BARAMULLA; 19, April 2013:  A rebel martyred in an encounter in Sopore the previous day was laid to rest today in the presence of thousands of people in his native Palhalan town where life remained paralysed due to a protest shutdown and strict curbs by a heavy forces deployment

Shabeer Ahmad Sheikh, alias Tameem, nee Sufian, also known as Shaka, was martyred in an operation the Indian forces launched after the questioning of Lashkar divisional commander Qari Naveed, alias Fahadullah, who had been arrested from the Rafiabad area of Baramulla two days earlier.

The police said that he had gone underground after the killing of a sarpanch in the Palhalan area in 2012, and had even served time in Udhampur jail a few years ago on possession of arms.

His family had been informed of his death yesterday itself and called to Sopore to take custody of the body, the police said.

A large number of people surged into the streets when the rebel’s body arrived at his native village at around 11 am, taking the coffin in a procession to the Palahalan Eidgah where thousands joined his funeral prayers.

Revolutionary songs and azadi slogans were played over mosque loudspeakers at his village on the arrival of his body from Sopore, and an estimated 15,000 mourners were present at his funeral at the martyrs’ graveyard in Palhalan.

The chairman of the Hurriyat (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, addressed the gathering over telephone while under house arrest in Srinagar.

Indian uthorities allowed public movement only though interior areas of town where large numbers of people visited the family of the martyred rebel to pay condolence.
Indian authorities had made strict security arrangements to maintain law and order and uninterrupted traffic on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Highway.

Vehicular movement on road links from Palhalan to the highway had been restricted, and contingents of Indian police and paramilitary forces had been deployed on the stretch along the town. Forces personnel had been stationed even in orchards and fields around the town.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior police officer said that around 1500 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in and around Palhalan today.

A vehicle bearing registeration number JK02N-9244 was also set to fire by angry youth. Later while verifying the incident it proved that the vehicle was not belonging to forces but was of a civilian namely Arshid Mir, a resident of Srinagar. This person was supplying goods to Indian army mess due to which he came under this attack.

However the police statement on this was a simple deny with words "vehicle doesn't belong to us."