Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 8: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti would hold first high level review of security situation in Jammu and Kashmir on May 10 in the Unified Headquarters meeting, which she heads in her capacity as the Chief Minister, with top brass of Army, para-military forces, police, civil administration and intelligence agencies among others.
She would be chairing first meeting of the Unified Headquarters after taking over as the Chief Minister on April 4. The meeting will come only a day after the re-opening of Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State.
Official sources told the Excelsior that apart from militancy and general law and order situation, the Unified Headquarters meeting was likely to review vacation of land by the Army, removal of some bunkers, maintenance of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) by security forces during encounters and search operations and other issues that would be raised by the top political leadership of the State and Commanders of armed forces, police and other agencies.
This would be the only second meeting of the Unified Headquarters this year. The first meeting was taken by Governor NN Vohra on January 20 during Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir after the death of then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on January 7.
The Chief Minister will preside over the meeting, which among others will be attended by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Chief Secretary BR Sharma, Home Secretary RK Goyal, Principal Secretary Navin Choudhary, Northern Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda, all GOCs including Lt Gen RR Nimbhorkar (16 Corps), Lt Gen Satish Kumar Dua (15 Corps), Lt Gen SK Patyal (14 Corps) and Lt Gen Ashok Ambre (9 Corps), Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar, Intelligence chief SM Sahai and heads of all para-military forces, intelligence agencies, civil administration and police based in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said the Chief Minister wants time bound implementation of decisions taken for vacation of land by the Army in the State. The Army, in turn, was insisting on allotment of alternate land before vacating the agreed upon land.
Pointing out that withdrawal of troops from hinterland in phased manner and fortification of Line of Control (LoC) were among the priority agendas, sources said policy on surrendered militants and their rehabilitation was likely to come up for high level review in the meeting as the State Government was insisting on allowing the militants to return from Nepal route, a demand the Centre Government had earlier rejected. Army reports said there were still 4000 Kashmiri militants in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), many of whom now want to return to their homes in the State.
“Preparation of standard and workable Disaster Management System in the State, demining of areas along the LoC to help people cultivate crops and graze cattle in their land right up to the LoC and installation of X-ray machines to scan goods coming from PoK at Trade Facilitation Centres (TFCs) at Salamabad-Uri and Poonch-Rawlakote route were high on the agenda,” sources said.
They added that infiltration by the militants on Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB), presence of militants in the hinterland and new trend witnessed during encounters with the militants in which some youths pelted stones on security forces to help militants escape was expected to come up for high level review during the meeting.
Notwithstanding the stone pelting, troops and police have been maintaining restraint and would assure the Chief Minister that the SOP for encounters would be maintained at all costs to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage. Four civilians were killed at Handwara in Kupwara district last month in firing by the troops.
According to sources, top Army Commanders and security officials were expected to give detailed view of the security situation prevailing along the LoC and International Border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir and a surge expected in infiltration this summer by the militants. However, the Army Commanders have maintained that they were ready to meet with any kind of situation on the borders and hinterland and wouldn’t allow peace to be disturbed at any cost.
Sources said the State Government wants all measures to be put in place by all agencies to ensure peaceful summer in the Kashmir valley to give momentum to flow of tourists, which has already started picking up. The Government was of the view that if there were no Handwara like incidents and disturbances were kept at bare minimum, the tourists will flock Jammu and Kashmir, helping the common man.
Sources said various security related issues would also be taken up in the Unified Headquarters meeting and the Chief Minister was expected to acquaint himself with all issues of security forces, police, civil administration and intelligence agencies etc as she also holds the Home Department in the Government.
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