Director General of Police R R Swain stated on Monday that during the period of militancy, Pakistan had infiltrated significant aspects of civil society in Jammu Kashmir, Press Trust of India reported.
He accused mainstream parties of fostering leaders of terror networks for their own political gain.
Speaking to students at the Indian Institute of Management, Swain highlighted that it became common for these leaders to publicly visit the homes of deceased terrorists and express sympathy.
“Pakistan successfully infiltrated critical aspects of civil society, aided by so-called mainstream or regional politics in the valley. Evidence shows many mastered the art of running with the hare and hunting with the hound, leaving the common man and security forces bewildered, frightened, and confused,” Swain said.
Swain pointed out that while eliminating new terrorist recruits was allowed, those responsible for recruitment and financing terrorism were rarely investigated.
He recalled incidents where SP rank officers were jailed alongside terrorists for crimes they did not commit, citing the 2014 accidental drowning of two girls, Neelofar and Asiya, in Shopian as an example. He said the incident was exploited through narrative terrorism, leading to weeks of hartals, arson, and rioting.
Swain claimed a detailed CBI investigation, verified by AIIMS forensics, confirmed the event was an accident. He criticized mainstream political parties for cultivating terror network leaders to boost their electoral prospects.
He concluded by stating that recent top-level policy changes have led people to believe that political and economic opportunities are no longer reserved for a privileged few, contributing to the current calm in various districts.