'Killing militants won't wipe out militancy in JK'

Kathua: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said militancy cannot be wiped out by killing militants alone, adding that a more "humane approach" was needed to tackle the problem.

She said drug menace and a growing graph of violence against women were the most significant challenges in the Valley after militancy.

"You have to eliminate militancy in Kashmir. But militancy cannot be wiped out by killing militants alone," the PDP leader said while addressing the attestation-cum-passing out parade of 947 recruits at the Police Training School here.

Nearly 200 militants, the highest number in years, were killed by security forces in Kashmir this year.

"We need to understand the reason and the real problem behind militancy," Mehbooba said.

Advocating a "soft" approach for dealing with extremism in the state, the chief minister referred to the government's recent decision to revoke cases against first-time stone-pelters in the Valley.

"The police has to engage in parenting and counselling of these children. I had invited pellet victims to my home recently. I was surprised to know that most of them were minors (14, 15 or 16 years of age)," she said.

Mehbooba also lauded the state police force for demonstrating discipline and restraint in the face of grave provocations.

She said the job of the police was very sensitive in Jammu and Kashmir, where the challenges were much more than the usual policing in other parts of the country.

Reacting to reports of roughing up of Kashmiri prisoners in Delhi's Tihar Jail, the chief minister said, "The shameful incident not only maligned the name of the policemen and their state but the entire police force.

"In comparison, our (Jammu and Kashmir) police are doing an excellent job despite being faced with stressful situations.

They are dealing with stone-pelting and bullets (militancy) with great determination, discipline and restraint which is praise-worthy. There is no match for our police force," she said.