Politician killed in Pulwama terror attack

SRINAGAR: Terrorists attacked a political worker, identified as Ghulam Nabi Patel, at Rajpora in Pulwama district of south Kashmir when he was travelling in his vehicle on Wednesday afternoon, killing him on the spot.
Patel was returning from his native village Yader in Pulwama district when he was attacked. Two of his security guards sustained injuries and have been hospitalised, police said.
Both People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress condemned the killing, but at the same time “disowned” the activist who was reportedly associated with both parties.
According to sources, Patel was associated with Congress and had contested the 2002 assembly elections from Rajpora constituency with the party’s ticket. In 2008, he fought from Rajpora constituency again with a Socialist Democratic Party ticket and lost to PDP candidate Syed Bashir Ahmad. He joined PDP in 2014.
PDP president and chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, however, distanced her party from Patel and described him as a Congress leader even as former finance minister and Rajpora PDP MLA Haseeb Drabu paid homage to the deceased and confirmed that he was affiliated with his party.
Mehbooba posted on Twitter: “Heartfelt condolences to the family of senior Congress leader G. N. Patel who was killed by militants today in Rajpora. Such cowardly acts achieve nothing but leave one more family devastated.”
Patel’s family expressed “shock” over Mufti’s statement. “He (Gulam Nabi Patel) vigorously campaigned for PDP’s senior leader Haseeb Drabu,” claimed his brother Ali Mohammad. “It has come as a shock and surprise to us that he has been disowned by PDP and the statement of disowning him has come from none other than the party president and chief minister,” he added.
J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) vice-president Mohd Anwar Bhat, describing Patel as a well-known PDP activist, condemned the killing and termed it “highly shameful and dastardly act”.
Meanwhile, a police constable, identified as Tariq Bhat, went missing with his service rifle (AK-47) on Tuesday evening from his post at Pakherpora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. “He fled with an AK-47 rifle along with ammunition,” a senior police officer said. “We are ascertaining the incident and investigations into it has been launched,” said SSP Budgam Tejinder Singh.
A joint team of army and SOG has launched a massive manhunt to trace the missing cop.