J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Omar under pressure to resign 
JAMMU, July 7 — When Mr Mohammad Shafi Bhat, a vocal National Conference MLA and a prominent dissident, suggested to the Union Minister of State, Mr Omar Abdullah, to resign in protest against the Union Cabinet’s rejection of autonomy resolution he was voicing the demand of over 20 party legislators including four ministers.

BSF intelligence not up to mark
JAMMU, July 7 — The arrest of three Pakistan trained militants, including a foreign mercenary, at the Sapwal post in Samba sector yesterday by the border police has cast a shadow on the working of the intelligence wing of the BSF since the BSF authorities man the international border.

Involve us in talks, say Kashmiri Sikhs
SRINAGAR, July 7 — Kashmiri Sikhs have sought their involvement in any kind of efforts which “are afoot to decide the Kashmir issue through dialogue on a negotiating table”.

Two jawans killed
UDHAMPUR, July 7 — At least two Army jawans were killed while another was seriously injured when militants attacked a search party in Doda district late last night while the Romeo Force killed a foreign militant in Rajouri district last evening.

Omar under pressure to resign 
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 7 — When Mr Mohammad Shafi Bhat, a vocal National Conference MLA and a prominent dissident, suggested to the Union Minister of State, Mr Omar Abdullah, to resign in protest against the Union Cabinet’s rejection of autonomy resolution he was voicing the demand of over 20 party legislators including four ministers.

During the past three days there has been hectic activities in the house of Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who has been seen sitting till midnight confabulating with his family members and other trusted partymen over the course of action he should adopt to dilute the negative impact of the rejection of autonomy demand by the Union Cabinet.

Informed sources said that though Mr Omar Abdullah has announced that he would quit the central council of ministers if the National Conference desired, he was a bit hesitant on the plea that pulling out of the NDA and his resignation from the ministry could result in serious state-Centre controversy which might prove harmful to the state facing the brunt of Pakistan sponsored proxy war.

The sources said that Mr Omar Abdullah has cautioned his father, Dr Abdullah, against the machinations of some dissident leaders who wanted the NC government to be pushed to the wall. As such the Chief Minister has been placed in a very difficult position when some of the party legislators had conveyed to him indirectly that they were going to resign if the government did not adopt tough postures against the Centre on the autonomy issue.

Yesterday evening Dr Abdullah told one of his confidants to wait for a couple of days to see for himself what sort of surprise he will spring.

Party sources have yet to gauge the mind of the Chief Minister.

BSF intelligence not up to mark
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 7 — The arrest of three Pakistan trained militants, including a foreign mercenary, at the Sapwal post in Samba sector yesterday by the border police has cast a shadow on the working of the intelligence wing of the BSF since the BSF authorities man the international border.

In fact, a constable of the state police saw the three moving in suspicious circumstances and informed the police post. The police laid an ambush and the three militants carrying weapons and explosives had no other alternative but to surrender. They have been sent to the interrogation centre.

The BSF and other security agencies had received reports over six months ago that Pakistani agencies had started concentrating on the international border for pushing into Jammu sector large groups of militants. As such the BSF intelligence wing should have taken proper measures for keeping a watch on the infiltrators.

Had not the police succeeded in arresting the three militants, they would sneak into Jammu city for blowing up vital installations.

Police sources confirmed that it was the main duty of the BSF intelligence wing to collect information on infiltration and arms smuggling but the feedback had not been forthcoming during important junctures.

Official sources said the BSF intelligence wing had suffered a setback after capable officers of the rank of DSP/SPs and DIG were shifted to other places and those with minimum experience and knowledge of the area were posted in Jammu.

The sources said between 1995 and 1999 the rate of infiltration of militants from across the international border had been quite low as compared to the past one year. This was so because the BSF jawans guarding the border would receive timely feedback from the BSF intelligence wing.

