In a significant operation, the Jammu and Kashmir police in Rajouri have arrested a notorious drug peddler, Sheikh Azar (32), recovering a substantial consignment of 7000 banned tablets, including tranadol and tependadole.The arrest was made by a police team led by Deputy SP Headquarter Rajouri, in collaboration with SHO and Incharge Police Post city. The interception occurred in Rajouri town, leading to the apprehension of Sheikh Azar, a resident of ward no 08 in Rajouri.

The peddler, known for his notorious activities, had been under police surveillance for days. Initially, 1000 tablets were recovered during his arrest. On subsequent inquiry by the police, he revealed information about an additional 6000 tablets. Notably, the recovery also included tablets intended to counteract the effects of the banned drugs.

While the source of the tablets remains unclear, law enforcement authorities are actively pursuing the case. The SHO Rajouri has said that batch numbers from the seized tablets will be crucial in determining the origin, enabling authorities to take appropriate action.

This arrest is part of the police’s ongoing crackdown on narcotic peddlers in Rajouri district, reflecting their commitment to a zero-tolerance policy towards drug abuse. Several notorious drug peddlers have already been detained under the PIT NDPS Act in the district as part of these efforts. Further investigation into this recent apprehension is underway.

The number of days of protest in Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan (POGB) are increasing and so is the aggressiveness of the protestors. Since past 21 days, people across POGB are raising their voices for the basic amenities crucial for their survival. But neither the occupying government has taken cognizance of the protests, nor the media has given it a due share in mainstream media reporting. Accordingly, the voice of protest is becoming fiercer. In one such incident, stern warning was given to the establishment and the occupying government. One of the speakers at the protest no one could bring them down. He said, “neither any minister could bring us down nor the establishment could bring us down. On the contrary, we would bring you down.”

Warning the occupying government, the speaker said, “I have said it earlier, saying it now and would aways say this; if the wheat issue is not solved or if the health card issue is not solved, we will solve your assembly dispute.” He went on to say, “We will destroy your assembly.” Notably, POGB is a disputed territory which is under the control of Pakistan. So, the statement serves as a clear warning to the Pakistani establishment that if the wheat crisis is not solved, people of POGB have the right to decide the constitutional fate of the region.

Calls of revisiting 1947 status

In a similar tone, earlier Shia scholar Sheikh Mirza Ali had also warned Pakistan. He had said that if Pakistan can’t provide subsidy, then it should come to negotiations of 1947, clearly signaling towards Pakistan’s control of POGB.

Notably, it has been months that Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan (POGB) is protesting over the increase in wheat prices. The abolition of health cards, long power cuts, and imposition of fresh and increased taxes under finance Act 2023 further agitated the people across the region. Since December 26, these protests took shape of a movement. While Pakistan and its puppet government in POGB are using force to stop the protests and deter the protestors, people are more aggressively raising their voice. With each passing day the protestors’ remarks are becoming sharper showing the restlessness of the people.  But Pakistan Army is busy imposing Section 144, inclusion of protestors in Schedule 4, equating them with terrorist.

These measures of Pakistan would surely end up in making things troublesome for it’s authoritarian establishment.

While the overall security situation in the Kashmir Valley has shown considerable improvement, the state of affairs in the Pir Panjal area of Rajouri has worsened due to an extraordinary surge in terrorist activities that has resulted in the security forces suffering significant casualties. Though very unfortunate, such reverses while fighting a proxy war are at times inevitable because unlike terrorists who have scant regards for civilian life and property, soldiers are bound by rules of engagement which at times serve as a handicap.

Pakistan Army’s sponsorship of the ongoing proxy war in J&K is no secret. With terrorist activity in Kashmir Valley on the wane due to concerted actions by the security forces and law enforcement agencies, the Pakistan Army’s notorious spy agency Inter Services Intelligence [ISI] has directed its proxies to shift their terrorist activities to south of the Pir Panjal mountain range. The terrain here being mountainous and densely forested, provides terrorists an excellent scope of carrying out hit and run attacks.

The Indian army has been quick in taking stock of the prevailing situation in the Rajouri sector with due diligence and utmost seriousness. What’s praiseworthy is that instead of resorting to knee-jerk reactions, it is carrying out a comprehensive analysis of the prevailing situation at various levels, and by involving all stakeholders ensuring optimal synergy between the army, central/UT police forces as well as intelligence agencies.

An exhaustive brainstorming session to address the terrorist threat in the Pir Panjal area as well as the hinterland has also been carried out within the army in which officers of Counter Insurgency Force [Rajouri and Doda] and Ace of Spades Division participated. During this session, besides a thorough review of the prevailing operational dynamics, ways to make anti-terrorist operations in Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi sectors more effective were also discussed threadbare. 

Following his Line of Control [LoC] visit in the Rajouri sector alongwith Nagrota based  White Knights Corps Commander Lt Gen Navin Sachdeva to review the ground situation, General officer Commanding-in-Chief of Udhampur based Northern Command Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi chaired a high level security review conference. Attended by DGP JKP RR Swain, ADG Law & Order Vijay Kumar, ADG Jammu Division Anand Jain and IG CRPF Sanjeev Khirwar, the forum discussed plans to destroy the terrorist ecosystem.  

It’s been learnt that having obtained essential inputs and suggestions from the environment, Headquarters Northern Command has drawn up a holistic plan to clear the Rajouri sector of terrorists. Referred to as ‘Strat 24’, it envisages use of kinetic means to neutralise terrorists as well as conducting meaningful civic action programmes to win over hearts and minds of the civil population.

The Poonch-Rajouri sector has been a hotbed of terrorist activities in the past but the Indian security forces ably supported by law enforcement agencies had successfully uprooted terrorism from this area. So, the current situation should not be a reason for alarm as the Indian army has both the capability and determination to once again clear this area of terrorists.

Non-initiation of large scale operations against terrorists in the Rajouri belt may have upset some, but what needs to be understood is that the current situation calls for patience and caution. It needs to be understood that absence of anti-terrorist operations doesn’t mean that the security forces are either complacent or on the back foot. On the contrary, periods of what appears to be inactivity on the part of security forces is often an indication that something big is afoot.

For obvious reasons, the precise contours of the action plan conceived by Northern Command have not been disclosed. Yet, with Lt Gen Dwivedi focusing on seamless synergy in operations, joint combat readiness, strengthening the counter terrorism grid and ensuring soldier-citizen connect, it’s apparent that ‘Strat 24’ will definitely turn the tables on the Pakistan Army’s proxies holed up in the Pir Panjal ranges and hinterland.