J&K: Don't create panic, Omar tells Army

Srinagar: Differing with the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said there was nothing alarming about the situation in the Valley.

"There is nothing alarming about the situation...the GoC (General officer Commanding) met me a day earlier and he did not mention anything about it," Omar told reporters after casting his vote in the Presidential election in Srinagar.

The chief minister was responding to a question about the statement of GOC 15 Corps of the Army Lt General Om Prakash in which he had termed some incidents in the Valley as alarming.

Omar Abdullah said the situation in Kashmir was peaceful as tourists and Amaranth pilgrims were flocking to the Valley in large numbers.

"It is an alarming situation...some incidents have taken place like the shootouts at Pampore, Kulgam and Rajpora (in south Kashmir)," he had said.

Lt Gen Prakash also said there were civil intelligence reports that handlers were urging the militants to carry out suicide attacks on security forces in Kashmir.

Omar said if the situation were alarming, it points to a failure in the security grid which needs to be discussed. "By talking about alarming situation, we are creating an alarm," he added.

He said the Army commander during the meeting had talked about militants waiting on the other side of Line of Control to infiltrate into the Valley. "This is nothing new and has been going on for some time now," he said.

Omar said the situation in Kashmir was peaceful as tourists and Amaranth pilgrims were flocking to the Valley in large numbers.

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