Srinagar, July 23: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday condemned the demolition of the houses of two alleged militants in south Kashmir following the killing of a Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel in Anantnag, describing the action as “collective punishment” with no place in a democracy.
In a statement posted on social media, Mehbooba Mufti termed the killing of the police personnel “heinous and condemnable” but expressed concern over the subsequent security measures, including the reported detention of more than 1,000 people and the demolition of the residential houses of the families of two alleged militants.
“The killing of a police officer in the line of duty is a heinous and condemnable act. But detaining over a thousand people and demolishing the homes of families of two alleged militants amounts to collective punishment that has no place in a democracy,” she wrote.
The former Chief Minister further said that if the Government of India maintains that militancy in Jammu and Kashmir has been reduced to near zero, it should adopt what she described as a more humane and lawful approach towards innocent civilians instead of resorting to “tit for tat” measures affecting an entire community.
Her remarks came a day after a police constable was shot dead by suspected militants in Anantnag district. Following the attack, authorities carried out the demolition of the houses of two alleged active militants in Hasanpora and Bijbehara areas of south Kashmir and launched extensive security operations across the district. [KNT]
