Waseem, a 9th standard student has received three bullets in his right leg damaging his femoral artery severely. Doctors attending him at ward No.1 said that despite putting in their best efforts they are not sure of saving his leg.
Family members of Waseem who surrounded his bed he is lying on said that on the fateful day (Saturday), he (Waseem) was sitting in the yard of his house at Nihama, Kulgam when army fired at him.
“Protesters were pelting stones on army who in retaliation fired at them. Our house is located near the army camp and Waseem who was at home was also targeted by the army without any fault,” said his uncle, Muhammad Ashraf.
He said Waseem was not part of protesters pelting stones at army.
The two bullets pierced his thigh and one was removed during a surgery conducted by the doctors at Bones and Joint Hospital Barzulla.
“We may have to amputate his leg. He has already undergone plastic surgery operation here. The bullets have injured his leg severely and we don’t have much hope of saving his leg and save him from turning handicapped forever,” said a doctor wising not to be named.
“We are putting our best and will give it a chance. If he does not show any recovery sign we shall have to immediately amputate his leg,” said a doctor.
Waseem has been given 27 blood pints in last four days.
According to his family members, four people died on spot and many others got injured when army resorted to indiscriminate firing on the stone pelting youth near the camp in Nihama, Kulgam.
Director SKIMS Soura, Dr. A G Ahangar told Rising Kashmir that doctors are making all efforts to save Waseem’s leg.
On another bed in the same ward, 25-year-old Jahangir Showkat Bhat of Shopian is undergoing treatment. A bullet hit Showkat in his back at Newa Pulwama when he tried to help another bullet-hit youth while taking him to the hospital on Saturday.
“I shouldered an injured to take him to the hospital who was injured in indiscriminate firing by police and CRPF on protesters. I had only started to move when a bullet hit me in my back and I fell on the ground,” said Bhat.
Bhat said he was in Pulwama to see his sister, when a protest was going in the area against the killing of Hizb commander Burhan Muzzafar Wani. “It was Saturday afternoon when police and CRPF opened fire on the protesters and injured many including me,” he said.
Tanveer Ahmad, brother of Bhat said they were informed by their sister about the incident.
Another injured youth Sheikh Jameel Ahmad is also going under treatment for firearm injury in the same ward.
Jameel, a 10th standard student and resident of Wadipora Chadoora said he was going to attend the funeral prayers in absentia for Burhan at Newa.
“I was hit by two bullets and one of the locals who was with me informed my family about the incident,” said Jameel.
In the same ward of SKIMS, bullet-hit Manzoor Ahmad of Kuligam is lying, along with a minor boy Dar Basit from Karan Nagar. Basit has received pellet injuries in his face, chest and arm during police action on Saturday to disperse protesters who wanted to hold funeral of a Kulgam youth in their area.