J&K Hundreds of local terrorists sheltered in PoK to lose their J&K assets: Police
Srinagar/IBNS: Hundreds of terrorists from Jammu and Kashmir who have taken shelter in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over the last several years may lose their properties after the J&K administration initiated the process of declaring them as "proclaimed offenders" and start attaching their properties.
"Traitors to the nation... the people who have taken shelter in Pakistan after being involved in terrorist activities (in India) are now trying to promote terrorism from there," Dilbag Singh, the Director-General of J&K Police, said.
The police chief said action had already started in Doda district, where 16 locals who had taken shelter in PoK have been declared "proclaimed offenders".
"Few days ago in Doda range, action was initiated against such traitors. Their properties have been attached and they have been declared fugitives," Singh said.
The Intelligence wing of J&K Police has already prepared a list of over 4,200 such people, most of whom have been in PoK since 1990.
According to reports, details of their properties have been shared with the Inspector-General of Registrations and Revenue; this means no property of any individual designated as a "proclaimed offender" can be sold or transferred.
Police are also attaching properties of those accused of willfully sheltering terrorists; officials say this ensures innocent people who were forced or threatened to shelter terrorists are spared.
"We have to continue our efforts in a mission mode to realise the terror-free Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh said adding that Reasi district is a sensitive place as it is connected with the border district of Rajouri as well as to the valley and added that there may be attempts of cross over from one district to another and as such, all the forces should continue to work together to foil such attempts.
He directed the officers to be vigilant on all fronts particularly while keeping track of movements of anti-national elements and their supporters.
He said twith the support of local people security forces foiled several infiltration attempts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch-Rajouri belt of Pir Panchal in the Jammu region, besides seizing huge consignments of arms, explosives and narcotics.
The DGP said that J&K Police alongwith other security forces are fully alert and working in tandem to put an end to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the border security grid is "much stronger than ever to scuttle any attempt from Pakistan to push terrorists and smuggle arms and narcotics.
In J&K's Sopore - once considered a hotbed of terrorism - Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Thursday urged people not to provide such shelter and reiterated the centre's commitment to wipe out terrorism and its eco-system from Jammu and Kashmir.
"I hope you will not give protection or support to such elements. The rest of the job will be done by the police and security forces. Don't give shelter. It is because of terrorism that people in J&K have been living in fear for decades," Sinha said.
