NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir’s policy to rehabilitate surrendered militants did not work in the case of Syed Liyaqat Ali Shah, but the state was not at loggerheads with the central government on the issue, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Saturday.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police believe Shah was returning home to the Kashmir Valley via Nepal from Pakistan last week to surrender under the rehabilitation policy but Delhi Police arrested him for planning a strike.
“In this instance the policy has not worked. But you have to put it into perspective,” Omar told CNN-IBN channel in an interview.
“Given the complete divergent point of view of Delhi Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police, we needed an objective organisation to look into the facts and tell us the truth behind the whole matter,” he said.
Abdullah denied the state was at loggerheads with the centre on the issue.
“I don’t think so. It’s Delhi Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police that have given divergent views. The government of India has not taken a position on this. They have done the right thing by handing it over to the NIA. We are not on cross-purposes with the centre on this,” he said.
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The state government announced an ambitious rehabilitation policy in 2010 to encourage Kashmiri militants living in Pakistan administered Kashmir (those who had not been actively involved in the armed conflict with security forces) to return home and live a normal life.
Under this policy, over 200 former militants have returned, most of them with their families. Most of the surrendered militants have Pakistani spouses who also chose to come to Kashmir along with their husbands and children.
(IANS)
