Mufti visits family of Jammu youth killed in ‘crossfiring’

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday visited the bereaved family of a youth, who was allegedly killed in a cross-firing incident when police were chasing suspected peddlers in Jammu city and said that accountability and the rule of law must prevail.

Parvez Ahmed (21), a Gujjar youth hailing from the Nikki Tawi area of Jammu, was allegedly killed in crossfire when the police claimed that they were chasing drug peddlers in the Satwari area on Thursday. His killing has sparked protests by the community, with his family accusing the police of murdering an “innocent” man in a “staged” encounter.

Mufti called for a time-bound and impartial probe into the incident and said that such “extra-judicial killings” have no place in a democratic society.

The former chief minister, who had arrived from Srinagar, expressed her condolences and share the family’s grief. Accompanied by several party leaders, she assured the family of justice.

She alleged that Parvez was executed in a fake encounter by those meant to protect him. “This is state-sponsored terror targeting the Gujjar-Bakerwal communities. I demand a time-bound judicial probe to expose the culprits and ensure justice,” she said. She assured the family of her party’s support, warning that such killings deepens alienation and erodes trust in democratic institutions.

“The killing of Parvez Ahmed is part of a chilling pattern of violence, with over a dozen Gujjar-Bakerwal deaths in 2024-25 under suspicious circumstances,” she said.

She said the nomadic communities face relentless harassment during their seasonal cattle migrations. “Despite hopes that the elected government would address these injustices, these communities see no end to the brutality. The people pinned their hopes on the Omar Abdullah-led government for relief, but the cycle of violence against our nomadic tribes continues unabated. The Gujjar-Bakerwal communities, who stood by J&K through its darkest times, are treated as dispensable. This is a betrayal of their loyalty,” Mufti told reporters.