Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 11: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that 4088 missing persons and terrorists belonging to Jammu and Kashmir, who had crossed the borders, are still in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
She was responding to the question of BJP MLA from Jammu East Rajesh Gupta in the Legislative Assembly. “As per the figures of the Home Department, 4088 missing persons and terrorists are still camping/residing in Pakistan and PoK”, she said.
It is pertinent to mention here that during peak of militancy in this State huge number of misguided youth had crossed over the borders to get arms training in the camps established in different parts of Pakistan and PoK by the outfits of terrorists and ISI.
In the year 2010, the Government had announced Rehabilitation Policy whereby four routes were identified for return of the ex-militants. These routes are Joint Check Post Wagah/Attari, Salamabad/Chakkan-da-Bagh crossing on the Line of Control (LoC) and through the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
“Since the inception of this policy, no youth has been able to return via these approved routes due to inexplicable reasons/difficulties. However, the youth have been returning to the State along with their wives and children via Nepal and Bangladesh, which otherwise are not approved routes under the policy”, Mehbooba Mufti said.
She further informed the House that as per the details furnished by the CID, 377 ex-militants along with their 864 family members have returned via Nepal and Bangladesh since 2010.
“Since these youth have not returned via approved routes, they are not entitled to any benefit available under the policy of 2010”, the Chief Minister said.
According to the Chief Minister, a total of 322 foreigners/Pakistan nationals are residing in Jammu and Kashmir and they have been formally registered with the concerned authorities. Majority of them are putting up in Srinagar district followed by Jammu.
Moreover, 13433 Burmese/ Tibetans, who had entered the State on their own, are also staying here. In 2008, there was no Burmese and only 7093 Tibetans were putting up in J&K but during the year 2014 the number of Burmese was recorded at 5107 and this number increased to 5743 during 2016. Similarly, the number of Tibetans increased from 7093 in 2008 to 7690 in 2016.
The Burmese have been staying in the districts of Jammu and Samba while as Tibetans are putting up in Ladakh region, the Chief Minister said while disclosing that some Non-Governmental Organizations have been helping the Burmese in cash and kind from time to time. She, however, claimed that strict surveillance is being kept on the activities of these foreigners and the organizations extending help to them.
Though no Burmese has been found involved in militancy related incident, 17 FIRs have been registered against 38 of them for various offences including those relating to illegal border crossing.
“Since a good number of these foreigners are holding Registration Certificates, Identity Certificates issued by TR FRO ITBF/RPO New Delhi or UNHRC Cards, initiation of deportation proceedings may not be appropriate as per international law”, the Chief Minister said.
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