Clues found in killing of Muslim cleric in Friday's blast: Omar

"It will be premature to comment on the issue but we have received some tips about which way investigation should be taken," he said.

The chief minister was talking to reporters during a visit to Asia's largest Tulip Garden on the banks of Dal Lake.

The Jamiat-e-Ahlihadith chief and close associate of JKLF chairman Yasin Malik was killed when a bomb planted on a bicycle was triggered outside a mosque in Srinagar's Maisuma locality minutes before Friday prayers last week.

Omar described as a "big statement" JAH's stand delinking itself from shutdowns in the wake of the killing.

"JAH's recent statement where it has delinked itself from strikes and demanded action against the people involved in Shah's killing is a big (positive) statement. We too want that guilty should be brought to book," he said.

The Chief Minister said apart from some pockets, the region has seen a decline in militancy related incidents.

He said militancy was still alive in Sopore, Tral and some belts of Handwara and Kupwara in the Valley.

On the issuance of Dogra certificate, he said Centre's order on relaxations for recruitment in paramilitary forces was unfortunate as Kashmir and Ladakh were treated as geographical entities, while Jammu was mentioned as an ethnic community.

"The Union Home Ministry while asking for recruitment for paramilitary forces had listed relaxation for Kashmiris and Ladakhis on geographical grounds but named Dogras of Jammu region under ethnic category," he said.

The chief minister said the matter was to be taken up in the state cabinet but refused to elaborate.

However, sources said the state government was likely to approach the Union Home Ministry to amend the order and give relaxation to people from Jammu and Kashmir rather than classifying people region-wise.

Meanwhile, the Centre feels that the murder was carried out following directives from across the border and it was an attempt to silence moderate voices in the state.

Government sources said in Delhi that the killing of 55-year-old cleric was a major set back to the efforts in restoring normalcy in the state as he was a vocal opponent of violence and had termed last year's stone-pelting protests as un-Islamic.