A “new beginning” programme was organized at Dak Bunaglow in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district by the administration in which youth who benefitted under the chief minister’s amnesty scheme took part.
During the programme, it was announced that 390 youth – 240 from Baramulla and 150 from Sopore areas – were granted amnesty. The youth were first-time stone-pelters, it was said during the programme.
MLA Baramulla Javed Hassan Beigh, DIG North Kashmir V K Birdi and SSP Baramulla Imtiyaz Hussain presided over the function in which parents of these youth were asked to counsel their children.
The youth who benefitted under the scheme were asked to shape their careers. “The FIRs against these youth will be withdrawn. Now they can build their careers without having to follow litigations and hearings,” said the speakers.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had last month announced launch of the Centre’s amnesty for first-time “offenders of stone pelting”, a move that could see police drop charges against an estimated 4,500 people, most of them youngsters.
“It gives me immense satisfaction to restart the process of withdrawing FIRs against first time offenders of stone pelting. My government had initiated the process in May, 2016 but it was unfortunately stalled due to the unrest later that year,” Mufti said.
