Home Minister P. Chidambaram to visit Jammu on April 10; Police Data in favour of AFSPA revocation in Jammu and Kashmir; Mixed response in Valley regarding meeting between Indian PM and Pakistan President; Five militants killed in Handwara, Kupwara Distri
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  • Reports noted that Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will chair a high-level security review meeting in Jammu to discuss the preparedness of Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary forces ahead of this summer. Chidambaram will be flying to the winter capital of the state on April 10 and begin his day-long visit by paying obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Later, he along with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will chair a security review meeting to take stock of the situation which will deliberate upon the inputs of intelligence agencies about infiltration and secessionist movements. The surrender policy of the state government of bringing back the misguided youths from Pakistan-administered Kashmir will also come in for review at the meeting.1

    Meanwhile, according to reports, with voices growing louder and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah pressing for revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some pockets of Jammu and Kashmir, police data about militancy related incidents adds weight to the argument.
    The figures about militancy related incidents in year 2011 note that seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir are militancy free, 13 districts record “single digit” militancy related incidents and four districts record “double digit” incidents of militancy. The data claims that there has been steep and continuous decline in militancy related incidents in J&K bringing casualties to a new low. The data adds that year 2010 had been described as the “most peaceful year” in over two decades of militancy in the state, with 375 militancy related causalities throughout the year. A senior police officer who has served at various important positions said on the basis of anonymity that data throws weight behind the revocation of AFSPA. The data says there is steep and drastic decline in militancy and the Act needs to be revoked.2

    According to reports, the meeting between Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari over lunch and issuing a joint statement has evoked a mixed response from the leaders of separatist and mainstream camps in the Valley. The chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani said there is “nothing” for Kashmiris in the joint statement as there is no direct reference to Kashmir issue in it. Patron of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Muhammad Sayeed hoped that this positive development would help in finding pragmatic solutions to a number of issues affecting relationship between the two countries.3

    In other developments, according to reports, less than a week after killing of five Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants in Zachaldara forests of Handwara in district Kupwara, Army said it killed five more militants of the same group in the area after busting a hideout. The search party came under heavy fire from heavily armed militants. The fire was retaliated. The militants went into their hideout after the first assault. The sector commander said that the militants were asked to surrender, however they refused and opened fire on the joint party from the hideout. The hideout was busted by joint party of RR and SOG and in subsequent searches five bodies of militants were found.4

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