Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Tuesday said the dissociation of Syed Ali Shah Geelani from the separatist outfit Hurriyat Conference was reflective of his “frustration and the negative approach”.
He also said the security agencies are working hard to make more areas militancy free to relieve people of the “oppression and atrocities” by militants but said no time frame could be set to make the Kashmir Valley violence-free as Pakistan is continuously making attempts to push in armed militants.
“Geelani disassociated himself from the Hurriyat Conference yesterday and in his letter he acknowledged of having caused huge loss of life and property to the people over the years and the mission he wants to follow has failed,” the police chief told reporters after inaugurating a women’s police station in Rajouri district.
He said Geelani’s admission that the people associated with the Hurriyat used its platform for personal gains was reflective of the “frustration, incompetence, negative thinking and negative activity”.
Geelani, 90, the lifetime chairman of the pro-Pakistan Hurriyat Conference, made a surprise announcement of completely dissociating himself from the 16-party amalgam on Monday, alleging lack of accountability and a brewing rebellion in the ranks.
Asserting that police and other security agencies are working to strengthen the peace prevailing in the Valley at present, the DGP said 128 militants were killed since the beginning of this year, but Pakistan is making all out efforts to push more militants into this side to keep the pot boiling.
“This month alone, 48 terrorists were killed in various successful operations, which is the highest number in the month of June in the past many years. The last surviving terrorist from Doda was among three militants killed in Anantnag district yesterday, while two more militants who were involved in the recent killing of a CRPF jawan and an innocent child were eliminated (in south Kashmir) today,” he said.
The DGP said police and other security agencies are working to make more areas militancy free so that people are relieved of the “oppression and atrocities” being committed by militants.
“They have killed innocent people but the situation is far better than before and we are trying to further strengthen the peace in the Valley,” he said.
In response to a question, Singh said setting a time frame for making Kashmir violence-free is not possible since Pakistan is continuously pushing armed militants into this side.
However, he said security forces are working to further strengthen the border grid to foil the Pakistani attempts to push in armed militants into this side.
“A new infiltrating group (of militants) had come from Pakistan and was neutralised on the Line of Control in Nowshera sector (Rajouri) on May 28. It was followed by another encounter after a gap of one day and one more militant was killed while two of his associates probably went back.
“Similar attempts are being made on the international border as well. We have an encounter with a group of three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who sneaked but were eliminated in an encounter in Nagrota (in January). A group had earlier managed to sneak via the same route,” he said.
He said similar infiltration bids were made in the Kashmir Valley, especially Keran and Karnah in Kupwara and Uri in Baramulla.
“Many infiltration bids were made from there. One group was neutralised in April (in Kupwara) while attempts are being made to activate Gurez and Machil sectors (of north Kashmir) to facilitate infiltration,” he said, adding that the border grid is fully vigilant and the nefarious design of Pakistan would be scuttled.
Referring to his visit to Basantar sector along the International Border (IB) along with Inspector General of the Border Security Force (BSF), Jammu frontier, he said security grid is being further tightened there.
He said Pakistan is also trying to utilise drones to smuggle weapons and narcotics into Jammu and Kashmir and “we are working out a countermeasure to deal with the threat”.
“BSF jawan successfully shot down a drone armed with an M4 rifle and some grenades along the IB. This was for the first time that a drone was shot down though there were a number of attempts by Pakistan to send drones earlier as well,” he said, adding that the weapons were meant for JeM militant Ali Bhai, who is active in south Kashmir.
Besides inaugurating the women’s police station in Rajouri, the DGP said his visit to the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch was aimed at reviewing the prevailing security and COVID-19 situation.
