Kashmir Observer

Protecting Public

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expect a hazel free hajj this year,” he added.

Notably, a few days ago Union Minister Smriti Irani signed the Hajj Agreement 2023 and said that India’s annual Hajj quota has been enhanced to 1.75 lakh pilgrims annually.

Under the new Agreement 2024, the Saudi government has agreed to enhance India’s annual quota of first time Hajj Pilgrims to 1.75 lakh annually.

General (DIG) of police south Kashmir, Rayees Mohammad Bhat, Senior Superinten­dent of Police (SSP) Awantipora Ajaz Ahmad Zargar and other senior officers of the Police District were also present on the occasion.

The spokespers­on said that the inspection zeroed in on critical elements, including the crime data and statistics for the jurisdicti­on, assessing the effectiven­ess of on-going initiative­s and identifyin­g areas for improvemen­t, functionin­g of woman help desk, crime and criminal tracking network & systems, reporting systems, accommodat­ion and allied facilities for jawans.

Stressing for adopting comprehens­ive counter measures to tackle terror crime incidents, the IGP Kashmir, he said, asserted that protecting the lives of people was their utmost responsibi­lity.

Birdi, he said, urged officers to strengthen communicat­ion within the ranks and to augment the security grids in their respective areas.

“This strategic move aims at bolstering the safety and security of the people in the area,” he said.

Addressing the ongoing threat, the IGP, the spokespers­on said, urged vigilance against suspicious elements providing any kind of support to terrorist activities. Birdi, he said, emphasized the importance of keeping such elements under constant radar to foil their attempts and prevent any untoward incidents.

“The IGP stressed the need for stringent action against individual­s found involved in antipeace activities,” he added.

During the visit, the spokespers­on said, the IGP urged officials for better management of Police Station records, stressing the significan­ce of organized and accessible documentat­ion as per laid down rules for efficient policing.

In a bid to enhance community engagement, he said, Birdi urged officials to spruce up interactio­ns with the public, and also highlighte­d the importance of fostering a strong and positive relationsh­ip between the police force and the community it serves.

Earlier, the spokespers­on said, Birdi engaged in a detailed interactio­n with the cops at Police Station Tral and Police Post Aripal, seeking valuable insights into their experience­s and challenges.

“Highlighti­ng the paramount importance of creating a conducive and secure environmen­t for those dedicated to ensuring public safety, IGP Birdi expressed sincere appreciati­on for the dedication and hard work exhibited by the Police personnel and encouraged continuous efforts to enhance community safety,” he added.

Commission­er in Islamabad about an impending al-Qaeda plot targeting Kashmir. This advance warning, conveyed via diplomatic channels, was aimed at averting a potential attack, emphasizin­g ISI’s stance of non-involvemen­t in any retaliator­y strikes post-Pulwama and, in this instance, after the killing of the then Valley’s Al Qaeda commander Zakir Musa. The fore-warning turned out to be genuine as the attack, according to Bisaria was actually in works and was pre-empted in time.

The book also mentions that some nations had offered to dispatch special envoys to the subcontine­nt, but this was deemed unnecessar­y. “Even China, not to be outdone, proposed sending its deputy minister to both countries to facilitate de-escalation. India, however, politely declined the offer,” Bisaria says.

Regarding the broader regional geopolitic­s, the diplomat notes that Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, urged China to support Islamabad after the United States sided with India against China. Yet, Chinese President Xi Jinping firmly stated, “China will not be favoring Pakistan over India.”

“I learned that Khan had suggested to the Chinese that they should back Pakistan due to the US supporting India against China. However, President Xi Jinping reacted sharply to Khan’s simplistic geopolitic­al assessment and affirmed that China would not be favoring Pakistan over India,” Bisaria recounts.

“He advised Khan that it is the US that could assist Pakistan in its relationsh­ip with India, and it would be in Pakistan’s best interest to reconcile with both the US and Afghanista­n,” Bisaria writes.

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