Recently four to five militants were able to sneak into R.S. Pora and Samba sectors and a couple of them were caught by the people. There is another drawback in the functioning of the BSF intelligence wing. Senior officers of this wing seldom exchange notes with the police and intelligence agencies. Even the border police does not receive proper intelligence support from the BSF.

Involve us in talks, say Kashmiri Sikhs
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 7 — Kashmiri Sikhs have sought their involvement in any kind of efforts which “are afoot to decide the Kashmir issue through dialogue on a negotiating table”.

“We are hopeful that at this juncture when some amicable solution is worked out by the parties, Sikhs should be taken into confidence and consulted on the negotiating table”, a statement issued by the All-Party Kashmiri Sikh Action Committee (APKSAC) said. It said that Sikhs had played a vital role in maintaining the solidarity of this land, “much more to the ratio or their population”.

The committee was constituted early this year following the massacre of 35 Sikhs in Chhati Singhpora in Anantnag district which took place on March 21. Having been the first such attack on the minority of Sikhs, comprising 80,000 in the valley, the community decided against migration from the valley on the pattern of Kashmiri Pandits, who migrated en masse with the eruption of militancy early in 1990.

This is for the first time that Sikhs, having a population of over three lakh in the whole of Jammu and Kashmir, have come out with such a stand in the “resolution of the Kashmir issue”. “They are an inseparable segment of society and have stood the test of the time”, the statement issued by Mr Gajinder Singh Mann, president of the APKSAC, said.

They said that the community had already been given an honourable recognition and that was why “a slogan of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh Ittehad was coined” in the previous century.

“The fact remains the Kashmir is in a way a mini continent itself with contrast in topography, ethnic culture, race linguistics or otherwise. So the distinct identities are apt to be taken into consideration on the negotiating table,” the spokesman stated. He urged all leaders to take into consideration the views of the Sikh community as they were an inseparable part of the Kashmir valley.

Two jawans killed

UDHAMPUR, July 7 (UNI, PTI) — At least two Army jawans were killed while another was seriously injured when militants attacked a search party in Doda district late last night while the Romeo Force killed a foreign militant in Rajouri district last evening.

Official sources said here today that troops belonging to 26 Rashtriya rifles conducted a search operation at Batela in Tathri tehsil of Doda district late last night following a tip-off.

Sources said when the search party reached a particular place, militants attacked them with automatic weapons and lobbed a number of hand grenades. The troops retaliated and during the encounter two jawans lost their lives while one was seriously injured.

The deceased were identified as Ghulam Qadir and Ram Singh while the injured jawan was identified as Gopal Singh. He has been taken to the Command Hospital here. His condition is critical.

The Jammu and Kashmir police repulsed a militant attack on its camp.

The police foiled an attempt by eight Kashmiri youths to cross over to occupied Kashmir for arms training. They were arrested in Kupwara yesterday.

The police post at Achhabal in Anantnag district was attacked last night. The policemen returned the fire but no loss of life was reported.

A militant and a security personnel were killed in an encounter at Behrote village in Rajouri last evening.

A civilian died when an explosive device went off at Toshamaidan in Badgam district last evening.

The bullet-riddled body of a person was found on the Kupwara last evening.

Three militants were arrested in Samba tehsil of Jammu division and a huge quantity of arms and explosives, including 15 kg of RDS seized from them, a top police official said.

The militants were arrested on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, dig S.P. Vaid, said here today.

The three, identified as Mohammad Rafiq, Showkat Ali and Imtiyaz Ahmed — all belonging to Doda district — sustained interrogation revealed that they had crossed to the Indian side with the help of three guides and had brought a consignment of arms, ammunition and explosives from Pakistan which was dumped on the banks of Devak.

Following the disclosure, the police recovered two rifles with six magazines, a pistol with two magazines, two wireless sets, three stick grenades, 15 kg of RDX, a packet detonator, two ammunition boxes, a bionocular, a cycle seat bomb and a compass.