SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from February 5 to 7 to carry out a comprehensive review of the security situation, hold meetings with political leaders and inaugurate several development projects.
Official sources told Daily Excelsior that Shah will arrive in Jammu at around 5 pm on February 5 and proceed directly to the Lok Bhawan, where he is scheduled to meet political leaders the same evening. On the morning of February 6, he will visit the International Border at Hiranagar in Kathua district to inspect new equipment installed by the Border Security Force to check infiltration from across the border. Later in the afternoon, he will chair a high-level security review meeting at the Lok Bhawan.
On the morning of February 7, the Home Minister will travel from Jammu to Srinagar, where he will inaugurate various development projects for Jammu and Kashmir. He will depart from Srinagar for Raipur in Chhattisgarh later that afternoon.
This will be Shah’s second high-level security review of Jammu and Kashmir within less than a month. He had earlier reviewed the situation at a meeting in New Delhi on January 8, which was followed by a visit to Jammu by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and senior officials of paramilitary forces on January 14 and 15.
The security review meeting to be chaired by Shah in Jammu on February 6 will be attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, senior officials of the Union Home Ministry, heads of paramilitary forces, senior officers of the civil and police administration, and representatives of intelligence agencies from Jammu and Kashmir, among others.
Sources told Daily Excelsior that the Union Home Ministry is concerned about the presence of foreign Militants in the upper reaches of several districts of the Jammu region, including Kathua, Doda, Kishtwar and Udhampur, and directions have already been issued to security agencies to neutralise them. They said a joint strategy is in place across Jammu and Kashmir to eliminate the militants, and the high-level meeting is likely to further review this strategy.
Search operations are currently underway in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district, the upper reaches of Billawar in Kathua and some other districts to eliminate foreign militants. An Army soldier was killed and seven others were injured in an encounter in Chatroo. There were reports that a senior militant was injured in the gunfight but managed to escape. Earlier, security forces had killed a top commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit in the upper reaches of Billawar.
During the January 8 security review meeting in New Delhi, Shah assured the security forces that all necessary resources would be provided to achieve the objective of a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir. He directed all security agencies to remain vigilant and work in close coordination to ensure that the gains made after the abrogation of Article 370 are sustained. He reiterated that the Government of India is committed to establishing lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir, completely eradicating terrorism and maintaining a zero-tolerance policy against terror.
