PDP condemns graveyard land grab incident in Kashmir

Srinagar, Apr 30 (UNI) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a ruling coalition partner in Jammu and Kashmir, today demanded an inquiry into the alleged grab of a graveyard land by a renegade-turned- politician at Pampore on the city outskirts.

A PDP spokesman condemned the incident at Pampore yesterday in which police and para-military personnel fired at civilians protesting against the grabbing of the graveyard land allegedly by Papa Kishtwari, a surrendered militant.

Terming the incident as unfortunate, he demanded an immediate inquiry into the incident and action against those involved in it.

The spokesman also demanded that the graveyard land be vacated from the encroacher immediately so that the confidence of the people in law and the government was restored.

Scores of people, including women, were wounded as violent protests broke out in Pampore over the alleged land grabbing.

The angry protestors alleged that Kishtwari had grabbed seven plots of the graveyard land and sold these for Rs one lakh each.

Each plot was of the size of seven marlas.

As the residents demonstrated near his highly fortified house here, several of his fellow surrendered gunmen allegedly opened fire at the protestors to scare them.

Police also used batons and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the protestors. Several people, including women, were wounded in the firing and the police action.

UNI