Top brass of all security agencies to discuss situation
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 11: After convening an All Party Meeting on security situation in Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has called Unified Headquarters meeting in Srinagar tomorrow for detailed review of the situation and discuss steps required to ensure peace and normalcy in the Valley, where tourist season has just begin and annual pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath Ji would start next month for 60 days.
This will be second meeting of the Unified Headquarters in less than four months, the last one was held on January 16.
Official sources told the Excelsior that entire top brass of Army, para-military forces including CRPF, BSF, civil administration, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Intelligence agencies among others would join the meeting, which is scheduled to be held at 11.30 am at SKICC Srinagar and will be presided over by the Chief Minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta.
The meeting comes close on the heels of Mehbooba Mufti’s call for ceasefire on the pious occasions of Ramadhan, Eid and Shri Amarnath Ji yatra and Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat’s stern statement that the troops will deal with militants and stone pelters with heavy hand.
The Army Generals, heads of para-military forces and Intelligence agencies would give their view point on the situation prevailing in hinterland of the Valley including South Kashmir, frontiers with Pakistan, increase in incidents of stone pelting and steps required to maintain peace and normalcy.
“Large movement of civilians at the site of encounters in the Valley with a view to disrupt operations by security forces to force escape of the militants, leading to number of casualties (of the locals) would figure prominently at the meeting,” sources said noting that the Chief Minister has repeatedly been calling for averting collateral damage including civilian casualties during the gun battles.
The Unified Headquarters was likely to discuss roadmap ahead for peaceful summer to ensure arrival of the tourists, peaceful Ramadhan and Eid and 60-day long Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage, which would start on June 28 and continue till August 26, which has always been a big challenge for security agencies especially in South Kashmir due to presence of militants and number of stone pelting incidents.
Sources said almost all security and Intelligence agencies were of the view that there was massive presence of militants on Pakistan side of LoC and International Border, which was potential threat to peace as the militants would try to infiltrate now as the summer has set-in and passes have opened up due to melting of snow. However, security agencies were fully geared-up to meet with any kind of situation on the borders and that they would thwart infiltration bids by the militants to ensure peaceful summer, sources added.
Sources said top officers and heads of various security agencies would give their detailed analysis of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir including internal security and the situation prevailing along the borders
The meeting would also discuss the level of coordination among various security and Intelligence agencies, operating in Jammu and Kashmir to deal with the situation in the Valley especially during anti-militancy operations to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage and prevent any flare-up in the violence including the incidents of stone pelting.
“The Unified Headquarters would also discuss other issues pertaining to security agencies including their requirements from the State Government,” sources said, adding that other issues of routine nature would also be taken up in the meeting.
The State Government feels that the months from May to August were always very crucial in the Kashmir valley as it was during this period that militants try to infiltrate to consolidate their positions and stone pelting also goes up.
“Steps to check infiltration and stone pelting would be taken up in the meeting,” sources said.
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