Baby Marium reunites with her father in Kupwara

Srinagar, May 17: Marium, one-year-old baby girl, on Thursday met her father, released by police after four days of arrest over allegations of stone pelting in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.
Marium’s mother, Misra Bano died in “cross firing” during an encounter on December 11, 2017 that also left three militants dead at Younso Handwara village of the north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Marium father, Ishfaq Ahmad Wani, was arrested by police on charges o stone pelting and despite family’s plea, he has not been released for four days.
“After seeing her father, Marium glued to him,” said one of the relatives Ishfaq, Marium’s father who has been jailed by police on charges of stone pelting in Handwara.
For four days Mohammad Shaban, father-in-law of Ishfaq, an elderly man who along with her aged wife looked after Marium.
The elderly couple’s only issue, daughter Misra, was married to Ishfaq, originally a resident of Hardsheva Sopore.
“He (Ishfaq) was not part of any stone pelting protests. There were protests and stone pelting and he along with other people, he fled from the area but he was not part of any stone pelting protests,” Shaban had told GNS said while holding Marium in his lap.
The locals of the area had urged Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to interfere and order release of Ishfaq for the baby girl. “Holy month of Ramadan is beginning now and she (Mehbooba) should interfere and ensure that baby girl is not now denied father’s affection as her mother died in violence already,” the locals had said.
Ishfaq was arrested on Monday after summoned by police to its post at Chowgal. As he appeared before police, he was put behind the bars, they said. (GNS)