SRINAGAR: Kashmiri lawyer Babar Qadri was shot dead by militants outside his residence in Hawal area of downtown Srinagar on Thursday evening. Police said the militants fired from close range at Qadri, 36, near his residence at Mirza Kamil Sahib in Hawal at around 7 pm. He sustained multiple bullet injuries — one near his eye and another in the arm — and was referred to Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, where doctors declared him brought dead.
The killing of Babri, who was Lawyers Club Kashmir president, took place three days after he had posted a tweet urging police to register FIR against a person for spreading wrong campaign against him that he was working for agencies. “This untrue statement can lead to threat to my life,” Qadri had tweeted. Qadri is survived by two daughters and wife. His wife’s father was also shot dead by militants some years back.
Qadri had been a practicing lawyer since a decade and earned prominence for taking cases of juveniles booked under the stringent Public Safety Act.
He used to regularly participate on debates in news channels. Qadri, who was practicing lawyer in J&K High Court, was expelled from J&K High Court Bar Association a few years ago for his alleged anti-Bar activities. Earlier this month, the Bar Association had decided against revoking his expulsion from the organisation.
Qadri’s killing evoked strong condemnation from political parties. National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah tweeted, “The assassination of Babar Qadri this evening is tragic & I unequivocally condemn it. The sense of tragedy is all the more because he warned of the threat. Sadly his warning was his last tweet.” Apni Party vice-president Ghulam Hassan Mir also condemned the young lawyer’s killing and termed the attack “inhuman and barbaric.”
CRPF JAWAN KILLED
A CRPF officer was killed in an attack by militants in Budgam district on Thursday. The militants also took away an AK assault rifle of ASI N C Badoley.