Deal firmly with terrorists: PM, Azad

Srinagar: As militants stepped up violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday asked security forces to deal firmly with terrorists while keeping in mind the human rights of common people and collateral damage.

Chairing a 90-minute meeting of the Unified command, the Prime Minister was apprised by the army and other para-military forces about the increased infiltration from across the border as compared to last year, official sources said.

Reviewing the situation in the border state, Singh asked the security forces to deal firmly with militancy and carry out result-oriented operations while keeping in mind the safety and security of common people.

He told all the security personnel to strictly adhere to the prescribed do's and dont's during anti-insurgency operations and ensure that no collateral damage was caused.

The PM also complimented the security forces especially the state police for their anti-militancy operations, which had seen a virtually complete reduction in the human rights violations.

Singh asked the forces to keep a tight vigil over the growing infilitration from across the border and laid special emphasis on the protection of minorities in the state.

This statement was made in reference to the recent killings of Hindus in Doda and Udhampur district of Jammu region.

As the PM was chairing the Unified command meeting, in which top brass of army, para-military forces and state police, were present, militants hurled a grenade at Qanmarwai in downtown Srinagar injuring two CRPF jawans and eight civilians.

There was, however, no demand for increase in security personnel by any of the agencies.

The Unified command meeting comes close on the heels of stepped up activities by militants who carried out two suicide attacks in a span of three days.

On Sunday, militants carried out a suicide attack on a Congress rally at Sher-e-Kashmir park in the heart of the city which left seven persons, including two policemen and two militants dead and 22 others injured.

A day later, militants set off four grenade explosions at different parts of the city killing three persons including a tourist and wounding 30 others.

Last evening, a militant rammed an explosive-laden car into a BSF bus leaving 27 personnel injured. The militant was killed in the act.

Chairman of hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani was put under house arrest as the two-day general strike called by Geelani and almost all militant organisations against the Prime Minister's roundtable conference.

A police party was posted at the house of Geelani at Hyderpora on Srinagar Airport road during the wee today with strict intructions not to allow the separatist leader out, official sources said.

Another separatist leader and Convenor of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (nanaji faction) Javid Ahmad Mir along with two of his close associates was detained by police last evening, the sources said.

PAGE_BREAK

Meanwhile, the roads in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley wore a deserted look as people preferred to remain indoors in response to the strike call given by Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference and almost all militant outfits.

Stringent security arrangements also added to the impact of the strike call as all roads leading to the city were blocked by security forces deployed in strength to ward off any militant attack during the roundtable conference.

All shops and business establishments remained closed and transport off the roads throughout the city and other major towns of the valley.

Educational institutions, banks and other establishments remained closed while work in government and semi-government offices was also badly affected as the employees failed to reach their offices due to non-availability of transport.

Zero tolerance for custodial killings: PM, Azad

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday has pledged zero tolerance for custodial killings.

He said this would be possible with the active help and understanding of "our committed and disciplined security forces".

In a brief speech at the Unified Command meeting, the Chief Minister said with civilian killings coming down from last year's 199 to 144 till May this year, a very strong message against human rights violations has been conveyed to the security forces and the results are "quite assuring".

"Zero tolerance for custodial killings is our avowed aim and God willing we shall achieve it soon with the active help and understanding of our committed and disciplined forces," Azad said.

The situation, he added, was improving fast in the state though incidents such as the "criminal suicide attack on the Congress rally on May 21 and grenade attack the following day may be seen as aberrations aimed at scuttling the roundtable conference and the peace initiatives."

He said a close synergy that now existed between security forces and the civil administration in the state had resulted in general improvement in the overall situtation.

Giving details of the level of violence in the state, he said "we have been able to bring down the total number of violent incidents from 716 till May last year to 587 this year for the same period.

"Civilian killings have also come down from 199 to 144 and killings of political activists to six from 22 in the corresponding period of last year."

The Prime Minister Manmohan too said human rights should be observed and there should be "zero tolerance" for custodial death.

He stated that violence never resolves any problem and dialogue was the only way out.

"It is possible and desirable that you should be firm but humane, effective and efficient, in control but inobtrusive," Singh said.