Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday urged for a transparent investigation into the allegations of civilian torture by the Army in Kishtwar district of Jammu region.
Omar emphasized that if credible evidence is found, the personnel involved should face a court-martial.
“The sad thing is that our people did not learn anything. This is not the first incident where the locals were not beaten up.. It is God’s grace that all of them did not lose their precious lives. We have seen incidents where people were tortured and lost their precious lives. I hope that the army does not show any leniency in this,” the Chief Minister told reporters in Srinagar.
He hoped the army will investigate the whole incident in a transparent manner.
“And those who are responsible for this, if they get evidence against them, they should be court-martialed and punished immediately,” Omar said.
Reports alleged that during anti-terror operations in the Mughal Maidan Kishtwar on November 20, soldiers assaulted five civilians, causing injuries. In response, the Army has initiated a probe into the incident.
Army said a search operation “based on specific intelligence on the move of a group of terrorists in the Kishtwar sector” was launched on Wednesday by Rashtriya rifles.
“There are some reports on the alleged ill-treatment of civilians during the conduct of the operation,” said the Army’s White Knight Corps of the Army in a post on X on Thursday evening. “An investigation is being launched to ascertain the facts. Necessary follow up action will be ensured. Further move of the group of terrorists is being monitored.”
Earlier, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti urged union territory government to take “swift action” against those “involved” to ensure accountability.
“Allegations of severe torture have emerged from Kishtwar, taking us back to the disturbing events that took place in Bafliaz Surankote earlier this year. Sajad Ahmad, Abdul Kabir, Mushtaq Ahmad, and Mehraj-ud-Din, all from Kuath village, were summoned to the army camp for questioning where they were allegedly subjected to extreme physical torture.The victims, left severely injured and unable to walk had to be carried to hospital,” Mufti said in a post on X.
She urged the UT government to take swift action against those involved to ensure accountability and to prevent such heinous human rights violations from recurring in future .
Meanwhile, Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, condemned the alleged torture of civilians in Kishtwar.
Speaking at the Friday congregation at Jamia mosque in Srinagar, Mirwaiz expressed deep sorrow over the incident, highlighting the ongoing issue of “impunity and abuse of authority” that has “plagued” the Kashmir conflict for decades.
“Perpetrators of such acts are rarely held accountable, and I hope that the inquiry ordered by the authorities will lead to justice for the victims,” he said.
Kishtwar has seen a series of militant attacks this month. A junior commissioned officer of the Army elite Para unit was killed in a gunfight in the Chask area in the district on November 10. Three days earlier, two village defence guards were abducted and killed in the Keshwan forests in the district.
