Pakistan role behind violent protests in Kashmir: MoS PMO

Union Minister Jitendra Singh today said the role of Pakistan in the violent protests in Kashmir after killing of militant Burhan Wani there was more than evident now.
"As far as Pakistan's involvement is concerned it is more than evident now. From time to time India has also been providing evidence and proof of that.
"There has been involvement and there has been perpetration of terrorism on the India's soil from Islamabad," he told reporters here.
He said the available inputs also hints at the Pakistan's involvement.
"As far as the foreign hand is concerned, it has been the experience in last 20-25 years of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir that from time to time there has been evidence forthcoming of Pakistan's involvement.

"Therefore, there is a reason to believe, on the inputs which are available today, Pakistan's involvement in the recent episode," said Singh, Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office.

The Minister said any disruptions in Amarnath yatra would not augur well for the society.
"Amarnath yatra is symbolic of composite unity in the Kashmir society. This is an yatra in which people people from all sections of society, with all religious beliefs tend to cooperate in the term of making arrangements and providing facility to the yatra.
"Any disruption in yatra like Amarnath yatra would not augur well for society," said Singh, a Lok Sabha member from Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur constituency.

Over 1.18 lakh pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the cave shrine in the Kashmir Himalayas.
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Singh claimed that for the first time, the overall average construction of roads had increased to over 113 kms per day and out of a total Central funds of Rs 3,600 crore sanctioned for road projects under PMGSY in Jammu and Kashmir, over half of the amount was earmarked only for the Lok Sabha constituency of Kathua-Udhampur-Doda.
Referring to some of the mega projects brought in the constituency, he claimed that most of the major promises made by the BJP in the run-up to the 2014 Parliamentary election were being honoured with the "landmark" Keedhiyan-Gadhiyal bridge and north India's "first ever" bio-tech park in Kathua, the river Devika cleansing project, the radio station for Udhampur and the initiation of the proposal for the Chandragala tunnel on the Basohli-Bhaderwah road stretch.

In the last two-and-a-half years, a record amount of over Rs 850 crore had been sanctioned by the Centre for construction of roads and bridges in Kathua district, Singh said, adding that this was not only possibly the "record" amount sanctioned for Kathua roads in several decades, but was also possibly the highest amount for any single district in Jammu and Kashmir.
He added that under PMGSY, Kathua district received Rs 405.66 crore, Udhampur Rs 350 crore, the erstwhile Doda district Rs 600 crore and Reasi district Rs 160 crore.
In addition, he said Kathua got Rs 150 crore for the Keedhiyan-Gadhiyal bridge and under the CRF, Rs 45.54 crore was sanctioned for the Juthana bridge, Rs 40.52 crore for the Halti road upgradation and Rs 43.30 crore for the Lakhanpur-Thien road.