The security situation of Jammu and Kashmir is not yet conducive for moving the Army out of the state, said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Jammu on Tuesday, pointing out that demilitarisation will take time.

The Chief Minister was speaking on the occasion of the dedication of a war memorial to the nation in Jammu. The war memorial, Balidan Sthambh, was dedicated by Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor and accepted by the Chief Minister on behalf of the people of the state.

Omar said that “although the Army’s primary task was to take care of the border and the Line of Control (LoC), it has been in Jammu and Kashmir for the past 21 years on account of the internal situation of the state arising out of the prevailing militancy in the state”.

Omar said that during the past 21 years, the Army has helped the state in many ways, not just in maintaining security and law and order. “The Army has always been with the people in any kind of major crisis arising out of natural calamities and disasters or any other eventuality.”

“Although the Army may also be willing to go back to its primary task of managing and protecting country’s border, the internal security situation of the state is not so conductive for their moving out of the state and the Army is needed to maintain the internal security situation in the state,” he said.

He pointed out that there would be timely reduction in the Army’s presence in the state when the security situation normalises. “There has been marked improvement in the security situation and efforts are underway to bring about a situation of peace and tranquility so that the management of internal security situation is entrusted to the paramilitary forces and the state police,” he said.

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