Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 23: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti will discuss ‘Roadmap for Kashmir’ and security situation in the State at the first meeting of Unified Headquarters of this year, which significantly has been called in Srinagar, the summer capital on April 25, despite the Civil Secretariat being in Jammu till April 28, which showed concerns of the Government over situation developing in the Valley with signs that situation could deteriorate.
Top Generals of the Army including heads of Northern and Western Commands, heads of civil, police administration, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Intelligence agencies and other senior officers dealing with security situation along frontiers and hinterland will attend the meeting, which will be chaired by Mehbooba.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Unified Headquarters, which will meet in Srinagar at 12 noon, will devise ‘Roadmap for Summer in Kashmir’ among other issues to ensure that 2016 like trouble when about 85 civilians were killed post-Burhan Wani killing on July 8 is not repeated in 2017 and that peace and normalcy, which was again shattered on April 9, the day of polling in Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, is restored.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Devraj Anbu, Western Army Commander Lt Gen Surinder Singh, GOC Nagrota-based 15 Corps Lt Gen AK Sharma, GOC Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen JS Sandhu, GOC Leh-based 14 Corps Lt Gen PJS Pannu and GOC Yol Cantonment based 9 Corps Lt Gen SK Saini, Chief Secretary BR Sharma, DGP Dr Shesh Pal Vaid, heads of all para-military forces and Intelligence agencies operating in the State, the two Divisional Commissioners and the IGPs and other senior officers would attend the meeting, give their assessment of situation prevailing in the State and suggest steps required to maintain law and order.
Noting that summer strategy for Kashmir was high on agenda of the Unified Headquarters, which is meeting for the first time this year, sources said the State Government could suggest certain measures to security agencies in dealing with the situation in a way that civilian casualties are averted and there is no collateral damage.
At the same time, sources said, security agencies and police were of the view that gathering of people including youth and women at the site of encounters was posing grave challenge to the troops and hampering operation against the militants.
“A strategy could be discussed to ensure that operation against the militants are not hampered and, at the same time, civilian casualties and collateral damages are also averted,” sources said, adding that strengthening of Counter-Insurgency and Counter-Infiltration Grids is high on the agenda in view of the reports that the militants have gathered along Line of Control (LoC) for making attempts to infiltrate during the summer to step up violence in the Kashmir valley.
According to sources, Army was likely to take up the issue of sanction of land for Field Firing Ranges (FFRs) in Kashmir and Jammu once again during the Unified Headquarters meeting.
Sources said situation along Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) with Pakistan, presence of militants in the hinterland and joining of militancy by the local youth could also figure at the Unified Headquarters meeting.
Sources said the Chief Minister could give a roadmap to security forces, police and other security agencies in dealing with Kashmir situation especially the stone pelting youth as the Government wants security forces to differentiate between militants and stone pelters.
They added that the Chief Minister has already asked security forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police to strictly follow Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) during anti-militancy operations and tackling law and order situation.
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