Apple trucks, bangles: NSA Doval on intercepted messages from Pak

New Delhi, Sep 07: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said on Saturday affirmed that restrictions in Kashmir are aimed at preventing Pakistan from creating more mischief through proxies and terrorists.

"We are determined to protect the life of Kashmiris from Pakistani terrorists even if we have to impose restrictions, terror is the only instrument Pakistan has to create unrest," he said.

"I am totally convinced that majority of Kashmiris support the abrogation of Article 370, they see greater opportunities, future, economic progress and employment opportunities, only a few miscreants are opposing it," NSA Ajit Doval said.

Commenting for the first time on the detention of the political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, Doval said that "they are in preventive detention, there could have been problems in maintaining law and order in case there were gatherings, terrorists would have used the situation," he said.

"Since everything was being done in the framework of constitutional law in the country, the leaders can challenge their detention in a court of law, he added.

''92.5 per cent of the geographical area of Jammu and Kashmir is free of restrictions'', Doval further said.

Doval said only 10 of the 199 police districts in Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh now have prohibitory orders, while land-line telephones have been restored 100 per cent in all three areas.

He said Pakistan is bent on creating trouble in Kashmir, and would very much like to see unrest in the valley, which would add grist to its anti-India propaganda.

In a bid to achieve that aim, Pakistan has sent many terrorists into Kashmir with the intent of causing trouble, and to ensure that normalcy is not restored.

"If anybody is interested in restoring normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir it is India," he said. "We will not allow people to become victims of Pakistan's machinations and its bullets sent across the border. We will do everything in power to protect the people," he said.

Questioned about the alleged human rights abuses by the Army, Doval pointed out that it is only the local police and central paramilitary forces that are deployed to maintain law and order. So, there is no question of atrocities by the Army, whose job is only to fight terrorists.

He said according to intelligence reports some 230 terrorists were recorded in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, some of whom have sneaked across the border to create trouble, which includes intimidating traders and local populace to prevent them from going about their business.

He cited the case of two Punjabi-speaking terrorists whose conversations with their Pakistani handlers were intercepted in which they were reprimanded for not doing their job properly, and warned that Pakistan would send them bangles if they didn't do something quickly.

Thereafter, the two men went to the residence of a prominent fruit merchant in Sopore, Hamidullah Rather, to intimidate him on Friday, Not finding him there at home, the terrorists shot and injured his 25-year-old son, Mohammad Irshad, in the thigh, and Irshad's 2 1/2-year-old granddaughter Asma Jaan, who is critical, Doval said.

She will be brought to New Delhi for treatment, he said.

"Terror is the only instrument Pakistan has to create unrest in Kashmir," he said, adding that normalcy in Kashmir can be restored if "Pakistan starts behaving" and stops "indulging in subversive propaganda."

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)