Srinagar, Sep 30: Against the backdrop of recent attacks on Panchayat members, a crucial meeting of Unified Headquarters (UHQ) chaired by chief minister Omar Abdullah will be held on Monday during which comprehensive steps to provide security to Panchs and Sarpanchs will be discussed.
The meeting, which will be attended by top police, army, paramilitary personnel and officials from central security agencies, comes close on the heels of Omar’s assurance that his government will make every effort to ensure the security of village heads.
 “There is no doubt that the issue of killing of Panchayat representatives and subsequent measures for their security would dominate the UHQ meet tomorrow. There has been two such killing in last fortnight in Baramulla district,” a top Army officer, who is supposed to participate in the meeting, told Greater Kashmir on the basis of anonymity. He said that hopefully a strategy for the security of Panchayat representatives would be chalked out during the meeting. “The representatives of all security agencies have to be present in the meeting. We are hopeful a strategy would be chalked out to ensure the security of Panchayat representatives.”
 The senior Army officer said that every security agency will put forth their findings and remedial measures for stopping such killings. “I think emphasis will be on more synergy between the different security agencies for preventing such killings,” he said.
 Several Panchs and Sarpanchs have sent in their resignations apprehending threats to their lives in the wake of the killing of Panchayat member Muhammed Shafi Teli at Kreeri in Pattan area of North Kashmir on September 23.
 Besides Teli, two other Panchayat members targeted by gunmen were Ghulam Nabi Yatto on September 10 in Palhallan Pattan in North Kashmir and Gulzar Ahmad Dar of Kulgam on February 9.
 During the meeting on Monday, a threat assessment of all the Panchayat members would be undertaken and personal security provided in areas where presence of security forces is minimal, said official sources.
 The chief minister had described the killing of Panchayats members as acts of cowardice by militants.
 The other issues likely to be discussed during the UHQ meeting would the status of infiltration and overall security scenario prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.
 The meeting is supposed to start at 4 pm at 15 Corps headquarters here. It will attended General Officer Commanding(GOC) –in-Chief northern Lt Gen KT Parnaik, GOC 15 Corps, Lt Gen Om Prakash, GOC’s of 16,14 Corps, Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Prasad, IGP Kashmir& Jammu SM Sahai, Dilbagh Singh and Divisional Commissioners of both Jammu and Kashmir regions, besides officers from all security and intelligence wings.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 30 Sep 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 30 Sep 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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