Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 6: Inspector General of Police Kashmir range, Muneer Ahmad Khan, today said that security across Kashmir has been put on high alert ahead of death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.
Khan said that security has been alerted all across Kashmir. “And the alert is not for only unlawful assemblies and rallies but also for probably militant strikes and it has also been alerted vis-à-vis soft targets”, he said.
The IGP said that the anti-militancy measures have been taken and the necessary measures for law and order maintenance have also been taken.
Khan said that the security forces are taking any input of militant attacks on Burhan anniversary seriously. “Inputs from different sides of different sorts keep coming. We take every input seriously and each input is assessed in terms of its weight. But we don’t brush away any input”, he added.
The IGP said that miscreants across Kashmir have been put under preventive detention on Burhan’s anniversary in view of United Jehad Council and separatist strike call. “Whatever arrangements would be required for law and order maintenance would be done. Keeping in view the call of separatists and UJC, all the preventive measures that are to be taken in all districts have started in terms of miscreants’ preventive arrest or to ensure that no unlawful assembly takes place or no unlawful gatherings take place. We have already issued elaborate instructions to range DIGs, district SPs and District Magistrates”, he said.
He said that the strict order have been issued that come what may no deterioration of peace or law and order problem should emerge at any place.
An order issued by the IGP has asked the internet provides to snap down the data services in Kashmir from 10 pm today. The order said it has been done to prevent its misuse by anti-national elements as it could lead to deterioration of law and order.
Khan said that blocking of the internet would be done as per the situation but clarified that there is no blanket ban on it. “As you said that internet would be shut from tomorrow and whole Kashmir would be shut till July 16 but this is not the case. Every step would be taken as per the requirement and on day-to-day basis the situation would be reviewed, it will be discussed and followed by appropriate decisions whatever be required. It is not that the there would be blanket ban from this date to that date. Nothing like that. The decision would be taken by consulting all stakeholders and after discussion. The decisions would be taken on day-to-day basis by taking all stakeholders into confidence”, he said.
Khan said that the information about militants is coming up and that is why there have been successful operations against them. “I can tell you only that the flow of information regarding the presence of militants at various places has improved considerably. People are coming forward to give information to share information and that is why the quality of the information has improved. In coming days, we will carry out operations based on authentic and good information”, he added.
The IGP said that there are more local militants in South Kashmir and more foreigners in North Kashmir. “There are more local militants in South Kashmir compared to North Kashmir and similarly there are more foreign militants in North Kashmir than local militants. So the number is varying. In South Kashmir, there are 100-125 militants”, he added.
On recent militant videos, IGP said that they are not bothered about them as their job is to get information for successful operations. “Jammu and Kashmir is a professional force. Videos or no videos don’t make a difference to us. Our work is to get good information and then operate…Militants have their own agenda and we have our own agenda”, he added.
On thinning out of Huriyat Conference chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s security, the IGP said that it has been done for Amarnath Yatra and law and order requirements. “Let me tell you in detail. As you know Amarnath yatra is underway. Manpower is maximum committed to yatra. And after this, we have some special days ahead in run up to this Burhan Wani anniversary. We again require manpower. Then there are other commitments with regard to law and order. So we have to pool in our resources. So how do we pool our resources? We pool in our resources by way of thinning various guards. Whether they are my guards or of Mirwaiz or they be of some other police officer or of civil officer. We have thinned various guards. There were 20-22 guards and 4-5 have been thinned. Some 4-5 guards of my have been thinned and also of other officers. We have pooled in another force of say 200-300 people which will be deployed for various duties. Once the duties are over, we will review the security situation and we will review the threat perception. If required, we will send these personnel”, he added.
Khan said that four persons have been arrested in the killing of DySP Ayub Pandith and investigations are going on. “I want to tell that case is being investigated and I am very pleased to tell you that the investigation is going on in right direction. We have been able to identify the real persons involved in that case and we have made arrests of three-to-four persons formally. We will be arresting others also. We have been able to recover the things (of DySP) such as the identity card of the deceased DySP and we have been able to recover the pistol. I will be holding a separate press conference after couple of days once I complete around 90 percent of the investigation.. Presently I can say 60 percent of the investigation we have completed and we have cracked the case”, he added.
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