or its adjoining areas, Bilal was "targeted".
"Since then, he was not feeling safe at home. He was looking scared especially during nights. I believe he took this step due to continuous harassment by forces," he added.
Shah said Bilal was detained for a month in 2008.
"If the news about his joining of militancy and uploading of the picture on social media is true, then I appeal him to come back. His only (single) brother is waiting at home," Bilal's uncle said.
Militant Manaan Wani, a Ph.D. scholar had announced his joining in similar fashion on January 5 this year. |
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