The Army said on Thursday that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved significantly, adding that “all parameters of violence have come down by 50%” in Kashmir, and that the number of active militants is now 200, but that this number will be further reduced by the end of the year.
With the active support of the public and civil administration, the army’s role in Kashmir is diminishing, according to the army.
This was stated by Lt. General DP Pandey, the General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Crops, who was present at a programme organised by the Army in Handwara, Kupwara, during which the local army unit’s school was renamed Ashutosh Army Goodwill School (AAGS) at Budkot in honour of an officer who died in the line of duty.
Lt General DP Pandey, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event in Handwara, told the Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that all parameters of violence in Kashmir have decreased by 50%, and the situation is very good with stability across the valley. “Some criminally minded people are killing unarmed security personnel in rare incidents these days,” he said. “The situation is controlled from across the border and within the valley as well, and the situation will be disturbed to a limited extent until then,” he added.
“I believe people are concerned because innocent people and political activists have been killed to disrupt the developing peace and development in Kashmir by the enemies of,” the GoC 15 Corps said. “However, the way security agencies are working on these incidents, hopefully, they will be stopped.”
“The situation in terms of security is very good, and Handwara, which was once a hotbed, is now very peaceful thanks to the combined efforts of security agencies and the people,” he said.
He stated that this occasion is for Ashutosh and the people of Handwara only because the officer and the people of these areas are in love.
“I would like to convey a small massage and that our neighbour in the last few years has aimed to claim on the world platform that the entire process of insurgency and militancy is homegrown. They try to project that there are no foreign militants but all militants who are here in the valley are Pakistani,” the GoC said about the presence of foreign militants in north Kashmir.
“Every Pakistani militant killed reveals the enemy’s agenda, and they want the youth killed so that their relatives, families, and entire village, including his friends, turn against the country,” the GoC said. “There is an entire plan in motion, which is why Kashmiri citizens must understand that every youth you allow to die because you are unable to control them is causing further alienation and trouble.”
The GoC stated that it is not in their best interests, but rather in the best interests of the few people who are running this conflict economy here and profiting from young boys dying and being forced to run to Pakistan’s agenda.
“Our young youth are being used,” he said, “and I will ask everyone to protect them, including parents, community leaders, and civil societies, as I have repeatedly told them.”
“We have to break this cycle of violence,” he added, “and killing a militant is not the way to do it.” Instead, he said, “let the foreign militants die, and why are we allowing our children to die for something wrong?”
In response to a question about the recent ceasefire agreement between the two neighbouring countries, the GoC stated that the ceasefire was imposed as a requirement to ensure that “our population along the LoC is taken care of, and it came from another side as well, but it continued to behave and I am sure the ceasefire will hold, but if anything goes wrong inside, I assure the people of our country.”
In response to the “Army-Awam” engagements and a series of programmes being held across the valley, the GoC stated that “in the last few years, the civil administration has exceptionally reached out to the people of the valley, including the police, and everyone is functioning as they should function, with the army’s role gradually diminishing.”
“We were always supportive, and our role has gradually diminished, but education is critical in ensuring that we reach out to our people,” he said. “Work is underway, development is underway, and a number of security concerns have been addressed.”
In response to the recent back-to-back attacks in Srinagar, the GoC stated that any “criminally minded person killing an unarmed civilian cannot be classified as a militant incident.”
He claims that around 200 militants are active in the valley, with the number expected to drop further by the end of the year.
Kashmir News Observer (KNO) is a news agency in Jammu and Kashmir.