J&K situation 'better' than last year: Minister

Jammu: The situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved as compared to last year since there has been a decrease in the stone pelting incidents amid a surge in counter-insurgency operations, Information Minister Choudhary Zulfikar Ali said on Tuesday.

"As compared to 2016, the situation has improved drastically, the incidents of stone pelting have shown a decrease and anti-insurgency operations are going at a pace," Chowdhary told reporters here today.

He was replying to a volley of questions on the security situation in J&K in view of the increasing footprints of militancy at a programme organised by Jammu Press Club here.

He, however, said there is alienation among the people since 1947 and the government is working to address it.

"It is there since 1947. It is not a new problem. It is not a creation of any government but it was created during the period of partition in 1947," the minister said.

Taking a dig at media for projecting Kashmir in bad light, he said some TV news channels and a section of media are showing the state in bad light. They are projecting it in a way as if entire Jammu and Kashmir is on fire, he added.

"We have grievances against certain channels in the way they are portraying and projecting Jammu and Kashmir in very bad light. It is not in the interest of nation and J&K," he said.

Terming the militancy and violence as a worldwide phenomena, the minister appealed to the media to refrain from projecting Kashmir in the bad light as it would damage its economic backbone and tourism.

He said Jammu and Kashmir should be looked upon as a single entity and not on the basis of some areas in Kashmir where some incidents do take place.

Encounters and militancy incidents take place in various parts of the world, not alone in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

The minister claimed the state is not "fully militancy-prone" as is being projected by a section of media.

"Almost hundred per cent of the area in Jammu region is peaceful. Hundred per cent of Ladakh region is peaceful and by and large 90 per cent of Kashmir is safe except for some places where one to two incidents do take place," he said.

"There have been ups and downs in the situation since 1947. We work in very difficult situation but the way it is projected by a section of media, it hits our efforts," he said.