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Kashmir clashes: Will look into incidents that had disproportionate use of force, govt spokesperson

The state government spokesperson addressed the concern of excessive force being used by the security forces.

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With the valley on the boil in the wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Buhran Wani, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday chaired a cabinet meeting to review security situation in the state.

Post the meeting, a press conference was held by the state's education minister and government spokesperson, Naeem Akhtar, who appealed for calm. Akhtar appealed people not to agitate and sought the support of the mainstream and separatist political parties to restore the peace in Kashmir.

Akhtar said that the state cabinet took a serious note of the killings. He said that the government will reach to the bottom of circumstances under which the killings took place. 

Akhtar said that it was the duty of the parents to prevent their children from taking out protests. He said that the there were some elements who are trying to incite the violence in Kashmir. He said that the cabinet also took stock of the facilities in the hospitals and there was adequate supply of medicines available besides the pints of blood. “ Wherever the disproportionate use of force has been used we will go to the bottom of it.”

Later, Nayeem Akhtar walked out of the press conference and refused to take any questions.

Meanwhile, the state government said that the Amarnath Yatra would remain suspended. A home ministry official said that the Amarnath pilgrims stuck in Srinagar have been escorted out and taken for the yatra. Those who were stuck in higher areas were escorted back, he said.

Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has chaired a high-level meeting to review the law and order situation in the valley as well. Home Secretary Anil Goswami, Joint Secretary (Kashmir division) Gyanesh Kumar, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief Dineshwar Sharma and senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials are present at the meeting being held at Rajnath's residence here.

During a 30-minute meeting, the Home Minister was briefed on the law and order situation in Kashmir Valley following the killing of Burhan Wani in Kokernag area, 83 km from Srinagar. At the meeting, the Home Minister directed officials to ensure that paramilitary forces in Kashmir provide all assistance the state government for restoration of peace and normalcy in the Valley as early as possible.

Rajnath also spoke to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, assuring her all possible help from the Centre. 

The Cabinet meeting comes in the wake of the soaring violence in the valley as the death toll in the clashes between security forces and protestors reached 16, as three more civilians succumbed to injuries. At least 100 protesters were injured on Saturday. They suffered bullet, tear smoke and pellet injuries.

Violence erupted in south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam and later spread to other districts in the valley after security forces killed Wani and two of his associates in Bamdoora (Kokarnag) village of Anantnag district on Friday.

Wani was buried in his native Shariefabad (Tral) village on Saturday where nearly 40,000 people gathered defying curfew restrictions to take part in his funeral prayers.
The separatists have called for a valley-wide shutdown till Monday to protest against Wani's killing.


With inputs from Ishfaq ul Hassan.

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