General Kapoor expresses concern over increasing infiltration bids

Noida, Feb 19 (ANI): Army chief General Deepak Kapoor on Friday said expressed concern over continuing infiltration from Pakistan and said the militants are taking advantage of snow covered areas of Pir Panjal range in Jammu and Kashmir.

Interacting with the media here General Kapoor said: "Passes in the valley (Indian Kashmir) are closed due to snow in the north Kashmir towards the north of Pir Panjal but infiltrators are entering from south of Pir Panjal where there is no snow."

India has put three-metre high barbed wire security-fence along most of the 742 kilometres long Line of Control (LoC) but infiltration bids still continued.

Responding to the Union Government's initiative to offer amnesty to hundreds of youth from Kashmir who had crossed over to the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and are now willing to surrender and return home, General Kapoor said he hoped all the aspects would be considered before a final decision in the matter is taken.

"I am sure the Home Minister and the rest of the government will look at all the aspects before a final decision is taken. They are working out that and I am sure inputs will be taken from all the ministries, including the MOD (Ministry of Defence) and once a decision is taken, it will be for the good of everybody." he added.

On February 11, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had said that anyone willing to give up militancy and return is welcome home.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government had earlier said that now their main job is to collect details of youths who had gone over to PoK in the past two decades, so that their return could be acilitated. (ANI)