Pellet injured Kulgam youth loses life after five months

Kulgam, Feb 21: A pellet injured youth from South Kashmir’s Kulgam district Tuesday succumbed to his injuries after battling for life for more than five months.
Ambulance driver Waseem Muhamamd Thokar (26) a resident of Shouch hamlet of Kulgam district according to his family had suffered pellet injuries when he had gone to ferry wounded protesters at Marhama village on 7 September last year.
“During Marhama Chalo call on 7 September, many protesters had suffered injuries. My son Waseem who was driving an Ambulance for Yateem Foundation Chalwgam had gone there to ferry those wounded people. During the process, he was hit by pellets and was shifted to hospital for treatment,” Haji Mushtaq Ahmed Thokar, the father of the deceased told news agency CNS adding that his son had received more than 200 pellets on his body.
“We treated him at different hospitals from past few months. Yesterday, he developed pain and we shifted him to SDH Chawalgam. After checkup we brought him home and here Tuesday morning he succumbed to his injuries,” Haji Mushtaq said.
Haji Mushtaq who himself runs the Yateem Foundation said that there are 410 pellet victims in the district. “Yateem Foundation takes care of all these pellet victims. A few days back we provided a Rs 12,000 kit to each of the pellet victims. These pellet victims need proper care,” he said.
He said that his son was not part of the protest. “He was an ambulance driver not a protester. On 7 September last year, during the 61st day of uprising, government used force to foil ‘Marhama Chalo’ and had vandalized the stage and sound system. Even a school building Jawahar Navodya Vidyalay was set on fire. The government forces showered pellets critically injuring scores of people. My son was too hit as those days, ambulance vehicles and drivers were the prime targets of government forces,” he said and added that he has himself served Jammu Kashmir Police Department but took voluntary retirement in 2006 after accused of being the member of Jammat-e-Islami. I was even booked and lodged in Kathua Jail,” he said. (CNS)