'Cases like Machil should be heard in civil courts'

Expressing  serious reservations regarding the court martial of army personnel involved in Machil fake encounter, the moderate, All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq on Friday said, “Machil and all such cases should be heard in civil courts under wide public gaze instead in the closed rooms.”

Addressing a public gathering at Shangas in south Kashmir’s, Mirwaiz said, “Countless incidents such as Machil have occurred in Kashmir during which innocent civilians were killed. However, till date, not a single army personnel was held responsible or punished for the crime he committed.”

Demanding the immediate removal of bunkers and watch towers from Kashmir, Mirwaiz said, “Bunkers were becoming the main cause of innocent killings.”

Mirwaiz said, “Time has come that India should shun its obstinate policy and start a result oriented, meaningful dialogue to solve the issue.”

He said that the APHC never wanted confrontations between the two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan. “The conglomerate wants both the nations should befriend each other and improve their relations,” he said.

He said the APHC “would be more than ready to act as a facilitator in any effort or dialogue process aimed at solving the Kashmir dispute.”