Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 23: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti today said that Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah needs to be assertive while dealing with the situation emanating in the Kashmir valley in the aftermath of hanging of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru.
Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, Mehbooba said that the State Government has failed to handle the law and order situation in the Kashmir valley after the hanging of Guru. She said the arrest of youth by police and security forces is pushing the youth to the wall adding that this would have adverse consequences in the Valley.
“Our reports say that around 1,000 youth were arrested in the Kashmir valley after February 9. Some of the youth have been re-arrested after being released while as the majority continued to be behind the bars. The continuous arrest of these youth gives an impression that there is complete lawlessness and there is no Government on ground,” said Mehbooba.
She said that some of the youth, who were arrested after the 2010 un-rest have taken to guns adding that same possibility cannot be ruled at this point of time. She alleged that police is demanding hefty sum from the parents of the arrested youth and said that taking to gun is the only option available to such youth.
“One of the youth who took to guns after the 2010 summer unrest was killed in an encounter some time back. This should have come as an eye opener to the Government more so the law enforcing agencies. But instead of learning the lesson police and security forces agencies are repeating their mistakes and arresting youth like anything,” said Mehbooba.
Referring to the arrest of Syed Liyaqat by the Delhi Police, Mehbooba said that the relatives of Liyaqat have on record said that he was coming back to the Valley under the rehabilitation policy. She took pot-shots at the rehabilitation policy announced by the State Government for the return of militants from across the border. She said the policy has failed to safeguard the interests of the youth who want to come back.
Mehbooba alleged that police and security forces have unleashed a reign of terror by firing pellets and chilly grenades on the protesters. She condemned the arrest of separatist leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan.
“The State Government is harping a lot about the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the State, but the truth of the matter is that no letter has been shot to the Prime Minister in this regard. Our party patron had written a letter in 2007 to the Prime Minister asking him to revoke the Act from the State. It was National Conference that extended AFSPA to the Jammu region,” said Mehbooba.
She accused Congress and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) of playing politics on Kashmir. She said Kashmiris have come up as a fodder for Congress and BJP adding that both the parties are using Kashmir card for their political means.
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