PDP lawmaker urges forces to minimise frisking commoners

SRINAGAR: A People's Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker today urged security forces to observe "utmost restraint" in checking common people ahead of Republic Day as a security measure.

"Security forces should observe utmost restrain while checking and frisking common innocent people of the valley especially living in North Kashmir's Bandipora district," party General Secretary and MLC Nizam-u-din Bhat said.

He expressed concern over the increase in search operations, frequent frisking and identification parades by security forces, saying such exercises were giving tough time to the people in the run up to Republic Day.

Referring to the complaints of harassment in Bandipora where people were disembarked from their vehicles and directed to walk for kilometres as a security measure, Bhat said that intensification of security arrangements should not become a reason for harassment of common people.

Security forces, whose duty is to guard people from anti-social elements, should show utmost restraint while performing their duties, he added.