Outlook English - Print Subscribers Copy Outlook English, 26 February 2018 | Page 17
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accusing the western neighbour of expa
nding the “arch of terror” to areas south
of Jammu’s Pir Panjal range in the inner
Himalayan region.
That is around 250 km south of Sopore,
which is close to the native place of Afzal
whom the Congress-led UPA govern-
ment had hanged in Delhi’s Tihar jail
without informing his family. The “out-
of-turn” execution invited objections
from both the National Conference (NC)
that then ran the J&K government and
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
which now leads the government. Both
the regional parties had maintained that
hanging Afzal will have long-term nega- two cops. The police say the three-
tive consequences in the already-restive decade-old LeT is in “desperate need” of
Valley. Five years thence, the apprehen- a commander having lost some of its top
sions are proving right: the number of operators from Abu Qasim to Abu
local militants is rising. In 2013, the Dujana to Abu Ismail. “Naveed, after the
Kashmiri youths who joined militancy escape, went to the Hizbul Mujahideen.
totalled 16, while it was 127 last year This shows both Hizb and the LeT oper-
alone, according to chief minister ate together,” notes additional director
Mehbooba Mufti. In fact, the JeM—as a general of police Munir Khan. Naveed,
baby of Pakistan’s ISI agency, according who was arrested in 2014, is a militant
to intelligence agencies—has been con- known for carrying attacks on the police
tinuously carrying out fidayeen attacks and security forces. Considered as a
since its inception in 1998 (see the bullet “sharp and extremely well-trained com-
mando”, he “can disman-
box on page 18).
tle and then assemble an
A senior police officer
AK-47 rifle blindfolded
says the JeM believes that
within 45 seconds”.
its suicide attacks on
Of late, there is resur-
India’s army camps and
gence in militancy even as
other security installa-
the police and the army
tions will create an impact
continue with their opera-
that would last for some
tions across Kashmir.
time. “They have been
People in the Valley have a
quite successful in it, but
growing perception that a
the Jaish is not invincible,”
he tells Outlook. “We have Naveed Jutt (in hard government stance
against Pakistan and sepa-
killed 30 JeM milita
pic) of LeT gave ratists booked under the
nts—21 in south Kashmir
National Investigation
and nine in Budgam dur- cops the slip.
Agency has further wors-
ing 2016 and ’17.” The pol CM Mehbooba
ened the situation.
ice assess that it requires Mufti notes a
On February 12, the CM
cross-border infiltration steady rise in
was more than blunt
to stop for the Jaish to
when she told the assem-
discontinue its activities. youths j oining
bly that security forces
“If you kill 30, an equal militancy.
and the army should not
number will sneak in. It is
be blamed when fidayeen
not that easy (to infiltrate),
att
acks take place. “If
but it’s possible,” he says.
someone comes to get
Indeed, just as the gun-
killed and to kill, what will
fight in Sunjuwan base
foolproof security do to
concluded on February 12,
him?” she said, and wan
two militants tried to
ted the Centre to hold
storm a CRPF camp at
talks with Pakistan. Meh
Karanagar area of Srinagar
booba further said the
that morning. An alert
people of the state have
sentry fired back, forcing
the ultras to rush into a nearby building been caught in a web of violence for the
that they turned into a fortified bunker. past 30 years and it was out of this pain
The ensuing gunfight killed a paramili- that they have been demanding dialogue
tary jawan. The attack, amid tight vigil, so as to better Indo-Pak relations. “For
was claimed by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)— how long shall the people continue to
and points towards militant penetration die? For how long shall we be laying
wreaths?” she said in a loud, emotional
in urban centres.
Only a week earlier, two policemen tone. “Not wars but reachouts hold the
were killed when they were taking top key to peace and friendship.”
The CM also accused the TV channels
LeT militant Naveed Jatt to hospital
from the Srinagar Central Jail for medi- of using ‘Kashmir’ for TRP. “It will have
cal check-up. A militant, who was waiting consequences for the state and the
for 22-year-old Naveed’s entry at the country,” she added, effectively raising
hospital, suddenly handed him over a a huge question mark over the BJP-led
pistol. Both fled, after shooting dead the NDA government’s policies on Kashmir
26 February 2018 Outlook 17