Jammu, Feb 5 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday evening to review security, interact with local political leaders, and take stock and launch developmental projects in the union territory.

Officials said HM Shah will arrive around 5 p.m and chair a high-level security review meeting attended by senior officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), intelligence agencies, civil and police administration of Jammu and Kashmir and the top brass of Central Armed Police Forces.

“After arrival in Jammu, the Union Home Minister will go directly to the Lok Bhawan, where he will meet the leaders of different political parties. On Friday, he is likely to visit the International Border at Hiranagar in Kathua district in the morning and take feedback from BSF officials on the prevailing situation at the border.

Later, he will hold a high-level review of the security.

“On February 7 morning, he will leave Jammu for Srinagar, where he will launch various development projects for Jammu and Kashmir,” officials said.

This will be HM Shah’s second high-level review of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in less than a month.

He chaired a high-level security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi on January 8. The meeting was attended by Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, IB Director Tapan Deka, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, DGP Nalin Prabhat, chiefs of central paramilitary forces, and senior officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Intelligence Department.

It was followed by Govind Mohan’s visit to the union territory.

Tanvir Sadiq, the ruling National Conference (NC) spokesperson and MLA, has said that the visit of the Union Home Minister has rekindled hopes for the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP MLAs have welcomed the visit, saying that it reaffirms the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to usher in complete peace in Jammu and Kashmir and ensure total integration of the Union Territory with the rest of the country.

It must be mentioned that during his security review meeting on January 8, the Union Home Minister directed a mission-mode approach to ensure zero tolerance at the border and complete neutralisation of terrorists in the hinterland.

One growing concern for the MHA has been the presence of Pakistani terrorists in the hilly areas of Jammu division, including Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch and Rajouri districts.

In two separate anti-terrorist operations on Wednesday, the joint forces killed three terrorists, one in Kishtwar and two in Udhampur district. Both operations are still going on.

–IANS

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