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| Tuesday,
March 20, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Pak stops funds to 7 APHC units BJP dharna over sacking of employees Hurriyat
begins ‘diplomatic’ drive Militant killed, 2 jawans hurt |
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Cut expose probe time: Farooq Plea to PM on release of DA instalment 5 Sikhs pay homage to Jurian martyrs
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Pak stops funds to 7 APHC units Jammu, March 19 Inside reports said agencies across the border would send nearly Rs 3 lakh to everyone of the seven constituents of the APHC and another Rs 4 lakh for meeting the expenses of the Hurriyat offices in Srinagar, Jammu and Delhi. All funds had been stopped after the tussle between the moderates and the hardliners assumed dimensions of a possible split in the APHC. Pakistani agencies have started suspecting the intentions of the majority of the APHC executive members who have shown inclinations to hold talks with the Government of India to be followed by tripartite parleys. These agencies want the APHC leadership to reject anything short of tripartite talks. In this tussle for supremacy senior Jamait-e-Islami leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has started feeling a lonely crusader for Kashmir’s incorporation with Pakistan. His trusted colleagues, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat and Sheikh Aziz, chief of the People’s League, have also joined the moderates. The moderates have felt encouraged in their conflict with Mr Geelani after the Majlis Shoura members opposed Mr Geelani’s stand on the nature of the Kashmir issue. The Jammat leadership had disagreed with his opinion that Kashmir was a religious and not a political issue. Reports said that majority of members of Majlis Shoura of the Jamait-e-Islami, except for its Deputy Chief have taken a stand against the one adopted by Mr Geelani. According to these reports, Mr Geelani has been thinking seriously of floating a new organisation. In fact, he had waited for either the APHC to expel him or the Jamait-e-Islami to remove him from the organisation so that he could emerge a hero among the separatists. Nothing of this sort happened and Mr Geelani may be forced to run the show separately because he has already made it known that Hurriyat has not been his identity. He has said he has his own identity as an Islami leader. Pakistani agencies have shown preference for such hardliners. And recently Sheikh Aziz, chief of the People’s League, had to cancel his visit to Pakistan where his brother Sheikh Yaqub was to get married. Two versions are being given for the cancellation of the visit and the postponement of the marriage of Sheikh Yaqub. One report said that the Pakistan High Commission had not granted the visa to the Sheikh. The visa was rejected possibly out of annoyance agencies across the border had shown over the way the Sheikh had joined hands with the moderates. However another report said that while issuing the visa Sheikh Azia was plainly informed by the Pak High Commission officials that he should not expect any public reception as he was visiting Pakistan for only attending the marriage ceremony of his brother. The Sheikh was not prepared for such a cold treatment and decided to cancel his visit. As long as the APHC remains a divided house and the conflict between the hawks and the doves assumes bigger dimensions the militants would be free to decide future strategy. Their plans and activities would be governed by the day to day directions from their patrons across the border. In such a development one cannot expect anything except stepup in subversive violence. No doubt militant outfits have never accepted any dictation from APHC leaders, their requests and suggestions were considered by the rebels on several occasions. Field agencies forsee a free-for-all as far as the activities of militant outfits are concerned. Their worry stems from the fact that large groups of militants, especially foreign mercenaries, have carved out bases in the thickly populated urban belts, including the city of Srinagar and the towns. This development has created added scare among the people. And after a gap of about four years large groups of people have started staging protest demonstrations even if a militant gets killed in the custody of security forces. Earlier these demonstrations were witnessed during the killing of innocent civilians in custody of security forces. The non initiation of combat operations seems to have forced the security forces to defend themselves instead of defending the people. An element of uncertainty has crept in the Kashmir situation following delay on the part of the Government of India to take follow-up measures to carry the peace process to some logical conclusion. |
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BJP dharna over sacking of employees Jammu, March 19 When the matter was raised, the Education Minister, Mr Mohammad Shafi, informed the House that the services of the employees had been terminated under court orders. The BJP members raised a hue and cry, blaming the Government for not fulfilling the commitments made by it in the House. At this stage, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, intervened and said that these employees would be readjusted in stages. But the Education Minister said that a case would be prepared for their readjustment and sent to the Cabinet for approval. The BJP members again protested, saying that there was no collective leadership and responsibility in the Government. All eight BJP members walked to the well and staged a dharna. The speaker, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, tried hard to persuade the BJP members to resume their seats. He said that the announcement of the Chief Minister should be treated as the Government’s stand. Before the start of the question hour, one CPM member, Mr Mohd. Yusuf Tarigami, referred to the ongoing agitation launched by the employees of the public sector undertakings to press the release of pay arrears and instalments of Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). Mr Tarigami was supported by the BJP and Panthers Party members, who claimed that work in the Public Sector Undertakings had been paralysed and the Government had given a raw deal to them. When there was no response from the Government, Mr Harsh Dev Singh of the Panthers Party and BJP members staged a walkout. Three of the four BSP members staged a walkout from the House when they were not satisfied with the Government’s reply to a call attention notice tabled by them. The call attention notice was tabled to know from the Government what circumstances led to the police firing and teargasing near Bellicharana on migrants from Poonch and Rajouri. |
