There was an improvement in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in 2007 with a 24.5 per cent decrease in militant violence and concerted steps taken to curb human rights violations, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Tuesday.
Confidence-building measures and the dialogue process with Pakistan started, but, "Due to the internal situation since the sacking of its chief justice and assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, the process received a setback," he said.
Replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the governor's address, he said civilian killings recorded a decrease of 58 per cent in 2007 over the previous year and 84 per cent in the past 10 years.
Killings of political activists went down by 47 per cent over the previous year and 91 per cent in the past decade while custodial killings dropped by 66 per cent in 10 years.
It was also the first time in 20 years when no custodial disappearance was reported, Azad said, adding that the killing of police personnel and security personnel dropped by 62 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.
On the human rights front, he said the State Human Rights Commission made 650 recommendations, of which 390 were accepted and another 260 were under consideration, while a Cabinet sub-committee was formed to monitor their implementation.
Decisions were also taken to speed up entry permits across the Line of Control, fast-track disposal of applications pertaining to death of blood relations and comprehensive census of militancy-related widows and orphans, the chief minister said.
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