November 29, 2001

LOK SABHA

'33'

PROXY WAR IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR

        To contain the Pakistan sponsored Proxy War in Jammu & Kashmir, the Central Government and the State Government, have adopted a joint multi-pronged approach. This includes, inter-alia, strengthening border management to check infiltration; pro-active action against terrorists, gearing up intelligence machinery; greater functional integration through an institutional frame-work of Operation and Intelligence Groups of the Unified Headquarters (UHQ), improved technology, weapons and equipment for security forces and action as per law against supporters of the terrorists.

        The strategies, tactics and dynamic deployment to counter the terrorists are constantly reviewed, refined and monitored in the Unified Headquarters in the State and in Operations Groups at various levels.

        Apart from the above measures, militant outfits, namely JeM, LeT, HM, HUM, AUM and JKIF have since been declared as terrorist organisations on 24.10.2001 under section 18 of the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance 2001.

        This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes in a written reply to Dr. Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Dr Manda Jagannath in Lok Sabha today.