M A I N   N E W S

Army transit camp attacked

SRINAGAR, Dec 10 (UNI) — Militants of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad struck at midday today and fired at least five grenades at an Army transit camp at Toto Ground here.

Elsewhere in the state on the 13th day of the unilateral ceasefire, militants killed three persons and injured four policemen while unidentified gunmen looted about Rs 2 lakh during the past 24 hours.

Official sources said militants fired five rockets at the Army installation around 1250 hours. Three grenades exploded in the camp compound without causing any damage while two jailed to explode and were later defused.

Security personnel cordoned off nearby localities to nab the militants.

Jaish-e-Mohammad, claiming responsibility for the attack, said they fired several rockets at the camp. This was the first attack on any security force camp in Srinagar by militants after the unilateral ceasefire announced by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, which came into effect on November 27 evening.

A fidayeen attack on Central Reserve Police Force battalion headquarters in south Kashmir recently had left seven personnel dead and 15 wounded.

An official spokesman said militants entered the house of a former CRPF jawan, Abdul Ahad Lone, at Shagapora in the frontier district of Kupwara and shot him dead late last night.

Militants also killed Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai near the Magam bus stand while Mohammad Shafi Lone was shot dead in his Handwara house late last night.

Militants detonated a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) followed by firing when a police party was on patrol at Kakdi forest last evening. The police retaliated and in the clash four police personnel sustained injuries.

Unidentified gunmen looted Rs 1,80,000 from two businessmen, Farooq Ahmad Wani and Mohammad Shafi Bhat, at Chwalgam in south Kashmir today.

At least 14 activists of the National Front, including its leader Nayeem Khan, were taken into custody as protest demonstrations and a partial strike marked the World Human Rights Day in the Kashmir valley today.

Khan, a senior separatist leader heading the NF, along with his over 24 supporters, tried to stage a demonstration, demanding immediate end to human rights violations in the valley, official sources said here.

The protesters were dispersed but they regrouped again despite a mild lathi charge, forcing the police to arrest Khan and 13 of his supporters, the sources said.

Members of the High Court Bar Association led by president Nazir Ahmad Roonga also organised a rally here yesterday to commemorate the World Human Rights Day.

Rift in Hurriyat comes to fore
Scuffle over Lone’s remark
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Dec 10 — Differences within the Hurriyat Conference surfaced openly at a seminar on human rights held here today, where a majority of speakers opposed the much-hyped dialogue with the Centre following the ongoing unilateral ceasefire.

A strong resentment against its senior leader, Abdul Ghani Lone on Islamic extremists’ threat to Kashmir led to a scuffle during the seminar on human rights organised by the separatist All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on the occasion of International Human Rights Day at its Rajbagh headquarters here today.

“If India wants negotiations to resolve Kashmir issue, let the talks be held here in Kashmir”, former Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani challenged in his presidential address at the seminar. “The talks can be held only to resolve the Kashmir issue” he said, categorically reiterating the APHC stand that these talks would “not be held within Indian Constitution”. He added that if India accepted these conditions “let them approach us through our Delhi office”. Mr Geelani pointed out that Pakistan could not be ignored for its support to the cause of Kashmiris. The former APHC chairman, and senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, had earlier also expressed his displeasure over the role of other senior APHC leaders following the unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Geelani made it clear that there was no scope for the “transfer of power” after dissolution of the Assembly saying that “we (separatists) have not sacrificed our lives for power.” He said there would be no compromise on the slogan of the government on internal autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir.

He also rejected the “Formula of converting LoC into International Border” between India and Pakistan, which is being advocated by the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah.

Addressing over 200-strong audience, the former APHC chairman, urged its leaders “not to differ” on vital issues saying that “our leaders should not be confused”, while referring to the recent statement of Abdul Ghani Lone who had said in Pakistan that the Islamic extremism was a threat in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Geelani also referred to Lone’s earlier statement on inviting Taliban “for our help”.

Earlier, several members in the audience raised slogans against Lone. “Shame for Ghani Lone”, shouted a couple of members from the audience. Out of the seven executive members of the Hurriyat Conference, only two, Geelani and Moulvi Abbas Ansari attended the seminar. While Abdul Ghani Lone is in Pakistan, Hurriyat chairman, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, and JKLF leader Yasin Malik are in New Delhi. The former APHC chairman, Moulvi Umar Farooq arrived here from New Delhi later in the day.

Mr Geelani also criticised the role of the UN. Mr Geelani alleged that over 40,000 anti-Muslim violences had taken place in India claiming the lives of more than one lakh Muslims during the past 53 years. He alleged that 5,000 Sikhs were massacred after the killing of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards.

He said the “greatest human rights violation” by India viz-a-viz Kashmir was that the people of the state were not granted even the “basic right of self-determination”. He said his party (Jammat-e-Islami) and other similar thinking parties had fought elections” only to make this demand clear... but that was not allowed.

Pak response may lead to tripartite talks

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 (UNI) — Pakistan Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf’s offer to observe restraint along the Line of Control (LoC) could set the stage for serious tripartite negotiations between India, Pakistan and militant leaders aimed at resolving the Kashmir issue, media reports said.

This decision could pave the way for a long-term ceasefire in the Kashmir valley, lay ground for a trilateral summit between India, Pakistan and militant leaders in the next few months, reports The Los Angeles Times quoting US businessman of Pakistani origin Mansoor Ejaz, who is involved in Track II diplomacy between India and Pakistan. General Musharraf had understood the gravity of New Delhi’s unilateral decision to respond in concrete terms, the report said.

The New York-based investment banker was making efforts to break the impasse over the Kashmir issue and claimed to have received assurance from the Indian leadership that Islamabad could eventually be involved in a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir dispute, if the militant leaders insisted on it.

“From being a hard-liner, forcing the Kargil war on India, three factors played a role in General Musharraf’s shift in stance towards New Delhi”, Mr Ejaz said in a commentary titled “Peace Momentum in Kashmir” published in The Los Angeles Times.

Ever since the General approved August ceasefire by Kashmiri militants failed at the hands of his military intelligence, hardliners and religious fundamentalists, he spent considerable time in bringing these hawks on board the peace train or moving them off the tracks, the report said.

The US support to the Kashmir peace process, which led to the grant of $ 596 million International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan to Pakistan, was crucial to ward off bankruptcy and the hawkish arguments of the fundamentalists that Washington could no longer be trusted in the Kashmir equation, the report added.