Doda man, an MBA, joins Hizb

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 3

An MBA degree holder from Ghat village of Doda district joined the Hizbul Mujahideen on September 1, leaving his family in utter shock.

The 31-year-old Haroon Abbas Wani’s entry into the Hizb ranks was announced by the militant outfit on the social media on Monday when his gun-wielding picture was released along with his particulars.

Wani had done master’s in business administration from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) and was working as a medical representative with a pharmaceutical company in Jammu. After completing MBA, Wani had worked in Bangalore and Srinagar before he shifted to Jammu. His family has been in complete shock after hearing the news and has appealed to him to return. “This is a wrong step taken by my son. I don’t approve of it. Serving old parents is better jihad then picking up the gun. I have not been keeping well for some time and he is aware of it. We don’t agree with his decision,” said Wani’s heartbroken mother Shama Begum.

Wani, son of Junior Engineer in rural development department, has been given the Moin-ul-Islam code name by the militant outfit. He had not visited home for the last three months. “The last time we talked was two days before Eid when I told him to come home but he refused, saying that he would be coming for the marriage ceremony of his elder brother, which is scheduled for September 8-9,” his mother said with tears in her eyes. “But for the past three days his cell phone has been switched off and we had no contact with him,” she added. This is the second case since July 1 of a youth from Doda district joining militancy. Earlier, Abid Hussain Butt (24) from Sazan village of the district had joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba on July 1 but was killed on July 25 during an encounter with security forces in Anantnag town.

According to the police, Wani might have joined the militant outfit somewhere in Shopian district. After the news spread in the region, the Army, police and officials from intelligence agencies visited Wani’s house and talked to the family. Security forces searched his house and told the family to use their influence to convince him to come back. In the evening, men of the 10 Rashtriya Rifles asked people of Ghat village to gather in the Eidgah of the village where they were asked to use their influence to bring the youth back. They also told the villagers to keep an eye on their children.