Policy for return of militants from POK in final phase: Omar

“ Now the focus is on identifying the crossing points along Line of Control (LOC),” he added.

“We will endeavor to have as fool-proof a policy as it is possible to have,” he said.

However,he said it is not possible to get an accurate assessment of the number of militants set to return to their homes from across LoC.

“It will vary depending on whom you talk to…I do not think policy requires to identify the numbers,but what it requires is safeguards,” he said.

“We will ensure maximum safeguards are in the policy so that it is not open to abuse,” he added.

When asked about a possible increase in the number of militants returning to the state via the LoC after announcement of the rehabilitation policy,Omar said “it is important that you understand that nobody will come across on a policy that has not been (officially) announced so far.” Omar said that in the past several years,militants and their families have come to the LoC and surrendered to the army at their posts.

“We want to channelise them,give them cleaner,safer and secure environment for rehabilitation and maintain vigilance check of them,” he said adding there is an idea that the policy have a single-window system whereby people who come back and get rehabilitation are kept under watch.