Despite shutdown call, hundreds of Kashmiri youth appear in army recruitment exam

Asserting that the Kashmir youth need employment, a top army officer on Sunday said that defying separatist shutdown call, hundreds of students participated in the army recruitment examination in the Valley.

Despite the valley-wide shutdown on Sunday and Monday against the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Sabzar Ahmad Bhatt, 799 candidates out of 815 appeared for common entrance written examination for selection of Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks at Pattan in north Kashmir's Baramulla district while only seven candidates out of 500 missed the exam at Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre in Srinagar.

Talking to media here, Major General A.K. Singh, the Kilo Force General Officer Commanding (GOC), said, "The Kashmir youth need employment. You have seen how hundreds of Kashmiri youth participated in the army recruitment examination on Sunday despite shutdown called by the separatists."

"If we continue to take appropriate measures in this direction, we will bring Kashmiri youth on the right path," he added.

The Major General further informed that 200 to 250 militants are currently present in the Kashmir Valley.

"I think, presently there are around 200 to 250 militants in Kashmir. Pakistan is trying to get them infiltrated on this side. But various measures have been taken to strengthen the robust counter infiltration grid along the Line of Control (LoC), so that militants will be eliminated on the LC only," he added.