Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 30: Eighteen members of five militant families were arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police after their return through Nepal border from Pakistan early this week.
These militants who had gone to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) for arms training in 1990 and 2001 returned four days back and were arrested by Seema Suraksha Bal at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh on Nepal border.
These 18 persons travelled to Nepal from Karachi in Pakistan on Pakistani passport and later handed themselves over to the SSB at Gorakhpur. They were later handed over to the CID wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police who brought them to Srinagar.
One of the militants who returned is Mohammad Altaf Rather son of Mohammad Maqbool Rather of Panzgam in district Kupwara. He had gone to PoK in 2001 for arms training.
Second one is Mohammad Ashraf Khan son of Gulzar Ahmad Khan of Keran in district Kupwara. He had gone to PoK in 1990 and returned along with his Pakistani wife, two sons and a daughter.
Third one is Nisar Ahmad Bhat son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat resident of Check Dodipora, Handwara in district Kupwara. He had gone to PoK in 2001 and returned along with Pakistani wife and two sons.
Fourth one is Nisar Ahmad Rather son of Mohammad Shaban Rather of Krankshawan in district Baramulla. He had gone for arms training in 2001 to PoK and returned along with his daughter.
Fifth one is Towheed Ahmad Khan son of Abdul Aziz Khan resident of Batamaloo Srinagar. He had gone for arms training to PoK in 1990 and returned along with this wife and three sons.
All these militants had received arms training in PoK and later settled there and were running small time businesses.
Over 300 militants along with their families have returned to Jammu and Kashmir so far since 2010 after the announcement of surrender policy for the militants by Omar Abdullah Government. However, none of these militants has come through designated routes of Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch district, Chakothi-Uri in Kashmir, Attari border in Wagah sector of Punjab’s Amritsar district and Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi as per Rehabilitation policy of the State Government that was later approved by the Union Government.
These militants and their families have come through Nepal border and Government has not given them any benefits under the Rehabilitation policy. The children and wives of these militants have not been given Indian citizenship by the Government so far.
As per the Government records around 4000 militants are still living in Pakistan and Government has received 1171 application on behalf of these militants for their return under Rehabilitation policy and it has cleared 422 cases for their return through four designated routes.
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