KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, addressing a gathering of police officers on Thursday, urged that local militants not be “killed in encounters” but be brought back home.
Ms Mufti also said that AFSPA or the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the controversial law which gives soldiers special powers to search or arrest people based on suspicion, “is not permanent”.
Speaking at the Police Commemoration Day Parade at Armed Police Headquarters Zewan in Srinagar, the Chief Minister said: “Our children who have gone into militancy…my appeal to the police is…try that they return home…Those who are missing for years, if possible, instead of killing them in encounters, if you bring them back home and if they can become a part of the mainstream…If we can hand them a bat or a ball instead of guns…”
It was important to create an environment of peace and tranquillity in Jammu and Kashmir, she asserted.
At least 94 civilians have been killed and over 15,000 have been injured in forces actions since July 9, a day after popular Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani was killed by forces in Bemdoora area of Islamabad district in South Kashmir.
Speaking on the violence, Ms Mufti said: “I want to ban pellet guns but it is possible only if you people support the government. Our children are always used as shields. We can’t force someone to talk by throwing stones on them. If we need a dialogue, we have to stop militancy.”
Without naming anyone, Mufti took on pro-freedom leaders saying that “big leaders” were using young boys as shields while referring to stone-throwing protests.
However, she said that those guilty in the killing of a teacher in Khrew, an ATM guard and young Junaid will be punished.
A teacher Shabir Ahmad was beaten to death by army in Khrew near Pampore on August 17 while an ATM guard Reyaz Ahmad and sixth standard student Junaid Ahmad were killed by forces in Chattabal and Eidgah areas of Srinagar on August 3 and October 7, respectively.
She said that the dialogue was not possible until peace returned to the valley.
22-year-old Wani actively used social media to recruit young Kashmiri men – he featured in videos and photos with weapons and taunting security forces, which were circulated on Facebook and WhatsApp.
Earlier, in his speech, J&K Police chief, K Rajendra said, “two J&K Police cops were killed and 5000 others injured in the on-going unrest.” “We exercised maximum restraint,” he added.
