Azad opposes Omar’s militants surrender policy

SRINAGAR - A verbal battle has begun between the Congress and its ally, the National Conference in the Kashmir Valley, with former Chief Minister and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad questioning Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his proposed militants surrender policy, which if passed would facilitate the return of almost 11,000 Kashmiri men trained in militant camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

Azad said there is no assurance that the youth would not re-engage in terrorist activities after their surrender.

Azad asked: “Who will guarantee that these youths will not engage in terrorist activities? Should we trust Pakistan? Could it not be another way of infiltrating armed youth inside?”

Abdullah said the new policy would help to bring back young people living in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

It is the responsibility of the government to see that they are rehabilitated, said Abdullah, adding that the policy would encourage more militants to rejoin the main stream.

Abdullah’s government has taken this decision following reports of several youth disappearing from Jammu and Kashmir and allegedly moving to PoK for arms training in the early 1990s.

The Home Ministry is expected to meet state officials to discuss the broad contours of the policy put down by Abdullah at the Prime Minister’s conference on internal security on February 6. (ANI)