Srinagar, Apr 12: The High Court has issued notice to the State Government in a petition seeking end to alleged harassment and humiliation of former militants by security agencies to force them to join counter-insurgency operations.
 In a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Peoples Rights Movement (PRM), an apolitical group of former militants-turned-peace activists, the Court directed the Government to file objections within two weeks.
 The PIL has been filed by the president of PRM, Abdul Qadeer Dar of Ushkara Baramulla, through Advocate Parvez Imroz.
 The petitioner has challenged the order in which Superintendent of Police Baramulla has directed SHOs of the district to file the performa of active, released and surrendered militants. The petitioner termed the order illegal and sought its revocation.
 Dar said the refusal of PRM members to comply with the orders has annoyed the police, who then resorted to harassment. “Sometimes they (police) lure the PRM members that the State is likely to provide them incentives, which after verification has been found to be untrue,” Dar said in the petition.
 Dar alleged that former militants were being deprived of No Objection Certificates for ordinary government jobs. “The former militants are being made scapegoat and are being forced to work for police agencies,” he said.
 Dar said there were more than 30,000 former militants in Kashmir, who have taken to non-violent means for achieving their civil and political rights.
 “However, security agencies have been compelling them to work for their respective agencies for counter insurgency operations,” he said.
 “The former militants have been repeatedly called to the military camps where they are compelled to forced labour and subjected to various forms of humiliation,” Dar said.
 The petitioner has alleged that besides army, police agencies are also persuading former militants to work for them, which has been resisted, because according to Dar these activists now want to live a peaceful life with their families.
 “The members of PRM are being misled by police that the Government has announced different incentives for them, members who cooperate will be benefited. It is not clear what Government policy is? The Government repeatedly announced rehabilitation of the former militants but nothing has been done so far,” the petition reads.
 After hearing the PIL, the Division Bench of High Court comprising Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar issued notice to the Government to file objections within two weeks.

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