Killing of 6th Sarpanch in Kashmir

                                    PRESS NOTE  

Killing of 6^th Sarpanch in Kashmir  

AJKPC demands Intervention of World Human Rights Organizations 

Jammu, 09/April/2013: Describing Jammu and Kashmir Government as complete failure to protect the lives of the elected panchayat leaders in the state, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference has appealed to the World Human Rights Organizations to intervene in the state and take note of the brutal killings of Pancyat leaders by the unknown forces.

The AJKPC also expressed its displeasure over the mute spectatoral  attitude of Union Government towards the safety and security of  33000 Panchayat leaders in the state.

In an emergency meeting of AJKPC leaders held here in winter capital, the AJKPC leaders has strongly condemned the killing of Sarpanch Ghulam Mohammad Lone of Pulwama, a district in South Kashmir, last night by an unidentified gunmen. This is the sixth killing of sarpanches in the state.

Speaking on the occasion, Shafiq Mir, Chariman of AJKPC has questioned the role of international human rights organizations regarding the killing of Village heads  by anti-democratic forces and demanded that they should take not of the killings of the elected representatives. Mir also criticized the role of Union government of India to prevent attacks on Panchayat leaders.

While Anil Sharma, General Secretary of the organization held the J & K government responsible for the killing and has said it is not competent to protect its  citizens. However Sharma appealed the Panchayat leaders of the state not to take any decision in haste till a final decision is taken by the AJKPC. Anil Sharma also informed that already the National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Union and State government regarding the security of Panchayat leaders but shamefully neither the state nor GOI have  responded yet to the notices .

Whereas Sarpanch Gautam Singh Jamwal, the provincial secretary of AJKPC said that here in the state there is complete anarchy referring the recent 3 days hunger strike by the AJKPC leaders for security and empowerment of Panchayats in the state, he said this is very shameful for the government that it is not taking any action or even giving any assurance to the Panches and Sarpanches and have left them at the mercy of the terrorists who whenever wants kill the innocent Sarpanches  and the state government merely do lip service.  Others who spoke on the occasion include Sarpanch  Alam Choudhary, Vimla Devi, Raj Kumar and Sunita Sharma, Sadiq Mohammad, Sardar Vikram Singh, Vijay Mahajan and Ram Kumar.