SRINAGAR: J&K Peoples Conference on Thursday held a protest demanding return of the bodies of the two Srinagar men killed in Hyderpora encounter and initiation of a judicial probe by a

serving High Court Judge into the matter. As per a party statement, JKPC senior vice president Abdul Gani Vakil, senior leaders Khursheed Alam, Raja Aijaz, Sulaiman Bhat, youth functionaries

Mudasir Karim, Mansoor Banday, Salman Bukhari along with hundreds of workers joined the protest held in Srinagar today. Speaking on the occasion, party’s senior vice president Abdul Gani

Vakil said that the Hyderpora encounter is “strife with doubts when seen with perception of neutrality and it’s only after impartial or neutral probe that the recent turn of events would be

the families of the victims. The LG has ordered a probe by an ADM rank officer. However, we demand a judicial probe by a sitting judge so that neutrality in the investigation is beyond

doubt. It is imperative to not only deliver justice but also mitigate all doubts about the impartiality of the probe. We stand in solidarity with the families of Altaf Bhat and Dr. Mudassir

Gul and share their pain and agony in this hour of grief. We also appeal to every media outlet and civil society of India to raise this issue with utmost urgency and sincerity,” Vakil said.

PC senior leader Khursheed Alam said that the Prime Minister “has to take responsibility of this matter and ensure that justice is delivered to the families of Altaf Bhat and Mudassir Gul”

the statement said. “Prime Minister of India as a guardian should come forward and listen to the cries and woes of these families. Two daughters of this country are grieving and so is every

conscience keeper of India. Their wailings and yearning for father needs your support at this critical juncture and your honourable self has to take responsibility for justice to be

delivered starting with the return of the dead bodies for proper burial as per Islamic ways”, Alam added Meanwhile, People’s Conference president, Sajad Lone on Thursday said that “by seeing

at the behaviour of the government he firmly believes that there is something fishy in Hyderpora encounter”. Talking to reporters in Kupwara, Lone said that if the government is not sacred

of anything then they should bring in some neutral institution to conduct inquiry into the killings in Hyderpora encounter. “How can an officer of ADC rank can inquire into this incident and

how can you believe that ADC will go against his government. How can an ADC go against the mandate of his government. A neutral agency should be brought in to probe the entire matter,” Lone

said. He said that they have only one demand at the moment, which is return the bodies back to their families as it is their right where they want to bury them. “They have the right to

grieve over the dead ones. Grieving has become a luxury in Kashmir and government should think about it,” he said. He said that it is shameful that even bodies of civilians are not being

given to their families. “I want to request the LG that the families have the right to get the bodies of their loved ones. They have the right to perform their last rites. Maybe a mother

wants to mourn, a wife a brother, a sister or a father want to mourn over the bodies of their loved ones,” he said. Lone also said that the bodies should be exhumed from Handwara and be

handed over to their families as they have the right to bury their loved ones according to their wishes. “I want to appeal to the PM that he is the PM those who were killed and of those as

well who killed them and of those little kids who are grieving over their father’s death. I want appeal PM Modi that for the sake of Allah give the grieving families their right,” Lone said.

WITH INPUTS FROM KNS