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Hurriyat begins ‘diplomatic’ drive New
Delhi, March 19 A three-member delegation of the conglomerate headed by its chairman Abdul Gani Bhat today met Iranian Ambassador Mohammed al-Mosuvi and discussed the present political situation in the valley with him for over an hour. According to a statement issued by Hurriyat’s office based here, the delegation briefed him about the situation arising out of denial of travel documents to the conglomerate by the Centre for visit to Pakistan. Besides Bhat, the delegation comprised Abdul Gani Lone and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, the statement said. The
Hurriyat delegation also met the South East representative of the UK
last evening and apprised him of the situation in the state. PTI |
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Militant killed, 2 jawans hurt Srinagar, March 19 One militant of the Hizbul
Mujahideen, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, was killed and two BSF jawans injured in an encounter at Laroo Jagir in the Tral area of Pulwama district today. A residential house was also damaged in the exchange of fire, the police here said. One AK rifle was seized fro the site of the encounter. According to reports, a joint patrol party of the BSF and the SoG of the Jammu and Kashmir police was fired upon by suspected militants hiding in the village. The encounter ensued when the security forces retaliated. Two SPOs or counter-insurgents were injured when an explosion took place in Nadihal village of Bandipore in Baramulla district this morning. Those injured were shifted to hospital. In another incident, two security force jawans were injured when suspected militants hurled a grenade on their picket at
Parraypora, Baghat here last evening. The police here today fished out the body of an unidentified person from Dal Lake, near the Oberoi Palace gate. In Anantnag district, the police found the body on Nisar Ahmad Dar of Bazloo Jagir in Kulgam area. Further investigations are in progress. |
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Cut expose probe time: Farooq Jammu, March 19 Replying in the Assembly to the demand for grants for the departments under him today, the Chief Minister said that he hoped that the probe would set at rest all doubts and a detailed discussion on the floor of the Lok Sabha would also uncover the facts of the expose. Referring to the security scenario in the state, Dr Abdullah said that as long as Pakistan funded militants, terrorism would not end in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Pakistan was determined to foment turmoil in the state. He said it was wrong to say that measures had not been taken to control the activities of the militants. As many as 18,000 special police officers (SPOs) had been recruited to counter militancy, he wanted the members to shed the impression that the SPOs were recruited as part of the plan to resolve the problem of unemployment. The Chief Minister said that his government could not take in hand various development projects because the central government had reduced the size of the annual Plans. He said he had already informed the Prime Minister about it and hoped BJP members from the state would persuade the Central government to release more funds for the state. Replying to the demand of the legislators for an increase in their constituency development funds from Rs 25 lakh to at least Rs 30 lakh Dr Abdullah said that if he had the money, he would like to enhance it to Rs 1 crore. He said there was no misuse of funds and Rs 9 crore had been sanctioned for the upgradation of weaponry for the police to fight militancy with sophisticated weapons. He said the DG, Police, would visit various areas to recruit able bodied youth in the police on the spot. |
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Plea to PM on release of DA instalment Jammu, March 19 In a communication sent to Mr Vajpayee, Mr Shastri while giving facts and figures said the price index which was 3.98 per cent in June 30, 2000, now had increased to 8.27 per cent. He said the rate of compensation was revised over six months once in January and then in July based on the average of the consumer price index for previous months. This would be 10th bi-annual increase since the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission were accepted by the central government in January, 1996. Continuing its decline for six successive months, the purchasing power of the rupee fell by 0.40 paise to 23.81 paise in December. The purchasing power of the rupee has been going down since April last year, he added. In the communication, Mr Shastri said prices of all essential commodities had shot up more than six times. Moreover, when the prices of all essential commodities had gone up considerably, there was no justification on the part of the government for with holding this instalment to employees and pensioners, he added. |
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5 Sikhs pay homage to Jurian martyrs Jammu, March 19 The jawans and officers laid wreaths on the memorial built in memory of those martyrs of the regiment who laid down their lives while pushing back Pakistani troops in the 1971 conflict. Elsewhere, functions in the forward area of the Northern Command were held to underline the saga of bravery that has been attached with the regiment. Sikh Regiment has won scores of medals and awards for bravery since 1901 when it was raised in Sialkot. Its men have demonstrated grit in fighting the enemy in both the world wars, and during the post-Independence armed conflicts. According to Col Pradeep Kumar, commanding officer of 5 Sikh, the men of the regiment under the command of Lieut-Gen Harbaksh Singh had decimated one Pakistan Armoured Division in the western sector in the 1965 war. In the 1971 war, the men of this battalion had saved Jurian in Jammu sector where the Pakistani forces had made a determined attempt to capture the entire area. Even the Pakistan Defence journal had paid tributes to the valour of the men of 5 Sikh in Jurian. The battalion has produced 14 generals who have all excelled in the field of bravery, getting a number of battle honours, medals and awards. |
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