PDP demands impartial probe into unmarked graves

Srinagar, Aug 22 (PTI) North Indian state Jammu and
Kashmir Opposition People's Democratic Party Monday demanded a
high-level probe by an impartial agency to establish
identities of the persons buried in unmarked graves in
Kashmir.
DNA tests of unidentified bodies should be conducted
without wasting any time to give justice to the families of
the victims, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said in a statement
here in the state's winter capital.
She was reacting to the report of the investigative
wing of the State Human Rights Commission about unmarked
graves having more than 2000 bodies in 38 places in the
Valley.
Mehbooba said she was surprised that in spite of
decline in the graph of militancy, fake encounters were still
taking place in the state.
The PDP president recalled that since the formation of
the National Conference-Congress government, the number of
encounters on the Line of Control (LoC) showed a sudden rise
and there is apprehension that majority of such encounters
are fake.
She mentioned the alleged Macchil fake encounter in which
three youth were killed last year and branded as
infiltrators.
"Not to forget that from Pathribal to Surankot
encounters, it has been established that innocent people were
killed in these incidents," she said.