Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 13: Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed held high level informal inter-action with top Army Commanders and State police chief over two hours long dinner meeting at his official residence here last night to have first hand information of security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir and measures taken by Army and police to maintain peace during summer for ensuring smooth flow of tourist, Amarnath pilgrimage and various other issues.
Partial withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from peaceful and militancy-free districts of the State reportedly came up for informal discussion during the meeting, which was second inter-action of the Chief Minister with top brass of Army and police in exactly one month as the Mufti had presided over the Unified Headquarters meeting on March 12 here.
Though the meeting was officially described as social gathering, sources told the Excelsior that the occasion was used by the Chief Minister to acquaint himself with each and every aspect of the situation from senior Army and police officers. This was for the first time that Mufti Sayeed directly inter-acted with senior officers of Army and police for couple of hours.
The meeting was attended by five top officers of Army and police including Northern Army Command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda, Director General of Police (DGP) K Rajendra, Nagrota based 16 Corps General Officer Commanding (GOC) Lt Gen KH Singh, Srinagar based 15 Corps GOC Lt Gen Subrata Saha and Leh based 14 Corps GOC Lt Gen BS Negi.
Sources said the Chief Minister reportedly wanted to take informal view of top Army Commanders posted in Jammu and Kashmir and J&K police chief on security situation within the State, Line of Control (LoC), International Border (IB), maintenance of peace during summer for tourist flow and various other issues pertaining to security scenario.
At the same time, sources said, the Chief Minister also took informal views of the top Army brass on partial revocation of AFSPA from some districts of the State, which were peaceful and had been declared `militancy-free’ by both Army and police.
Mufti Sayeed had stated in the Legislature few days back that he would take Army on board on revocation of AFSPA after twin terror attacks in Samba and Kathua districts.
There was no official version of the high level meeting.
The Army has already voiced their reservations over revocation of AFSPA on the ground that though Samba and Kathua were among those districts, which have been declared peaceful and `militancy-free’, both the districts witnessed two major terror attacks by the militants after infiltration from across the border on March 20 and 21 in which they had targeted both Army and police killing three security personnel and two civilians.
The Army is reportedly of the view that no district can be free from militancy as the militants could come from across the border and strike.
The police has declared Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi and Doda districts in Jammu region as free from militancy. In Jammu district, militants had struck in Arnia last September killing three Army personnel and five civilians before being eliminated by the troops. However, there had been no terrorist attacks in Reasi, Udhampur and Doda districts for past quite some time.
Sources said the Defence Ministry can be taken on board only when the top Army Commanders posted in Jammu and Kashmir and the Army chief give their nod on AFSPA. The BJP and Congress have already made it clear that no decision should be taken on AFSPA without taking the Army on board.
“Apart from AFSPA, the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir including the LoC and IB also figured informally during the meeting,” sources said, adding the Chief Minister wanted to know the situation on militancy front including extent of involvement of local youth following Intelligence inputs that some locals might have joined militancy in the recent times.
The Army Commanders and the police chief were reported to have given their perception of the situation in the State and the borders to the Chief Minister during the dinner meeting.
Exactly a month ago i.e. on March 12, the Chief Minister had presided over his first meeting of the Unified Headquarters here after taking over as head of the PDP-BJP Government on March 1 and reviewed security situation in the State.
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