Srinagar, Jul 22: A pall of grief engulfed the quiet village of Loolipora in Beerwah, in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, on Wednesday as hundreds of mourners gathered to bid a tearful farewell to Head Constable Ashiq Hussain, who was killed in a terror attack in Anantnag’s Lal Chowk area.
The 35-year-old policeman, was laid to rest amid heart-wrenching scenes of sorrow on Wednesday late evening.
His body reached his ancestral village at around 6 pm amid slogans paying tributes to him, with locals and security personnel forming a large funeral procession.
Ashiq Hussain, son of late Ghulam Mohiuddin, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in the J&K Police who himself died in a tragic landslide incident at Banihal in 1995 while on duty, left behind a grieving family that has now suffered a second devastating loss in service to the nation.
“He was not just a policeman; he was the backbone of our family,” Abdul Gaffar a visibly shattered relative told Greater Kashmir over telephone. “His father gave his life in 1995, and now Ashiq has followed the same path. Who will look after his young children now? This pain is unbearable.”
Surviving Ashiq are his wife, Ayesha, and their three young children — two sons and a daughter.
The village Loolipora wore a deserted look as mourning women wailed and children, too young to fully grasp the tragedy, clung to their mother.
Muhammad Akbar, local elder from Loolipora, who knew the family for decades, expressed the collective anguish of the village.
“Ashiq was a humble, dedicated son of the soil. After losing his father at a tender age, he joined the police force to continue the legacy of service. He had big dreams for his children’s future. Terrorists have snatched away a loving husband and father. The entire village is in shock — every household feels this loss as their own,” he said.
Another neighbourShakeel Ahmad said, “He would often speak about ensuring a secure future for yatris during the AmarnathYatra. Today, the same yatra he was protecting has claimed his life. May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannat and give strength to his family.”
The incident occurred when terrorists opened fire at an SOG team in Lal Chowk, Anantnag, around 11:35 pm.
DIG South Kashmir JavedMatto confirmed that the team had acted on inputs about inimical elements.
As the funeral prayers concluded and the body was lowered into the grave, the air echoed with slogans saluting the slain cop.
Senior police officers and local representatives visited the bereaved family, assuring all possible support.
In Loolipora and across Beerwah, the message was loud and clear: the Head Constable Ashiq Hussain will not be forgotten. Yet, for his young widow and children, the void left behind is one that no words of condolence can ever fill.
