Man Singh, 55, a local resident of Chakwa, Batote, of Ramban District in Jammu, was reported missing from Shivgarh forest area on August 13. His disappearance led to intense search operations by the Indian Army and local police.
Meanwhile, a special forces operation on September 11 in Dudu-Basantgarh area led to elimination of two Pakistani terrorists. During the search of the terrorists’ belongings, the Indian Army uncovered a smartphone containing graphic images of the murder of Man Singh committed by the terrorists. The photos showed three terrorists strangling Singh, while a fourth documented the gruesome act. The victim’s mortal remains, along with his personal belongings, were recovered on September 21.
Singh’s barbaric killing and other such recent incidents involving civilians are desperate attempts by the Pakistan-supported insurgents to instil fear among local communities and destabilise peace and harmony in the region, say sources from security agencies.
This comes at a time when Jammu and Kashmir is going to polls. While the first phase was held on September 18, second will be on September 25 and third on September 28. The counting of votes will be carried out on October 4. Jammu and Kashmir has 87.09 lakh voters, including 42.6 lakh women, across 90 constituencies.
Assembly elections were last held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014. In 2019, the Modi government bifurcated the erstwhile state into 2 Union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The special status granted to the erstwhile state under Article 370 was revoked. Since 2019, the Union Territory has been under the rule of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. In December last year, the Supreme Court directed the central government to conclude the election process in the Union territory by September 30, 2024.
Pakistan’s external meddling and fuelling of conflict under the guise of political and ideological motives must be condemned by those who covertly support them, they say. News18 through a series of reports has highlighted the role of Pakistan in fomenting unrest in the region. Experts say it is time international agencies and neighbouring nations held Pakistan accountable for their role.
According to sources, these fear-mongering tactics are unlikely to break the resolve of Jammu and Kashmir, whose people have stood resilient in the face of adversity. The phase one of the polls saw around 60% turnout. These cowardly acts will only further strengthen the determination of the population to resist these vile tactics, say experts.
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