Protest in north Kashmir, probe demanded into the killing of PSO

Baramulla, Oct 26 (UNI) People today took to streets at Sheri on the Sriangar-Uri road, demanding a thorough probe into the killing of a Personnel Security Officer (PSO) of a peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) leader by the security forces.

Shouting slogans against the security forces for killing Mohammad Ashraf Lone PSO of PDP zonal president Ghulam Hassan Rather, the demonstrators, mostly women, blocked the road.

The Karvan-e-Aman bus with 28 Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) bound passengers was also stranded on the highway. However, the bus was allowed to move only this afternoon.

The demonstrators demanded that an inquiry be initiated in the killing and those responsible for the act be punished.

Police on October 22 claimed that Special Operation Group (SOG) of state police and Rashitriya Rifles (RR) in a joint operation killed Lone in an encounter. It further said that a leader of PDP, a partner in the coalition government in the state, was helping Pakistan based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants in the north Kashmir.

Police further said six other LeT militants, responsible for grenade and other attacks in Sopore, were also arrested.

However, the family members of the arrested youths, refuting the police claim, said they were innocent and were being implicated in false cases.

UNI XC/BAS VD DS1453