Omar Abdullah picks holes in Liyaqat Ali Shah’s arrest,terror credentials

Referring to Jammu Kashmir Police claim that Liyaqat was coming under state government’s rehabilitation policy for misguided Kashmiri youth who had gone to Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) for arms training,but now wanted to leave the gun and return home to lead a peaceful life,Omar said that he sought a time bound probe into the matter by National Investigation Agency so as to uncover the truth. ”We know if any wrong was done this time,many others who too want to return home under this rehabilitation policy will step backward,’’ he added.

The rehabilitation policy,he said,was well thought by the government. There had been allegations about disappearance of thousands of people and a large number of them killed in custody,while the fact was that a sizeable section of them had gone across the border for arms training and they now did not want to return home as militants,he pointed out. The idea behind the rehabilitation policy was to set at rest all those charges by providing them a chance to return home,he added.

“First we wanted them to enter through the Line of Control (LoC),but as the neighbouring country did not agree it as it would expose its hand behind Kashmir turmoil before the world community,we had no other option except allowing them to come through Nepal. It had been going on smoothly for the last many months until Delhi Police arrested Liyaqat on Saturday,’’ he said. He justified government’s rehabilitation policy,saying that it was in the interests of the state and the country,as in the absence of their rehabilitation,there were chances of their returning to militant ranks.

Also calling for settlement of Kashmir issue,Omar accused the Centre of being discriminatory to the people from Valley. Every government at the Centre since 1971 has admitted that Jammu and Kashmir is an issue which needs to be settled,he pointed out,regretting erosion in state’s economy over the years. ”However,when we talk about it,it does not mean that we are challenging state’s accession with India,’’ he said,adding that ”every Kashmiri is not a Pakistani,or he is not carrying a Pakistani flag in his hand’’.

Emphasising the need for winning the hearts of people of Kashmir,Omar said that Kashmiris were not fools as they compare everything happening between them and rest of the country. ”We were told that Afzal Guru (Parliament attack convict) had been hanged as got all the legal remedies available to him exhausted. However,in the case of Veerapan gang members who have been convicted of killing 22 policemen,their execution get stayed by Supreme Court even after the rejection of mercy petition by President,’’ the Chief Minister pointed out,adding ”we have no answers to questions put by common Kashmiris about it’’.

“In integral part of the country,justice goes only by legal procedures It does not see whether the person before it is a Kashmiri or a non-Kashmiri,Muslim or a non-Muslim,or the nature of charges leveled on him,’’ he said. While attack on Parliament was bad as being attack on Indian democracy,did the killing of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi not an attack on democracy? he asked.