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| Monday, August 7, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Forces on LoC adequate: Fernandes Second round of talks crucial Pilot trains on
Jammu route |
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Decline in arrival of yatris 22 gutted bridges rebuilt in valley
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Forces on LoC adequate: Fernandes JAMMU, Aug 6 — The Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, said here today that there was no plan of deploying additional troops on the LoC. “We have enough forces on the border to counter any mischief from across the LoC,” he told newsmen during his one-day tour of Jammu. Mr Fernandes stated that the Indian troops deployed on the border were fully equipped to meet any threat, including infiltration and arms smuggling. Mr Fernandes who flew here visited the sites where the militants had killed more than 23 persons including eight members of a village defence committee. He also met groups of Amarnath pilgrims, waiting for their turn to leave for Pahalgam. The Defence Minister had to visit Jammu on Friday, but he could not because of his pressing engagements in Srinagar. He visited the school where the militants had made a bid to kill Amarnath pilgrims at the registration centre on August 1. Later he visited Pogal Paristan in Banihal and Dechan in Kishtwar where on August 2 militants had killed 23 persons. He was accompanied by the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, and Kashmir’s Minister of Food Supplies, Mr Ajay Sadhotra. Mr Fernandes interacted with a cross-section of people in the troubled Doda district where he was informed that there were vast areas in the district which had no security cover. A section of people informed him that despite Central government’s assurance the village defence committee members had not been equipped with sophisticated weapons. These VDC members had become vulnerable to the militant attacks as they were equipped with .303 rifles. The Defence Minister was briefed by senior district authorities and Army functionaries about the security situation in Doda district and its adjoining areas. Mr Fernandes said from the next year the security bandobast for Amarnath pilgrims would be totally revamped. He disclosed that a senior police officer in Anantnag had suggested to him that a separate security grid be set up under the command of the Army for the security of pilgrims. He said this suggestion was under active consideration of the Central government. He went around the camps of Amarnath pilgrims and expressed concern over the lack of civic amenities. He said right from Qazigund to Pahalgam the entire route did not have civic facilities. He suggested to the state authorities to improve the civic amenities for the pilgrims in Jammu and elsewhere. When asked to comment on an arms deal signed by Pakistan with the U.K. the Defence Minister expressed his ignorance. Meanwhile, R.S. Pora town, which witnessed violence and arson yesterday when demonstrators, protesting against the killing of a cow, set ablaze tehsil office, treasure, police station and fought a pitched battle with the police, reeled under curfew restrictions. Though no untoward incident took place, the authorities did not lift curfew restrictions, reimposed yesterday morning, as part of precautionary measures. After normalcy returned to Jammu the Army has been set back to the barracks. However, the police and para-military forces continue to patrol the sensitive areas. |
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Second round of talks crucial SRINAGAR, Aug 6 — Negotiations between Union Home Minister officials and Hizbul Mujahideen commanders have become crucial in view of the renewed threat of the former to withdraw ceasefire by August 8 in case India does not agree to tripartite talks involving Pakistan to “resolve the issue”. The second round of talks between six divisional commanders of the Hizbul Mujahideen and Union Home Ministry officials is expected to take place here tomorrow. This follows the nomination of two committees on both sides to take the process of dialogue ahead by working out the ceasefire modalities. The Centre has appointed Mr MB Kaushal, Special Secretary, Home as its head while Mr C Phunsong, Principal Secretary, Home Jammu and Kashmir, will be the state representative. On the militants’ side, Saifullah Khalid heads the six-member team of divisional commanders. The People’s Political Front (PPF) led by Fazal-ul Haque Qureshi is of the view that the peace process needs to be taken further ahead for a “peaceful solution of the Kashmir issue”. Its leader, Mr Qureshi, who led the four Hizbul commanders during their talks with Union Home Ministry officials led Home Secretary Kamal Pandey, feels the development should not be overlooked. The PPF was the first to welcome the ceasefire announcement by the Hizbul Mujahidden operations commander, Abdul Majid Dar. The PPF, according to its leaders, has “no role in the next round of talks between the Hizb commanders and the central committee”, Mr Fazal-ul-Haque Qureshi told TNS. He said the two sides had to work out the modalities purely on technical grounds. Ours is a political role”, Mr Qureshi said. The PPF has reportedly conveyed to the Pakistani leadership to take advantage of the present scenario and take positive steps in this direction. Talking to TNS, Mr G.M. Naiku, spokesman of the PPF, said. “The process is to be carried on and it should not be allowed to go out of hands”, adding that other organisations also be involved to take the process ahead. “We are for tripartite talks and a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue through deliberations”, Mr Naiku stated. He said his party had fulfilled its role to mediate. “It is up to the two parties — Government of India and the Hizbul Mujahideen — to take the process ahead”, he commented. While the separatist conglomeration of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has described the ceasefire move as a hasty one, several others like the former APHC chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq, Mohammad Yasin Malik of the JKLF and Shabir Ahmad Shah (PDFP) have hailed the decision. The APHC seeks a resolution of the Kashmir issue through tripartite talks and the right to self-determination under UN resolutions. “We want a final solution of the problem through tripartite talks”, said a senior APHC leader, adding that Pakistan’s involvement was important. Referring to the recent developments, the Hurriyat leader said it had no role to play under the present circumstances. The leader referring to the statement by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari
Vajpayee, that Pakistan had no role in the talks, said: “When there is no involvement of Pakistan, how can the process go ahead.”
