M A I N   N E W S

Hurriyat bandh hits life in valley
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Jan 5 — Normal life was affected in most parts of the Kashmir valley today in response to the Hurriyat’s call for a bandh in protest against the destruction of Jama Masjid at Kishtwar on Monday night.

All shops and business establishments in the capital city and major towns of North Kashmir remained closed today, Partial response to the call was reported from South Kashmir districts of Anantnag and Pulwama. Traffic was near normal here while inter-district transport plied normally, the police said. There was thin attendance in government offices and many banks remained closed here today.

An APHC spokesman alleged that the incident was a deliberate attempt by the security forces as several such incidents to demolish the religious places had been witnessed during the past 11 years in Jammu and Kashmir. In this connection, the spokesmen referred to similar attempts at Chrar-e-Sharief, Tral etc in which mosques and shrines were burnt down. The spokesman alleged that there were several incidents of the desecration of religious places in the state over the past decade. It was also alleged that fire tenders were not allowed to prevent further damage after the fire had been witnessed in the upper floor of the mosque at Kistwar.

Meanwhile, the APHC has reiterated its demand for tripartite talks to resolve the Kashmir issue, adding that it stood for a peaceful, comprehensive and everlasting solution of the issue. A spokesman of the APHC urged the UN Security Council and world bodies to play a positive role in this direction. He said that the UN Security Council had on January 5, 1949, through a resolution accepted the right of self determination for the people of Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the police resorted to baton charge and burst teargas shells to disperse slogan-shouting demonstrators at Nowhatta in the downtown city this afternoon.

The trouble started immediately after the Friday prayers were over in the historic Jama Masjid as the people, raising pro-freedom and anti-security forces slogans marched towards Khanyar.

More passports sought
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 5 — Welcoming Prime Minsiter Atal Behari Vajpayee’s statement about the need to go beyond the beaten track to solve the Kashmir problem, the Hurriyat leadership has criticised bureaucracy for creating hurdles in the peace process by not giving them passports for going to Pakistan. Senior Hurriyat leaders, including APHC Chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat, JKLF leader Yaseen Malik and Abdul Ghani Lone arrived in the Capital yesterday.

A Hurriyat spokesman said Prime Minister’s statement was a welcome step which could help a great deal in the success of peace process but there was need of bending rules. The spokesman maintained that the three leaders had come for their individual work. He however, said the APHC leadership was hoping to get the passports in time to leave for Pakistan by the earlier declared date of January 15.