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Kashmir : Army vacates schools, hospitals before deadline |
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The Army said on Nov. 22 that it had vacated all schools and hospital buildings occupied by the troops before the Nov. 30 deadline set by Defence Minister A.K. Antony. GOC 15 Corps Lt. Gen. A.S. Sekhon said in Srinagar that only an old building of a school at Magam Handwara and its campus is being used by the Army as helipad. He said the students there had already shifted to a new building and barricades have been erected between the school and the helipad. The Defence Ministry had set Nov. 30 as the deadline for vacating all hospitals and schools as part of relo¬cation of the security forces in the Kashmir valley.
Gen. Sekhon said in the past two months, troops had managed to kill some top militant leaders who had been operating in Kashmir for many years. He said the Army will continue its operations against militants in the Valley.
Infiltration on the rise : Army Chief
The Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. Deepak Kapoor has said that there are increased attempts at infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of recent political unrest in Pakistan. Speaking in Chandigarh on Nov. 23, he however, said that the situation was under control. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a national conference organised by Panjab University as part of its Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.
Mufti demands troop cut
Mufti Mohd. Sayeed, patron of the People’s Democratic Party, a key constituent of the ruling coalition in the state, has again demanded reduction of troops in the state and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Addressing party workers in Anantnag district on Nov. 19, he said these measures are inevi¬table if the peace efforts are to gain ground. He said troop cuts are necessary to speed up the normalisation process.
Women’s Conference for withdrawal of forces from civilian areas
A three-day conference of women from both sides of the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir has called for the withdrawal of military forces from civilian areas on both sides. The confer¬ence which ended in Srinagar on Nov. 18 also condemned violence in all forms. A statement issued at the conclusion of the Con¬ference said, “We condemn violence committed by all sides and in all forms and manifestations that has led to loss of lives and property, enforced disappearances, custodial killings, torture, unjustified arrests, rape and molestation.”
The delegates called for withdrawal of military forces from civilian areas, reduction of forces on both sides of LoC, dis¬banding special operations group and pro-Government militants as well as decommissioning of militant groups to create an at¬mosphere for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
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