Forces were unaware of Burhan’s presence in Kokernag: Mehbooba

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 28

Almost three weeks after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani that sparked unrest in the Valley and continues to keep on boil, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said today that security officials were “unaware” of Burhan Wani’s presence in the area when the gunfight erupted.

“How can one (forces) know everything about every encounter? As far as I know, what I heard from the police and Army, who said they only knew that there were three militants, but did not know who,” Mehbooba told reporters in Srinagar after the PDP’s 17th Foundation Day celebration at party headquarters.

She said if forces had known that Burhan was hiding in the house, the situation would not have been so bad as was now.

“… I feel if they knew (that Burhan was there), perhaps we would not have such a situation when the overall situation was improving, so it could have been a chance,” Mehbooba said.

Following the killing of Burhan and his two associates at Bamdoora in Kokernag in Anantnag district, Kashmir has been on boil and 46 civilians and two policemen have died during the clashes. Over 5,000 civilians and security men have also got injured in the clashes that refuse to die down.

Mehbooba also made a comparison between the present unrest and Afzal Guru’s hanging in 2013 and claimed that her government did not get enough time to make arrangements to control the situation.

“When Afzal Guru was hanged, Omar (the then Chief Minister) knew, so he made all arrangements before hand, we knew nothing and we came to know suddenly. But, despite that, we tried to impose curfew so that children do not come out. However, they went to other areas and took the children to camps and police stations,” she said.

Mehbooba also accused “some elements” of instigating the present violence.

“… there are some elements, who had been waiting for a long time for the spring, for the tourism and development works to start here and then to do something to create trouble and worsen the situation to have strikes,” she said.

“Who are these people who enter a crowd and change the direction of the people and take them to Army camps and police stations, while they themselves flee. Such people are traders, they are experts. When they reach near the camps, they themselves flee, while those youth, who leave home for some work or join the rally for fun, they get killed,” Mehbooba added.

Mehbooba said sacrifices of the youth killed during the unrest would not go waste.

On the use of pellet guns, Mehbooba said, the issue of replacing them was under active consideration.

“The Home Minister has said that they are serious about it. The pellet gun was brought in 2010 so that people do not get killed, but it is causing huge damage, especially to children. I want to say that those who lost their life, who provoked them to enter the camps is another question, but our endeavour will be to not let the sacrifices of those innocent kids of 12, 14 or 16 years of age go waste who were hoodwinked to enter camps or police stations. They are used, but not looked after afterwards,” she said.

Mehbooba said some atmosphere should be created in J&K where there was dialogue and transparency like in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s time when a peace process was started and there was ceasefire with Pakistan.