Kashmir Bar holds soldiers, sailors responsible for Wullar Tragedy
Pakistan Times Kashmir Desk

SRINAGAR (IHK): Kashmir Bar Association (KBA) has alleged that judicial probe ordered by the Delhi-installed chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad into the boat tragedy which killed 22 children, a peon and a teacher, is “a mere eye-wash”.

KBA demanded that a High Court Judge should conduct the probe and added that it would file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in this regard through which action against the erring soldiers would be sought under sections dealing with murder, reports SANA.

While addressing a press conference here, KBA president, Mian Abdul Qayoom said that a bar team led by him visited Handwara on Wednesday and recorded the statements of three girl students and teacher which suggest that the blame for capsizing of boat lies with the Indian Army. Mian Qayoom alleged that it again an act of genocide on the part of army.

Bar issued the statements of three girl students and a teacher to the media persons.

The statement of one girl student, Safiya Farooq daughter of Farooq Ahmad Bhat, aged about 12 years and a 5th standard student, reads: “I was also asked by the army people to sit in the boat, but I refused. My two sisters Samrina and Suraiya however boarded the boat.

Zahoor Ahmad and Abdul Hamid, the two teachers were asked by the army people to push the boat into the water, When they and the army people pushed the bvoat into the water, both of them were forced by the army people to sit in the boat.

After leaving the shore, the boat had hardly gone 100 feet into the water that the accident took place. Two army personnel who were driving the boat did not save the lives of the children. When the boat capsized, they rushed back towards the shore.

There were other army personnel on the shore, but they did not try to save the children from drowning. They stood firm on the shore and didn’t do anything to save the lives of the children. The two army personnel, who were driving the boat, were drunk. I have lost my two sisters and now with whom I will go to the school”.

Bar has recorded the statement of another girl student, Fozia basher daughter of Bashir Ahmad Khan, a 10th standard student.

Her statements reads: “Though I was also asked to sit in the4 boat, but I refused because there were more than 40 children in the boat.●