JAMMU, July 27: Perturbed by the increase in casualties among their cadres, the reformed militants who had joined active politics, propose to take up the guns again.The move is led by the ruling National Conference member of the State Legislative Council (MLC), Javed Shah, and a reformed militant, who has decided to quit the party and take up the gun along with various other reformed militant leaders once again, to fight the pro-Pak militants in Kashmir Valley.Shah, who had waged an armed war against militants to pave way for conducting the Lok Sabha polls in the State after eight years in 1996, had left the gun to join active politics. He had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls in Kashmir Valley as an independent and later joined the National Conference to become an MLC.Sources said Shah has been joined by various other reformed militant leaders, who are also perturbed over the increase in casualties among their cadre. The decision was taken at a meeting held by Shah soon after his returnfrom Delhi a few days ago.These reformed militant leaders included Abdul Majid Lone (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front), Mohammad Maqbool (Ikhwan-ul-Musalmeen), Papa Kishtwari (Jammu and Kashmir Ikhwan), Mohammad Saidporai (Al Umar), Bashir Ahmed Khandey of Ganderbal (JKLF), Altaf Parrey (Ikhwan-ul-Musalmeen), Haider Tabrej (Harkat-ul-Ansar), Malik Niyazi (Hizbul Mujahideen), and Umar Mukhtar (JK Ikhwan).Sources said, Shah is expected to tender his resignation soon. When contacted on telephone at Srinagar, Shah said ``wait for some time''. He, however, admitted that a decision has been taken to wage a joint armed war against pro-Pak militants once again. For the purpose, they have formed the Nation's Security Organisation (NSO) and decided to merge their erstwhile counter-insurgent groups in it, he added.The new organisation will be headed by Javed Shah himself. Besides, it will have an 11-member committee to coordinate between the reformed militants operating in different parts of the Valley.Themembership drive has been started for the purpose, Shah said and added they have enrolled 1,836 people so far. However, efforts were also on to persuade Mohammad Yusuf Parrey, an independent member of the State Legislative Assembly and popularly known as Kuka Parrey of Ikhwan-ul-Musalmoon, to join them in their war against pro-Pak militants.Sources attributed the reformed militant leaders' decision to launch a new counter-insurgent group and pick up the gun once again to the increase in the number of casualties among their cadre and also the callous attitude of the State Government towards them. ``I have lost about 185 of my men since early last year,'' he said and added that ``four were killed only yesterday''.Similarly, Kuka Parrey had also lost a number of his men, including top leaders of Ikhwan-ul-Musalmoon, in attacks by militants. Javed Shah, along with Papa Kishtwari, Umar Mukhtar and Samad Khan, had recently held a joint press conference at Delhi and alleged that the situation in the State wasdeteriorating day by day. They had cautioned the Government against situation becoming worse than 1989, if immediate steps were not taken to crush the militants.Shah was annoyed with the ruling party for having ignored him and his cadre, sources said.The reformed militant leaders' mainly felt that the State Government, instead of recognising their contribution in restoring peace and normalcy in the State, was accusing them of indulging in extortions and other atrocities on the people.
