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Situation not alarming: Omar

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 7/20/2012 3:04:57 AM

Will not allow al-Qaeda in Kashmir: GOC

SRINAGAR, July 19 : Chief minister Omar Abdullah today said the situation in Kashmir is not alarming but peaceful.
He was talking to media persons after casting his vote in the presidential elections. “The situation is peaceful as tourists and Amaranth pilgrims are flocking to the Valley in large numbers,” Omar said
Omar was asked whether he shared the view of his security advisor and general officer commanding (GOC) 15 corps Lt Gen Om Prakash that the situation was alarming.
During an informal media interaction recently here, the GOC had described the attack on army men at Pampore as “alarming”. He had described the overall situation in Valley as stable with reasonable peace amid occurrence of some incidents. However, a section of media had quoted him as saying that the situation in Kashmir is alarming.
Chief minister told the media persons at legislature complex this morning that there was nothing alarming about the situation in the Valley.
"There is nothing alarming about the situation. The corps commander met me a day earlier and he did not mention anything about it. If the situation is alarming, it points to a failure in the security grid which needs to be discussed. By talking about alarming situation, we are creating an alarm," he added.
Omar said that Lt Gen Prakash had talked about militants waiting on the other side of Line of Control to infiltrate into the Valley. "This is nothing new and has been going on for some time now," he said.
Meanwhile, corps commander while talking to media persons on the sidelines of a cricket match here said situation in Kashmir is stable and peaceful. “Army would maintain peace and stable environment in Kashmir,” he added.
GOC stated that the successful conduct of the second Kashmir premier cricket League (KPL) tournament is a proof of peace and stability in the region.
Lt Gen Prakash, stated that al Qaeda would not be allowed to establish a foothold in Kashmir.
“We will not allow international group al Qaeda to establish its foothold in the Valley,” he said at the function The GoC was reacting to the media reports that had quoted Al Qaeda's Pakistan commander Farman Ali Shinwari as saying that in the case of war in Kashmir, the militant group will fight the Indian forces.
"No al Qaeda will come here, we assure you that. Until our security forces are here, we will not allow them to be here. I am sure we will maintain this kind of peace and stable environment," he said.