INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Srinagar:
Senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari was shot dead this evening outside his office in Srinagar in
an audacious terror attack that has left the nation in shock
Mr Bukhari, the editor of Rising Kashmir newspaper, was shot at close range in the attack in which his two security officers were also
He was attacked when he had stepped out of his office in Press Colony in the city to head home
He was hit by multiple bullets at close range
The killers emptied their magazines into their victims before fleeing the scene.The police say the killers were waiting for Shujaat Bukhari
to come out of the building and it appeared to be a planned attack
It was not clear, however, who were responsible for the attack, Jammu and Kashmir police chief SP Vaid told TheIndianSubcontinent."Today at
about 7:30 pm when he was coming out of his office and boarding his car, three terrorists, who had come on a motorcycle, opened fire
Two of his PSOs (personal security officers) were also hit They were shot before they could react," he said."They (the terrorists) chose the
iftaar time when everybody was rushing home
We will look into who these people are," he added.The attack took place hours after Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a security review
meeting for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage that starts later this month
Sources say Rajnath Singh's peace initiative in Kashmir, a ceasefire, may not extend beyond Ramzan, which is expected to end with Eid day
after tomorrow.On Twitter, he spoke out against the killing.Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visited the police hospital, where Mr Bukhari's
body was brought, to console his grief-stricken family and appeared close to tears herself
"It's very difficult to believe
He came to meet me just a few days ago," she said.From the Editors Guild of India to the Press Club, condemnations of the attack were
immediate and unreserved, calling on the state to improve security conditions for journalists.Calling Mr Bukhari "a voice of moderation and
a courageous, big-hearted editor", the Editors' Guild said his killing "is a new low in a rapidly deteriorating environment for media
practitioners in Kashmir, in particular, and in the country in general"."An attack on a journalist challenges the very foundations of a free
press and vibrant democracy and more so in a state like Jammu and Kashmir The Guild calls upon the Centre to take necessary steps to ensure
a situation where the media can discharge its duties without any fear of violence," its statement read.Shujaat Bukhari was given police
protection since an attack on him in 2000
He was instrumental in organising several conferences for peace in the Kashmir valley and mentored several young journalists
He was also part of the "Track II" or alternate channels dialogue process with Pakistan.
