Srinagar April 12: In a surprising move, the Kashmiri Pandits today welcomed an unexpected guest during the Ramnavmi celebrations here – former militant commander and the senior leader of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (R) Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karatey who appealed the community to end the 20-year old migration and return to Valley.
 Terming the Pandit community migration as “controversial,” Karatey said he was neither involved in their killings or their forcible mass exodus from the Valley as it had been proved in the court of law.
 The officials maintain that 219 Kashmiri Pandits were killed in the two decades long militancy in the region.
 “I appeal all the Pandit brothers to come back and be with us,” Karatey said during the celebrations at temple at Barbarshah. They are integral part of our society. We are incomplete without them. We have together a history of 5000 years”.
 “Kashmiris demand freedom from both India and Pakistan and believe in coexistence and communal harmony,” he added.
 Pandits have often accused Karatey of being involved in the killing of community members which they say led to their exodus from the Valley. “I am in no way responsible of killing or threatening Pandits to leave,” Karate said. “I was actually falsely implicated in the case. After I got arrested I was  subjected to third degree torture in the lockup. I was forcibly asked to admit that I had killed Pandits. I confessed under duress to get rid of torture”.
 He said following the episode, he was put on trial in several courts for the charges leveled against him.
 “All the courts have given me a clean chit. Even the Supreme Court gave orders thrice in my favour, acquitting me in the case. Even TADA court acquitted me,” Karatey said. “Not a single case has been proven against me. They were all fake”.
 He said the Pandit migration from the Valley was “controversial” as “many agencies” were involved in it.
 Karatey felicitated Kashmiri Pandits at the Ram Mandir in Barbarshah on the occasion of RamNavmi. He was seen hugging and shaking hands with the Pandits.
 JKLF( R) members Wajahat Qureshi and Muhammad Rafiq Bhat, were also present.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:00:00 IST