J&K guv thanks Omar for appeal to youth

SRINAGAR : Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik on Tuesday thanked National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah for his appeal to civilians, on Monday, urging them not to pelt stones or rush to encounter sites even as he urged the government not to treat stone throwers as militants.

“I am thankful to Omar for making an appeal to youth not to throw stones. His message will have a good impact. His public appeal will definitely have an impact on the ground as Omar and his father Farooq Abdullah have a good following in Kashmir,” Malik told HT.

“I appreciate him and thank him for this appeal. This is going to help Kashmir,” he said. The governor also urged leaders of other mainstream parties in Kashmir to make similar appeals. “I have asked them (security forces) to make arrangements and issue proper advertisement that nobody should go close to any encounter site at least for two days, till area is sanitised,” he said.

Omar on Monday wrote on the social networking site Twitter that he has no confusion about stone pelting in Kashmir and sought an explanation from Malik. “Let me say this publicly so that Governor Sahib is under no confusion - civilians should not throw stones & should not rush to encounter sites. I’m not saying this publicly for the first time & it won’t be the last time I’m saying this. How does Gov Malik know what I think about anything? Is he quoting a conversation I’ve had with him privately? Are my calls being monitored? Is my office/residence bugged? He owes me, if not @MehboobaMufti Sahiba an explanation.”