Woman who urged Hizbul commander son to surrender dies, last wish remains unfulfilled

An octogenarian woman who had repeatedly appealed to her Hizbul Mujahideen commander son through social media to shun violence and surrender died in Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar district, with her last wish remaining unfulfilled. She had made emotional video appeals in November and December last year, urging her son Riaz Ahmed to return home and give up militancy.

An octogenarian woman who had repeatedly appealed to her Hizbul Mujahideen commander son through social media to shun violence and surrender died in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, with her last wish remaining unfulfilled. Janna Begum, a resident of Aniyar village in the Marwah belt, passed away at her home four days ago. She had made emotional video appeals in November and December last year, urging her son Riaz Ahmed to return home and give up militancy. ''Let him surrender and come back to take care of us. At least he should be here when we are alive and shoulder my coffin,'' she had said in one of the videos that circulated widely on social media. A close relative said Begum died without seeing her son return. ''Her last wish remained unfulfilled,'' the relative added. Riaz Ahmed, an 'A-plus' category Hizbul Mujahideen commander, is wanted by security forces and carries a reward of Rs 10 lakh. According to officials, he joined the militant ranks around 15 years ago and is believed to be associated with one of the longest-surviving Hizbul commanders operating in the region. In her messages, Begum had questioned the justification of militancy and said parents are left to suffer in their old age. ''What kind of jihad is this where parents are abandoned? We are alone. Who will take care of us?'' she had said. A police official said that such appeals from families reflect changing public sentiment against militancy. ''Terrorism is not good for the country. Those who pick up guns face either death or jail. If he listens to his parents and surrenders, it will be a good step,'' the officer said.

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