‘I was denied security to attend my father’s funeral:’ Sajad Lone

Jammu : Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Saturday claimed that the National Conference–led government denied him security to attend the funeral of his father, Abdul Gani Lone, who was killed by militants in 2002.

Speaking on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, as per news agency, Lone said that despite his plea for security cover to attend his father’s last rites, the government refused to provide it.

“I remember the moments when my father was killed. The next day we had to bury him at the very place where he was attacked – Mubarak Gul Sahab’s constituency, just 100 feet from where he was shot. I swear by God, I am not trying to score a point, but that government did not give me security to go there,” he said.

Lone further recalled that the then Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir had warned him that he could be killed if he went to Eidgah for the funeral. He said Parvez Dewan, the Divisional Commissioner at the time, advised him not to attend, cautioning that he might be targeted.

According to Lone, he asked for a few policemen for protection, but the government refused, saying that they would be at risk and might also be killed.

Lone described his words as a son’s plea, adding that there must be thousands of sons across Kashmir who have faced similar anguish.

He said that ideological differences cannot be the basis for denial of security to an individual. “When my father was martyred, it was Farooq Abdullah Sahab in place of the LG. I swear, he( my father) was helpless. My father was not contesting elections; he was a separatist. The biggest question is: if we have ideological differences, should we allow a person to be killed by denying him security? That is the question we must ask. And in his case, it was done. Everyone knew they would kill him – it was street talk,” Lone said.

Lone said every government has used security for political ends. “Whatever today’s government is doing, all earlier governments did it too. That is a reality. We should pledge that there must be no compromise on security. And if anyone says we have not misused it, they are lying. Every government has used security for political ends,” he said.

Lone condemned the attack on National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, describing him as one of the most “colourful and dynamic” figures in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape.

He said Farooq Abdullah was more than just a political figure. “Beyond politics, Farooq Sahab has been one of the most vibrant human beings for our side and for the whole country. Always laughing, playful, humorous,” Lone remarked—(KNO)