Thousands turn up for funeral of cricket star youth

Srinagar, May 01, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, thousands of people participated in funeral prayers of cricket star Shahid Ashraf Dar who was martyred in firing by Indian troops on protesters at Drubgam in Pulwama, yesterday. Shahid Ashraf Dar was famous as a brilliant cricketer who led his team to victories in several tournaments. People attended his funeral and raised pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, while his mother kept on wailing.

Thousands of mourners squeezed into the courtyard of the Jamia Masjid at Arihal village of Pulwama where the funeral prayers were offered. The rush of people was such that the body had to be taken to the roof of the mosque. Emotional scenes were witnessed and about a dozen including women, fainted when Shahid’s body was taken for burial. Several pro-freedom leaders and religious figures addressed the huge gathering in the village. Shahid was buried at after five rounds of funeral prayers were offered for him.

Shahid, according to close relatives, left home in the morning after telling his parents that he had to go to Pulwama for some work. “Several boys from the village went to Drubgam but Shahid came back as a martyr,” Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Arihal, said. Maternal uncle of Shahid, Muzaffar Ahmad Bhat, told media that Shahid was the brother of two elder, unmarried sisters.

A neighbour said that Shahid was arrested by police last winter and was in detention for about a month. He said that Shahid had been arrested by police a dozen times since the killing of Burhan Wani in July 2016. Eyewitnesses said that the troops targeted him and shot him thrice, and he had three bullet marks on his abdomen.

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