The Centre has for the first time agreed to work out a general amnesty plan for youth undergoing training in terrorist camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Broader details of the package to facilitate their return would be worked out in consultation with the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)
government.
The amnesty was an important recommendation made by one of
the five working groups set up by prime minister Manmohan Singh to address various dimensions of the J&K issue. The group was headed by Hamid Ansari before he became vice-president. Ansari’s group was entrusted to suggest internal confidence -building measures.
The Centre’s move also comes in response to a demand raised by state chief minister Omar Abdullah at the CMs’ conference on internal security held here on Sunday. “We have, in principle, agreed to facilitate the return of youth desirous to come back and lead a normal life,” home secretary GK Pillai said.
Home ministry sources disclosed that the process to frame guidelines to grant amnesty has already started. Contentious issues such as how to differentiate between those having committed heinous crimes and those with a comparatively better record would be thrashed out in consultation with the state government and the security agencies, Pillai added.
Apart from providing safety, the amnesty package is likely to include incentives for rehabilitation of the youth.
The army had initiated a pardon scheme some time ago. Before
the scheme was abandoned on June, 2007, 171 people had surrendered on the line of control (LoC). The scheme was abandoned after a surrendered militant was found to be involved in an alleged assassination attempt on the then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
According to official estimates, there are about 800 Kashmiri natives holed in PoK training camps. Unofficial figures put it at 1,500 to 2,000. Apart from those receiving arms training, hundreds had illegally crossed the LoC for economic and social reasons. These people are also likely to be considered for amnesty, the sources said.
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