SRINAGAR: In a major change of policy the government has di vested the state police chief of the joint command of a militancy operation in Kashmir and given the charge to the Adviser to Governor, in charge, home, Lt Gen M.A Zaki, it is learned. Under the revised security setup finalized at a high level meeting chaired by Rajesh Pilot, Minister of Internal Security and Governor, Lt Gen K.V.Krishna Rao, the Army will have a bigger role in ant militancy operation in the Kashmir valley and Doda district in Jammu. The BSF, the CRPF and the police will function under Army’s joint command in these areas except in Srinagar district. The BSF will continue to hold ground in Srinagar.
The decision follows a total breakdown of coordination between the security set up.
According to the sources, more divisions of the Army will be deployed in Kashmirand Dodasoon. The decision has generated controversy and resentment among the security forces whose role has been made subservient to the Army. The police has been virtually sidelined. The enraged police officers allege the decision has no legal sanctity as the Army command was acceptable only in war or during a martial law. They say such an experiment had been turned in vain inspire. The BSF was asked to work under the Army after the January 6 arson and killing incident. It will create confusion, the officers fear, Mohammad Nayeem Khan, a former general secretary of the outlawed Peoples League and 10 militants were held and three militants were killed in the Kashmir valley. In an operation lasting nearly four hours, army troops apprehended Mohammad Nayeem Khan, a close associate of detained supreme Shabir Shah along with right militants in Bemina housing colony of Srinagar, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 14, 1993
