KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Indian army is holding exercises in Leepa Valley – close to Line of Control – in Kupwara to fake “surgical strikes”, revealed member J&K Legislative Assembly, Engineer Rashid on Wednesday.
Rashid represents Langate constituency in assembly and Leepa valley falls in the same assembly segment.
Indian Army on Sep 29, 2016 said that its special forces “carried out surgical strikes along LoC in Kashmir attacking militant launch pads”. However, Pakistan had flayed the claim and fled media, local and international, to LoC and termed the Indian claims as “routine ceasefire violations done by Indian troops”.
“For last three days,” Rashid said addressing a presser here at a local hotel, “army, along with other (security and intelligence) agencies are holding drills and exercises in Leepa valley.”
“My credible sources told me that these exercises are being held to fake the so-called surgical strikes carried by Indian army,” he asserted, “I warn you in advance that if Indian government releases any footage about the Sep 29 surgical strikes, the footage will be fake which was made in Leepa Valley in last three days.” He said that army has set up fake targets in Leepa valley and exercises are being held there.
More so, he said, “there was no (cross border) firing in Leepa valley fro twenty says up to October Ist.” “The Indian government has named five points where strikes were carried including Leepa valley but there was no shelling or firing whatsoever on that day.”
Belying the claims of Government of India, Rashid asked Indian army not to “force people suspect their credibility”. He, however, said, “these are tactics to diver attention from Kashmir uprising.”
“Don’t make Kashmir laboratory for you political fights,” Rashid said addressing right wing BJP, Congress and other mainland Indian political parties.
The MLA Langate, however, stressed that he should not labelled as “any agent”. “This is the information I had and I shared it with you,” he said, “I have not gone to Pakistan for this.”
Rashid, however, praised Government of Pakistan for flying media to LoC. “If Indian claims are true, why it did not fly media to LoC like Pakistan did,” he questioned.
He slammed those media houses which “did stories quoting s-called eye witnesses of the surgical strikes”. “Did these reporters visit the spot,” he asked.
The MLA further referred to Bahadur Ali, the suspected Pakistan based militant saying, “Bahadur Ali was arrested in a simple action by police.” He said that two cops came and arrested him from a village in his constituency. According to Rashid, Bahadur Ali was driven to police station in a public vehicle in which other passengers too were on board. “If he was such a big militant, why didn’t army, SOG and police lay cordon in the area,” he asked.
Further he said, Bahadur Ali drove motor bicycle in his area for some days ahead of his arrest. “People though he worked in Forest department,” he added. “Day after his arrest,” Rashid said, “police and SOG forces came and made filmsin the area and brought an AK 47 with them to fake arrest of Bahadur Ali.”
Rashid reiterated that he will resign from J&K Legislative Assembly but wants others to follow the same. “I had asked Omar Abdullah in opposition parties meet that all of us will resign against the killings in Kashmir but Omar said he is waiting for the appropriate time and I too am waiting for that appropriate time,” the MLA Langate said in response to a question. “Those who individually resigned were conscious guilty,” Rashid said when asked that Tariq Hamid Karra resigned from PDP and Parliament.
