On Saturday last little did the Mir family living in Alliepora village of Pulwama imagine that their dreams will come shattering down like a pack of cards. The Mir family was hit by a tragedy as their sole bread earner Gulzar Ahmad (32), was killed when a bullet hit him in the chest leaving him dead on the spot.

The sleepy village of Alliepora had come alive with the bang of gunfire and blasts when troops after cordoning off the neighbouring Litter village got involved in an encounter with the two LeT militants trapped in a house.

Gulzar Ahmad Mir, son in law of Sana Ullah Mir, of Alliepora village was up early on that day. Being a copper smith by profession Gulzar after hearing that that an encounter is going on was concerned about his day going waste.

“He wanted to work at home and was curious to reach the shop where he works so that he could get some unfinished copper utensils and work on them at his home,” said Sana Ullah Mir, his father-in-law.

He left despite our requests of not venturing out and as soon as he reached the main road, which incidentally is two kilometers away from the encounter site, he felt down as he was hit by a bullet right on his chest.

“The bullet pierced through his heart and within no time he was surrounded by a pool of blood,” recounts Mir. He died on the spot, though some locals risking their lives managed to take him to a nearby hospital, but he was declared as brought dead. 

Even though, police claimed that he was killed in cross firing when encounter was on between government forces and militants in litter Pulwama in which two militants including a top wanted commander of banned Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit Waseem Shah from Heff village of Shopian district  and Nisar Ahmad Mir of litter village were killed.

“Gulzar was shot at by an army patrol who were coming from Litter after the encounter ended. He was shot in his chest and with the result he did instantly,” said Mir.

Gulzar, who actually hailed from Litter Pulwama, had migrated to Alliepora six years back as he got married to Sana Ullah Mir’s only sibling, Sakeena.

“We had two daughters, however we lost one among them at an early stage. Therefore, we decided that we will marry off Sakina to a person who will come and stay with us,” said Mir.

“Gulzar proved to be a perfect son-in-law. He took care of the entire family and worked tirelessly to get our dreams fulfilled,” recounts Mir.

“The family is devastated completely. Gulzar was their only hope as Mir is a landless peasant who worked as a labourer on the fields of his neighbours. How will the family survive now that their sole bread earner is gone,” says a neighbour who had come to express his sympathies to the family.

“We don’t have any other source of income as we don’t own farm land or orchard,” said Mir. I am old enough to work now and now I fear for three other family members including my wife Sara, daughter Sakina and his four year old kid, Furqaan,” added, a wailing Mir.

Ironically, the four year old toddler has been inconsolable from the past three days. “Furqan has been enquiring about his father as he was very much attached to him,” says the slain Gulzar’s cousin.

“Even his young widow, Sakina is in utter shock. She has not uttered a word since the news about the death of her husband was revealed to her,” he says.

“Now that our world has been destroyed, I appeal to the government to provide a job and compensation to Gulzars wife and son,” says Sara Bano, Sakina’s mother.

“We are too poor to take care of them as the tragedy has left us without any financial support to bank,” she adds.

Guest