J&K CM tells cops not to target militants’ families

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday asked the police not to target the homes of militants or harass their families.

“The militants are attacking the policemen’s families but the police should not do it with theirs,” she said while speaking at the passing out parade at a police training centre at Manigam near here.

Her statement comes in the backdrop of the ransacking of the houses of some militants in Kashmir by the police. During these incidents, reported mainly from southern parts of the Valley, the family members of the militants at large were allegedly harassed and even assaulted by the policemen.

The incidents followed a series of militant attacks on the J&K police, the BSF and the Army personnel inside their homes across the Valley, leaving, at least, four of them dead. During one such attack, father, two brothers and a paternal aunt of a BSF official Muhammad Ramzan Parray were injured in Hajin area of northern Bandipore district in the last week of September.

“The militants are targeting policemen and (ruling) PDP workers and ransacking their homes, but the police should exercise maximum restraint while handling militancy-related cases. The police is a law abiding force. The militants are not. It has a responsibility and should not act in the manner they (militants) do,” she said.

She asserted that it was easy to kill militants but the aim of the police and security forces should be to kill militancy. “If militancy has to be wiped out from Jammu and Kashmir, we need to win the hearts and minds of the people,” she said.  

The chief minister said that the police is facing many challenges. “The situation has to be dealt with all valour and wisdom at your command. You must ensure surrender of local militants,” she said.

She said the latest challenge before the police was the growing incidence of braid chopping in women. “The incidents of braid chopping are a challenge before you. I’m sure you would take it head on but it remains to be seen how deep police would go with investigations,” she said.