If Afzal Guru’s family wants to visit his grave that can be considered: Shinde

Amid a row over delay in informing the family of Afzal Guru about his execution, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Monday said that the family was informed in prior as per the rules. Addressing a press conference, Shinde said: “The decision to hang Afzal was not politically motivated but was done as per the law.” The Home Minister was speaking about the delay of the letter which was delivered to the family two days after Guru’s hanging. Afzal Guru was hanged in the Tihar jail on Saturday morning, whereas his family on Monday received an official letter informing about his execution. However, Shinde added that if Afzal Guru’s family wants to visit his grave in Tihar jail, that can be considered. According to reports, the letter dispatched by the Superintendent of Tihar Jail was delivered to Guru’s family this morning.
“We got the letter early morning today. Though we refused to accept it initially some of our relatives prevailed on us to see the contents,” said Aijaz Guru, Afzal’s elder brother. “What is the need of getting the letter delivered when the execution has happened three days back,” he added.

Pakistan slams indian ‘high-handedness’

The government of Pakistan on Monday reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expressed concern over the atrocities committed by the Indian government in the area. Commenting on the execution of Kashmiri leader Afzal Guru, a government spokesman said, “We reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and express our serious concern on the high handed measures taken by India in the wake of Afzal Guru’s execution to suppress the aspirations of Kashmiris by arrests and detention of Hurriyat leaders, curfews, blackouts and other coercive means.” The Foreign Office spokesman also called for the lifting of repressive measures and immediate release of Hurriyat leaders.