With no ban, Kashmir is a paradise for militants

Interestingly, the only militant outfit currently banned in the State is the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), which is virtually non-existent.

Piqued over the situation, sources said the Centre has now sought an explanation from the State over the matter. In this connection, they pointed out that the Union Home Ministry had written a letter to the State Government seeking reasons for the non-imposition of ban on pro-Pakistan militant outfits like the Hizbul and the HUAoperating in Jammu and Kashmir.

Besides these, the other major militant outfits operating at present in the State are the Al Barq, the Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen, the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Hizbullah, the Shoora-e-Jehad, the Jamait-ul-Mujahideen, the Dukhtaran-e-Milat and the Jehad Force. None of them have been banned.

The Harkat-ul-Ansar marked its presence in the Valley in 1993-94.

However, it shot into prominence when its frontal organisation `Al Faran’ kidnapped six Western tourists from Pahalgam in July 1995. The US had only last year declared the HUA as a terrorist outfit.

To ban the activities of any organisation under the Act, the State Government has to recommend the case to the Centre. Thereafter, the ban imposed by the Centre is to be confirmed by the Special Tribunal after hearing both the sides within a period of six months. The Kashmir Government recommended to the Centre ban on the JKLF and the Hizbul Mujahideen along with some other outfits in 1990. Accordingly, the Centre banned theiractivities for a period of two years. But thereafter, it did not recommend ban on any outfit except the JKLF to the Centre. Sources attribute it to the emergence of over 100 outfits from time-to-time in the State since then.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) IS Malhi, however, claimed the State Government had already recommended ban and the matter was pending with the Centre.