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Security cover for Shah, Lone to continue

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR APRIL 25. The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to continue the security cover to three separatist leaders while three mainstream politicians facing severe threat to their lives have been placed in `Z-plus' category enjoyed otherwise by the Governor, the Chief Minister, the former Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, and his son, Omar Abdullah.

In a significant decision, the Government will continue the security cover under `Z' category to the senior Hurriyat Conference leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the People's Conference chairman, Sajjad Gani Lone, and the chief of the Democratic Freedom Party, Shabir Shah, who, according to intelligence agencies, could be the target of militants. Highly-placed sources told The Hindu that the level of security cover being provided to politicians, officers and others was reviewed at a high-level meeting recently. Even as the security cover was downgraded in a few cases, it was either increased or extended to at least 40 more people, most of them activists of the ruling People's Democratic Party and the Congress.

The meeting concluded that the threat perception to at least three top politicians of the State had increased and that they should be placed in `Z-plus' category. They are the Minister for Finance, Planning and Law, Muzaffar Hussain Beig, the PDP vice-president and MLA, Bijbehara Mehbooba Mufti, and the CPI(M) State secretary and the People's Democratic Forum leader, M.Y. Tarigami. Sources said that intelligence reports had indicated that these three politicians could be the targets of militants groups, keeping in view their "popularity and mobility". The security of the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and his family is being taken care of by the Special Security Group (SSG), carved out of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Dr. Abdullah continues to have a small component of SSG. Sources said the security cover being provided to people under `Z' category was also being reviewed. The Chief Justice of the High Court, all the judges, the Assembly Speaker, Chairman of the Legislative Council, all the Ministers, Members of Parliament, the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary (Home), the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, all the Deputy Commissioners, all the District Superintendents of Police and the Presiding Officers of the TADA court are in this category.

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