PDP MLA Aijaz Ahmad Mir says Kashmiri militants killed in encounters ‘martyrs’

Peoples Democratic Party MLA Aijaz Ahmad Mir on Thursday sparked a controversy by saying that Kashmiri militants killed in encounters with security forces and the police are “martyrs”.

“We should not celebrate the killings of militants, it is our collective failure, we feel sad when our security forces are martyred as well, we should sympathise with parents of security jawans and with parents of militants as well,” he said outside the Assembly on Thursday.

“Jo Kashmir ke hein, chahey kisi bhi halat mein marein, woh martyr hein (Those who hail from Kashmir are martyrs irrespective of the fact under what circumstances they get killed),” he said, while replying to a question whether he considered slain militants as martyrs.

Mir added that the time has come to talk to the Hurriyat, militants and other stakeholders to resolve the Kashmir issue and end the violence and bloodshed in the region.

To a poser on local militants, he said, “Call them militants or terrorists, but they are Kashmiris, they are our brothers. I request all to stop politicising their killings.”