Jammu & Kashmir Government disclose number of missing youths who joined militancy; Union Home Minister to visit Jammu & Kashmir on October 12; Elections to Block Development Councils (BDC) a significant step; Fresh warnings against Panchs, Sarpanchs; Unio
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    • According to reports, a day after putting the figure of disappeared persons in the State at around 2300, Jammu and Kashmir Government on October 9 said that 824 missing youth have reportedly joined militancy. In response to a question by legislator Ravinder Kumar Sharma seeking information about the number of missing youth, believed to have joined militant ranks, the Government informed the Legislative Council (LC) that 824 missing youth of different districts are reported to have joined militancy. 1

    Reports noted that Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde visited Jammu and Kashmir on October 12 to review the security situation of the state. Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in his visit promised to remove all hurdles to strengthen cross-LoC trade with Pakistan. The minister addressed a delegation of cross-LoC traders at Chank-da-Bagh crossing point in Poonch district. Reviewing the cross-LoC trade, the Minister assured traders of full help from the Centre and promised that he would raise their demands at the appropriate forums in Delhi. The Cross-LoC Traders Panel handed over a memorandum to the Union Home Minister and also demanded setting up of communication network between two sides, one time visa to assess the markets on both sides of LoC by traders from two sides, spot deliveries, increase in number of cross-LoC trade items and seizure of goods like almonds by customs departments. The Union Home Minister also called for strict vigil to stop smuggling from across the LoC. 2

    According to reports, National Conference on October 10 welcomed the announcement of elections to the Block Development Councils in J&K, calling it a historic step. The party spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said that the ensuing BDC election after the successful Panchayat election is yet another feather in the cap of Omar Abdullah government which believes that governance should be taken from the secretariat to the doorsteps of the people. 3

    In another development, according to reports, after north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, fresh posters have appeared in different areas of the south Kashmir district of Islamabad warning Sarpanchs and Panchs of dire consequences if they do not tender their resignation forthwith. While threat posters had earlier appeared in Pulwama and Shopian districts, apart from Baramulla district of north Kashmir, such posters have been spotted in Chee and Hakhoora villages. The posters, as per their contents, have been issued by Mutahida Squad—an amalgam of Lashkar-I-Toiba, Jaish-I-Muhammad, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Jamait-ul-Mujahidden. 4

    In other developments, according to reports, India has criticized Pakistan after Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative Raza Bashir Tarar said during the General Debate of the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee on October 8 that the decolonisation agenda of the UN would be incomplete without resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Exercising India’s Right of Reply, First Secretary at the Indian mission Prakash Gupta said Pakistan has regrettably raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. A week before as well, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna had strongly asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and termed the reference about Kashmir by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in his address to the General Assembly, as unwarranted. 5

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