Security now being used as political tool in J&K: Sajad Lone

Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) president and Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone on Sunday expressed concern over what he described as the sudden and politically suggestive withdrawal of security cover from key leaders associated with the newly-formed People’s Alliance for Change.

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“We are not here to beg for security. Nor are we here to complain. I just want to place it in the public domain that even security is now being politicised,” Lone told reporters.

Lone noted that following the alliance’s formation recently, statements of criticism had begun surfacing from various quarters, including across the Line of Control (LoC).

He mentioned that the first such statement came from Ghulam Mohammad Safi, a veteran Hurriyat figure, and Naseebuddin, an affiliate of Jamaat-e-Islami—both based across the border. Similar responses followed from Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a former senior leader of Jamaat-e-Islami in J&K.

“I had personally met Bhat Sahib along with my younger brother Imran just a few days ago. I respect him deeply as a courageous man. But the public statement he made was contrary to what he told us in person,” Lone said.

He added that even more concerning was a threat received from a militant outfit in Pakistan, suggesting that the formation of the alliance had unsettled several actors both within and outside J&K.

However, Lone’s strongest criticism was directed at the administration for what he called a “deliberate withdrawal” of security cover from senior politicians associated with the alliance. He alleged that security of former minister and senior political leader Hakeem Yaseen was scaled down by 80 percent.

“Hakeem Sahib survived a deadly attack in the 1990s. He was shot, and only God knows how he survived. That incident alone stands as proof that the one who protects is greater than the one who seeks to kill,” he said.