OMAR RAPS ARMY, TELLS THEM TO AVOID HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Srinagar, Feb 6 (Only Kashmir): In the wake of the killing of an innocent youth in North Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today pulled up the Army for violating the Standard operating Procedure and directed security agencies to completely avoid violation of human rights.
At a meeting chaired by Abdullah this morning, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, Corps Commander of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, was conveyed in no uncertain terms that the incident involving innocent people were detrimental to the peace process and the troops should strictly adhere to SoP agreed upon at various Unified Headquarters meetings, an official spokesman said.
"Any violation of human rights at any stage while conducting security-oriented operations or dealing with any law and order situation is required to be totally avoided in order to restore confidence of the people," Abdullah told the meeting.
He said the government?s policy of zero tolerance to any human rights violation should be strictly adhered and any individual who is found responsible for such violation should be dealt with according to the law.

The Corps Commander assured the Chief Minister that the directions would be implemented in letter and spirit, the spokesman said.
The meeting came after a specialised unit of the Army -- Four Para -- had laid a cordon in an area at Handwara in North Kashmir on Friday night that led to death of an innocent who allegedly did not adhere to warnings to stop by the troops.
Gen Hasnain, while accepting the mistake on the part of the Army, told the meeting that an inquiry was underway to ascertain facts.
Police, in the meantime, has registered a case against Four-Para of Army for the death of 21-year-old Manzoor, shot dead by the Army troops when he accidentally walked into an ambush laid by the troops for terrorists who were believed to have managed to slip in from across the border.
During the meeting it was suggested to the Army that they should carry non-lethal weapons when they lay cordon in civilian areas so that such incidents did not take place in future. .