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Pilot trains on
Jammu route
JAMMU, Aug 6 (PTI) — The Northern Railway has introduced pilot security trains to guard against possible militant attacks on passenger trains on the sensitive Jammu-Samba-Pathankot route in the Jammu region. “We have introduced from August 1 pilot security trains/engines and good trains which run ahead of passenger trains from Jammu station to Pathankot via Samba to foil attempts by militants to target passenger trains”, the Divisional Traffic Manager, Northern Railway, Jammu, Mr P.C. Bhardwaj, told PTI today. The move follows recovery of a large quantity of explosives and weaponry on August 2 from Samba, close to the route of the trains carrying Amarnath pilgrims. Passenger trains on the Jammu-Pathankot route, particularly on the Samba belt close to the international border, have come under militant attack 18 times in the past five years killing 32 persons and injuring over 150. Besides, security has been intensified by the Railway Protection Force, Railways Police and other para-military forces, he said that adding that earlier patrolling was confined to the night. The Northern Railway provided round-the-clock services to over 10,000 pilgrims stranded at a railway station, Mr Bhardwaj said adding that three additional trains —Jammu-Mumbai,Jammu-Ahmedabad and Jammu-Delhi — were pressed into service to meet the rush of pilgrims last week. |
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Decline in arrival of yatris SRINAGAR, Aug 6 — There has been a decline in arrival of Amarnath pilgrims following the firing incident at Pahalgam on Tuesday last in which at least 32 persons, including 22 yatris, were killed. The total arrival of nearly 1.65 lakh so far has surpassed the last record of nearly 1.5 lakh pilgrims last year. A fresh batch of 1,903 pilgrims arrived in Pahalgam today while over 7,000 pilgrims had arrived during the past two days from Jammu and Pahalgam. A total of 4,384 pilgrims from Jammu arrived yesterday while 1,620 had darshan. As many as 2921 pilgrims left Pahalgam, reports here said. A total of 2,994 pilgrims were allowed to proceed from Chandanwari to the Amarnath cave yesterday. According to the reports, only 3,412 pilgrims were staying there last night while 1,332 were staying at Chandanwari, 1,265 at Sheshnag, 1,250 at Panchtarni and 180 at the cave. So far 1,63,137 pilgrims arrived in Pahalgam while 1,43,357 pilgrims had darshan. A total of 1,42,000 returned after darshan. UNI adds: Meanwhile, the injured pilgrims were airlifted to Delhi in a BSF place at the request of the Jammu and Kashmir today. An official spokesman said more than 1.63 lakh pilgrims from different parts of the country arrived at the base camp here and at Baltal till last evening since the commencement of the
month-long yatra from July 13. |
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22 gutted bridges
rebuilt in valley
SRINAGAR, Aug 6 (PTI) — Twenty-two gutted bridges in the state had been reconstructed by the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) at a cost of Rs 79.24 crore, Minister for Works A.M. Sagar said here today. Works on 19 more damaged bridges in Kashmir division were likely to be completed within next two years, he said. The corporation had already spent Rs 14.69 crore for the purpose. Other works undertaken by the JKPCC under roads and buildings sector include construction of district court complex at Baramula and Kupwara, lecture
theatre block at degree college (boys) Anantnag and degree college complex at Kupwara, Mr Sagar said. The corporation had also been entrusted with the reconstruction of 16 gutted high and higher secondary school buildings in the valley, he added. |
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