'Birdshot' Blinds Hundreds in Kashmir

Covid pandemic, frequent lockdowns worsen the plight of pellet victims

By: Majid Maqbool

Mohammad Ashraf Wani, from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, was 25 when he was hit in the face by pellets fired by government forces outside his home during a protest following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in 2016.

Having undergone multiple corrective surgeries over the years, Ashraf, who is now 31 can see just a little…