Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 23

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday urged authorities to maintain public support in the fight against terrorism, warning that house demolitions and mass arrests could alienate residents and undermine efforts to restore lasting peace.

CM Omar was speaking after the killing of police head constable Ashiq Hussain, who was shot dead by a terrorist in Anantnag while deployed for Amarnath Yatra security.

Authorities subsequently demolished the homes of two alleged active Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, identified as Adil Thokar and Haroon Rashid Ganaie.

The CM said he understood the anger of security personnel but questioned the use of punitive measures against families.

“The real end will come only when the general public stands together against such violence,” he told reporters, calling for greater engagement with local communities.

CM Omar referred to similar demolitions after the April 2025 Pahalgam attack and said he had previously urged the central government to stop such actions.

“Demolishing houses or making thousands of arrests will not improve the situation; in fact, it will only worsen it,” he said.

The CM said the authorities needed to distinguish between decisive action against militants and measures that could be perceived as collective punishment.

He also cited the investigation into last year’s Pahalgam attack, saying it had found that the attackers were not residents.

CM Omar said people across Jammu and Kashmir had condemned both the Pahalgam attack and the killing of the police officer, and urged authorities to harness that public opposition to terrorism.

“I hope we take our people along in this fight. Only then will we achieve real success,” he said.