SRINAGAR, Aug 7: Unidentified men shot dead an official of occupied Kashmir’s ruling party on Wednesday while he was visiting Srinagar for talks on the upcoming elections.

Police said Ghulam Hassan Jan, a senior functionary of the National Conference party in Tral, a town 40kms south of Srinagar, was hit by three bullets as he went without his guards to a market.

“Jan was buying fish when gunmen struck,” a police spokesman said. “The assassins left the area after carrying out the crime.”

Jan, who was staying with his family at a high-security hotel on the shores of Srinagar’s Lake Dal, had been discussing with National Conference leaders whether he should contest from Tral in legislative elections starting next month, sources in the party said.

The previous National Conference candidate from the town was shot dead last week with his guard and a friend.

More than 50 pro-India political activists have been killed in held Kashmir since the start of the year.—AFP