Srinagar: Government forces including police, army and CRPF on Monday appealed militants jointly to shun militancy and join mainstream for ‘safe, secure and bright future’.
Addressing a joint press conference, the IGP Kashmir Muneer Ahmad Khan, GOC Victor Force Maj Gen BS Raju and IG CRPF (ops) Zulfikar Hassan assured militants of rehabilitation and safe passage if they surrender before forces. “We will receive you with open arms,” said IGP Kashmir Munir Khan.
The appeal for surrender was made after one Lashkar-e-Toiba militant yesterday surrendered before police at Shopian during an encounter that left two militants dead. The surrendered militant namely Adil Hussain Dar was presented before press at PCR Srinagar during the press conference along with an OGW namely Arif Ahmad Sofi who according to police surrendered at Kulgam during pre-dawn encounter Monday.
“We could have killed him. He was firing at us and also lobbed grenade but somehow he lost balance and stopped. But we gave him a chance and we preferred he should join his parents again,” the IGP Khan while referring to Adil Dar said. “Why we opted to catch him alive, with a very clear message to others who have been lured into all this that if they come, we will receive them with open arms,” he added.
The GOC Victor Force Maj Gen Raju said that they are very happy at the surrender of Adil Dar and urged other militants to tread the same path. He appealed parents and relatives of the militants to get back their wards and stop others from joining the militancy. “It leads to death, destruction and miseries,” he said and vowed to carry on operations against the militancy in south Kashmir.
The CRPF IG also made similar appeal to militants and assured them of safe passage. “We want to assure every citizen of Kashmir that if anyone wants to surrender, safe passage is assured, rehabilitation is assured,” he said. The CRPF IG and GOC said that the surrender of a militant is achievement and has more incentive than killing him.
