SRINAGAR: The family of missing army man Shakir Manzoor Wagay from Shopian in south Kashmir, who was abducted by militants in August 2 last year, is demanding he be declared a martyr.
Manzoor Ahmad Wagay and his younger son Shaan have been tirelessly searching for Shakir’s body for the last eight months.
Shakir, a 24-year-old soldier of Territorial Army, was abducted near his residence at Reshipora while he was driving his vehicle to a nearby army camp where he was posted.
Shakir’s burnt car was found in Kulgam district the next day. A week later, his family recovered his blood-stained clothes in a nearby orchard.
“Shakir should be declared dead and martyred by the army and the government. It has been over eight months since he was abducted by militants,” Shaan told TNIE.
The army and the police are telling that militants had killed Shakir, he added.
“Security forces arrested some militants including Lashkar-e-Mustafa chief Hidayatullah Malik, who was arrested recently.
They said that Hidayatullah told them that Shakir was killed and militants have dumped his body at an undisclosed place.”
“We want the government and army to declare him a martyr so that we could offer funeral prayers in absentia for him and stop our search,” Shaan added.