Srinagar, May 22 (JKNS): The father of slain Pulwama attack accused Arjumand Gulzar Dar alias Burhan Hamza on Friday said his son had “taken the wrong path” and ultimately faced the consequences of his actions after being killed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
As per news agency JKNS, Arjumand Gulzar, a designated terrorist accused of masterminding the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, was reportedly shot dead by unidentified gunmen in PoK on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, his father Gulzar Ahmad Dar, a resident of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, said Arjumand had left for Pakistan on January 28, 2018 without informing the family.
He said the family later came to know that he had gone there on a student visa after studying at Rajiv Gandhi University in Bengaluru.
Dar said that as soon as the family learnt about his travel, they informed police and security agencies and asked him to return home. However, according to him, Arjumand later submitted documents claiming he was pursuing MBBS studies in Pakistan before eventually severing ties with the family.
“Unfortunately, after two months we discovered that he had taken the wrong path. Since then, he had no contact with us,” Dar said.
The father said the family has suffered immensely over the years following Arjumand’s involvement in militancy. He said his elder son, Shahid Gulzar, a 2019 batch KAS qualifier was arrested in 2022 and has remained lodged in Jammu jail since then. He further said another son, a PhD scholar and NET qualifier, has also faced difficulties, including seizure of his passport which prevented him from travelling abroad for research purposes.
Appealing to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the administration, Dar urged authorities not to punish the entire family for the actions of one member.
“He got what he deserved by choosing the wrong path and was killed in Pakistan, but my son Shahid should be released on humanitarian grounds,” he said. (JKNS)