Compensation in name of Burhan Wani's brother 'absurd': JKNPP

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) said Wednesday that the decision to grant ex-gratia payment to the brother of slain militant Burhan Wani, Khalid, is 'absurd, obnoxious and ridiculous'.

"The government cannot pay compensation for the death of a militant as this is not only contrary to rules, but also would have a demoralising effect on the armed forces who have been fighting militancy and have given up their lives for the nation while defending our borders," JKNPP leader Harshdev Singh told ANI.

He said that the state government has not paid any compensation to the kin of soldiers who have died in the line of duty, saying that it has no policy to pay compensation to them.

"We feel the government will have a tough time explaining how and why compensation is being given for militants, and more for the BJP to explain, which has all along been saying that it has zero tolerance for terrorist activities and that all of these elements have got to be dealt with sternly," he added.

The Jammu and Kashmir government yesterday cleared ex-gratia payment for the next of kin of 17 people, including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani's brother, Khalid, who were killed in militancy-related incidents in the Valley.

Burhan Wani's killing by security forces in an encounter in south Kashmir's Kokernag on 8 July this year triggered unrest in the Valley, which has left as many as 86 people dead.