DGP says ceasefire ‘successful’, asks youngsters to return home

As the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Centre entered into its sixth day, Jammu and Kashmir’s director general of police Shesh Paul Vaid has termed the conditional exercise of suspending military operations in the Valley as successful, and asked the local youngsters who have allegedly joined militant ranks to use this as an opportunity and return to their homes.

The unilateral ceasefire was announced by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the eve of Ramzan. The separatists and militant outfits though outrightly rejected the move while the mainstream parties have welcomed it.

‘The Ramzan ceasefire has been successful thus far. The initiative of Hon’ble PM has helped in general improvement in law & order. The situation especially in south Kashmir has eased & is serving as confidence Building Measure for families who want their boys to return back home.,’’ Vaid said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Soon after the ceasefire was announced, the DGP had asked the families to take advantage of the initiative by urging their sons to leave the path of violence and join the mainstream.

During his recent visit to Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed to the youngsters to join the mainstream.

Since the ceasefire, there has been no major incident of violence in the Valley, though on the first day, militants and army had exchanged fire in north Kashmir.

Since then, the army and the state police haven’t launched any cordon and search operation, or search and destroy operation in any part of the Valley.

Since January this year, the army and the police have in joint operations killed more than 64 militants in various parts of Kashmir and on Line of Control.

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