Minister's pistol goes off at Jammu airport

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Rural Development Minister Javed Mustafa Mir's pistol accidentally went off at the Jammu airport on Monday when he was asked to deposit the weapon by the security personnel.

The gunshot created panic in the airport, in the middle of its busy hour with Delhi- and Mumbai-bound passengers queuing up for security checks and flight check in.

According to police sources, the metal detector went off when Mir - a member of the People's Democratic Party - was entering the airport. The policemen found he was carrying a loaded pistol with him.

The minister handed over the weapon to his aide for examination by the security officials and at that moment the gun went off. The police have seized the weapon.

The minister was, however, allowed to board the aircraft.

Mir carries a pistol with him for security reasons. Militants hanged his father, Mustafa Mir, in 1990 when the militancy had erupted in the Kashmir valley.