Relatives of Policemen Released After Police Let Father of Hizb Commander Free

The 11 relatives of policemen who were kidnapped by Hizbul Mujahedeen (HM) cadre on Thursday evening were let go on Friday. This followed the release by the police of Assadulah Naikoo, father of HM’s Kashmir commander Riyaz Naikoo aka Mohammad Bin Qasim. The senior Naikoo was among the 14 people picked up by the police for questioning.

Alongside letting go the relatives of the police, the militants also released videos of all the 11 people. In these videos, those who were abducted were seen appealing to  the Director General of police S. P. Vaid to not harass the families of militants or provide security to their own families as well.

On the same day, the HM commander issued an audio, warning the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) against harassing the families of militants and residents.

In the audio, Riyaz Naikoo said JKP personnel were raiding the houses of militants and beating up their families, citing the  Public Safety Act to destroy their lives for rewards and promotion.

Responding to the harassment of the militants’ families by government forces, Naikoo said, “If you involve our families, you too will be made to pay in the same way.”  

Naikoo also confirmed that the relatives of the police personnel had been picked up by HM cadre, and that the purpose of the kidnapping was to make the police comprehend the trauma of those families whose kith and kin were taken away by them

“We released all of your relatives. We are giving you a final warning to release all our relatives and innocent youth in three days. If you fail to do so, your families won’t be spared,” he said in the audio.

Naikoo also accused the police of encouraging drug peddling and taking bribes. He claimed that the police personnel in Kashmir would be forced to leave their homes in a month and added that the enemy of the militants was the Indian forces.

Riyaz concluded the audio by saying militants were not scared of the sacrifices their families would have to make as six lakh people had given up their lives for the “ongoing freedom struggle since 1947.”

“We won’t let your trickery weaken us. If you can’t support us, then don’t even come in between our path. We will fight Indian troops with our might,” he said in the audio.  “You must do your duties like the cops did in 1990s. India is using us. India will do with your children what they are doing with other Kashmiri children.”

Two more SPOs resign

Following the abductions of the family members of policemen, two special police officers (SPO) left their jobs and returned home in the Anantnag and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir.   

According to the local sources, SPO Bilal Ahmad Kumar announced his resignation in a letter that was read out by the Imam of Jamia Masjid Midoora Tral in Pulwama district.

Similarly, in Anantnag district, SPO Faisal Ahmed Shah resigned at the Jamia Masjid.

In the last one month, 24 SPOs quit their jobs in areas falling under Awantipora and Pulwama police districts. Nine of them returned to their homes after resigning in Syedabad, eight in Amirabad Lurow Jagir, four in Chankitar and one each in Nader, Batagund and Pinglish villages.

The spate of resignations is attributed to posters by HM that appeared in Pulwama district which asked all the SPOs to leave their jobs within 15 days.