Diplomat Desk
Srinagar, (DD) Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter, Iltija Mufti, have allegedly been placed under house arrest, preventing them from visiting Sopore and Kathua.
Iltija Mufti took to social media to claim that authorities locked the gates of their residence to stop them from stepping out. Mehbooba Mufti had planned to visit Sopore, where 27-year-old Waseem Ahmad Mir was allegedly shot dead by the Army as he failed to stop at the check points despite repeated signals, while Iltija intended to travel to Kathua to meet the family of Makhan Din.
“Our gates have been locked up because my mother was meant to visit Sopore where Waseem Mir was shot dead by the Army. I intended to visit Kathua to meet Makhan Din’s family but am not being allowed to move out. Nothing has changed in Kashmir even after elections. Now even comforting the families of victims is being criminalised,” Iltija Mufti wrote on X.
On the night of February 5, Waseem Ahmad Mir, a 27-year-old truck driver from Goripora Bomai in Sopore, was shot dead by security forces in the Sangrama area of Baramulla district. According to the Army, a Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) had been established based on specific intelligence inputs about terrorist movements. A suspicious truck, driven by Mir, allegedly approached the checkpoint at high speed and ignored repeated warnings to stop. This led to a 23-kilometer chase, during which troops fired at the truck’s tires to deflate them, eventually bringing the vehicle to a halt at Sangrama Chowk. Mir was found injured and was immediately evacuated to Government Medical College Baramulla, where he was declared dead.
Mir’s family has contested the Army’s version of events, asserting that he was innocent and had no involvement in any anti-national activities. They have demanded the release of CCTV footage to clarify the circumstances leading to his death and have called for a thorough investigation to ensure justice.(DD)
