In a first, Police, army holds face to face interaction with families of militants in South Kashmir

‘GoC 15 Corps, IGP Kashmir meet parents of militants active in entire South Kashmir at Shopian, urge families to appeal their children shun violence, return to mainstream; promise smooth homecoming of youth’

Srinagar, Aug 31: In a significant development, the police and the army top brass Tuesday reached out to the families of militants in South Kashmir and urged them to bring back their children into the mainstream.

“GoC 15 Corps and IG Kashmir interacted with families of militants of whole South Kashmir at Shopian. Both officers appealed to families to bring their children back into the mainstream. We shall provide all types of assistance,” officials privy to the development, told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO)

A police official confirmed the development to KNO and said that Srinagar based-GoC 15 Corps Lt General D P Pandey and IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar held an interactive session with the families of militants of entire South Kashmir at Shopian. “The two officers urged the family members of militants to appeal to their children to shun the path of violence and join the mainstream while police and army would facilitate their smooth return,” the official said. This is for the first time that two senior officers from police and the army have held such an interaction with the parents of militants in South Kashmir—(KNO)