SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday urged restraint in the aftermath of the killing of a police head constable in Anantnag, cautioning against retaliatory measures that bypass legal procedures and saying lasting peace cannot be achieved without the support of the people.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said he understood the anger within the police following the attack but stressed that action must remain within the bounds of the law.
“I understand the anger of the police, but the Supreme Court has issued an order stating that summary action of this kind should not be taken,” he said.
The Chief Minister’s remarks came after authorities demolished the houses of two alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants in Anantnag during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, hours after head constable Ashiq Hussain was shot dead in the south Kashmir district.
Officials identified the two militants as Adil Thokar and Haroon Rashid Ganaie, describing both as active members of the outfit. Their houses were razed following the attack, officials said.
Referring to an earlier incident, Abdullah recalled that similar demolitions had taken place after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, prompting him to intervene with the Centre.
“We witnessed a similar situation after the Pahalgam attack when some people’s houses were bulldozed. At that time, I had to speak to the Central Government to stop the trend,” he said.
Abdullah said efforts to curb militancy must be carried out in accordance with the law and maintained that violence cannot be brought to an end without taking the people along.
