Eleven relatives of the Jammu & Kashmir police force have been abducted in the last few days across south Kashmir. The J&K police force has appealed to higher-up authorities not to harass local populace and militant families in Kashmir.

The Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the abductions. Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo, Hizbul Mujahideen’s operation commander in Kashmir, issued a stern warning to J&K personnel. His Twitter handle, believed to be operated from across the border and now suspended, wrote: “[The] Police has themselves forced us to go for tit-for-tat tactics. Now no one will be spared and one who wants to live should leave the job or otherwise stay ready for terrible death.”

In an audio message released on Friday evening, Naikoo emphasised his threat to the police.

A high-ranking police official of the J&K police department identified the abductees as:

– Shabir Ahmad Zargar
– Nasir Aslam
-Adnan Shah (nephew of Deputy Superintendent, or DySp of Police)
– Asif Ahmad (son of policeman Rafiq Ahmad Rather, Pinglish, Tral in Pulwama district)
– Nasir Ahmad (son of policeman Ghulam Hassan from Midoora Tral)
– Gowhar Ahmad (brother of a DySp from Katapora, Kulgam)
– Zubair Ahmad (son of a policeman from Arwani Kulgam district)
– Faizan Ahmad (son of a policeman from Kharpora, Kulgam)
– Sameer Ahmad Rather (son of a policeman from Yaripora, Kulgam); and
– Arif Ahmed (brother of a police officer from Arwani)
– Yasir Ahmed Bhat of Kulgam (brother of a policeman)

The official said 34 policemen and 130 militants have been killed in the Valley since 2018.

The abduction

Constable Shabir Ahmad Zargar was abducted on Thursday evening at about 9 pm but was soon released. He told Newslaundry: “I appeal to higher authorities (police top brass) that government forces stop harassing the people and militant families, as it makes [the] situation difficult for us when we visit our native villages.”

Shabir told Newslaundry, “They (militants) were around 10-20 in number. All were in military fatigue. However, four among them talked with me. They only kept repeating that he [Shabir] should tell them (higher-ups) not to target militant families or the local populace. I told them I am only a constable and have no access to higher-up authorities.”

Shabir joined the J&K police department in 2011 and has been posted in Budgam district. He was abducted from his home in Kangan village in Pulwama district. Shabir is now on medical leave following a hernia treatment. His younger brother is also in the police department.

“They did not torture or beat me, but I was only worried for my family,” he said. “It’s a joyous moment to be among my family members. There is news that they have abducted a few more people; hope they are released soon as well.”

‘Doing dirty work for the state’

In the eyes of the common man in Kashmir, the J&K police force is seen as a “collaborator” for the Indian state. At the same time, for many policemen, it’s a matter of earning a livelihood. Those policemen who participate in anti-militancy operations are also considered to be native informants. Therefore if they are killed, there are little or no mourners, for they are perceived to be doing “dirty work” for the state.

Analysts believe the militancy is witnessing a change after Hizb’s poster-boy, Burhan Muzaffar Wani, said in a video statement justified families of policemen being targeted.

Gowhar Geelani, a Kashmir-based political commentator, said, “It seems the militant leadership in south Kashmir has decided to up the ante against local police forces in retaliation for the alleged harassment arrests and torture of some of the members of the militant families. If this trend continues from either side, it can have far-reaching consequences.”

Another trend noticed in south Kashmir is that high-ranking police officials are from outside the state. Being high-ranking officials, they are well-protected and have a lower risk to life and property. SP Operation Anantnag Shami Kumar, SSP Kulgam Harmeet Singh Raina (a local who now resides outside the state, SSP Shopian Sandeep Chaudhary, SSP Pulwama Chandan Kohli, DIG South Kashmir Amit Kumar, SP of Awantipora Zahid Malik—they all reside outside the state.

Instead, public rage is faced by low-rung officers and constables on the ground. Even the top brass of Jammu Kashmir Police—the DGP Shesh Paul Vaid and the IGP Basant Rath—are from outside the state.

Matters of concern

A high-ranking police official in the security grid—the anti-militancy is jointly launched by Special Operations Group of Jammu Kashmir Police, CRPF and Army with the help of human and technological intelligence—told Newslaundry there is total lack of understanding in the chain of command in the department.

He said, “When the DGP tweets ‘ well-done boys’, it has consequences on the ground for lower-rung officers. Senior officers should understand what is actually happening on the ground. Whatever higher authorities think or do—it directly impacts an officer present on the ground. The seniors should understand the sentiments on the ground, and how their decision has an impact on an officer facing the public.”

The official says relations have deteriorated between the police and the public in the Valley. He said, “When former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed disbanded the Special Task Force (used to tackle militancy) in 2003-04, he merged them with the main police forces—due to which the difference between simple law and order, policing and militancy sentiment got intermingled.” He said this is where things went downhill between the public and the J&K police—and only worsened during the agitations of 2008, 2010 and 2016.  

He says, “Until there is no political outreach on the ground, no police forces in the world can make things better in Kashmir, leave aside the Kashmir police. Political outreach, especially for youth, is a must now in Kashmir.”

Where did it all begin?

The saga of arrests and abductions started after government forces killed Altaf Ahmad Dar (aka Altaf Kachroo), an A++ militant, along with his associate in Muniward, a village at the periphery of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Soon after Altaf’s death, militants retaliated by killing four policemen near a fruit market in Bongam area of Shopian district. The policemen were a part of an escort of a DySP.

The four slain policemen were identified as Constable Javed Ahmad Bhat of Panzenara-HMT Srinagar, Constable Mohammad Iqbal Mir of Baramulla, Constable Ishfaq Ahmad Mir of Sheikhpora Baramulla, and SPO Adil Manzoor Bhat of Zawoora, Shopian.

The security grid responded by arresting Asadullah Naikoo—father of Hizbul Mujahideen’s Riyaz Naikoo—during a night raid in Awantipora area of Pulwama district on the night of Wednesday, August 29. Eighteen other youths were also arrested from different parts of the same district on the same night.

Government forces also allegedly set two residential houses on fire in two villages—Amshipora and Nazneenpora in Shopian district—on the same night. Both houses belonged to two militants: the house in Amshipora belonged to Shahjahan, associated with the Jaish-e-Muhammad; the house in Nazneepora belonged to Syed Naveed of the Hizbul Mujahiddin. Naveed had been a policeman before he joined the militant ranks. He was posted at the Food Corporation of India godown in Budgam district, and then fled with four rifles and joined the militant ranks.

The SP of Shopian, Sandeep Chaudhary, told Newslaundry the police is investigating the burning of both houses. He said, “We have received reports about the burning down of two houses in twin villages of the district. We are investigating both the cases. After the findings come out, then only we can say what actually happened on Wednesday night.”

Another senior officer in the CID wing of the J&K police department told Newslaundry the abduction was a reaction to the burning down of militant houses in district Shopian.

Meanwhile, former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted: “Militants and forces victimising each other’s families is highly condemnable and marks a new low in our situation. Families shouldn’t become casualties and made to suffer for something they have little control over.”

Note: This reporter tried to reach out to the relatives of the abducted families. However, they refused to talk. There are also reports suggesting that the police has asked these families not to speak with the media until the situation is brought back under control.