Minister keen to restore trust

By Our Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, AUG. 19. For the newly inducted Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Home, Mr. Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy, restoration of confidence among the people should be the basic agenda for a Government fighting insurgency for the last five years.

``If you ask me on what issue I will work first it is to remove mistrust between the people and the security forces,'' Mr. Suhrawardy told The Hindu.

Describing the situation in the State particularly his home district as `grim', the Minister said he would take steps to augment the special police force besides strengthening the village defence committees to face the changed form of militancy.

On the absolute powers granted to the security forces by virtue of the Disturbed Areas Act, the Minister there would still be accountability as far as use of force to curb militancy was concerned. On the allegations of rampant custodial killings, Mr. Suhrawardy said ``these will be looked into judiciously``.

Son of late Attaullah Suhrawardy, a former Minister, Mr. Najeeb had once raised a banner of revolt against the NC leadership for its `poor performance' at Government level. One of the youngest Ministers in the Farooq Abdullah Government, Mr. Suhrawardy contested elections for the first time in 1996 after the death of his father. A popular leader, he also leads the Friday prayers at Doda's Jamia Masjid.

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