“Wanted To Be A Militant After Torture By Army Officer,” Claims National Conference MLA

National Conference MLA Qaiser Jamshaid Lone on Friday said he wanted to become a militant after he was “tortured and humiliated” by an army officer during a crackdown when he was a teenager but a senior officer’s action restored his faith in the system.

The senior army officer spoke to him and then reprimanded the junior officer for his conduct, Mr Lone said while participating in the Motion of Thanks to the Lieutenant Governor’s address in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

The incident showed how dialogue can resolve issues, the Lolab MLA said.

“There was a crackdown in my area when I was a youngster. I must have been a student of the 10th standard. There were 32 youths, including me, who were singled out for questioning,” he said.

Mr Lone claimed that he was asked by an army officer about a youth who had joined terrorist ranks. “I said yes I know him because he lived in our area. I was beaten up for that. Then he asked me if the terrorist was present in the crackdown. I replied in the negative and I was beaten up again,” the ruling party MLA said.

He said later a senior officer came to the spot and spoke to him.

“He asked me ‘what do you want to become in life?’ I told him I want to be a militant. He asked me the reason and I told him about the torture I had gone through,” the NC leader said.

Mr Lone said the senior officer rebuked his junior publicly, which reinstated his “faith in the system”. He said that he later learnt that out of the 32 youths who were questioned, 27 joined the militancy.