M A I N   N E W S

APHC men under house arrest
Protesters lathi-charged
Tribune News Service and Agencies

Kashmiri protesters throw stones at the police during a demonstration after Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on Friday. — Reuters photo

Srinagar, June 15
The police resorted to a baton charge and fired tear-gas shells to disperse a mob raising slogans and pelting stones near the historic Jama Masjid in downtown city here this afternoon.

The police burst tear-gas shells and resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the demonstrators, mostly youths, who pelted stones on the police and raised slogans against the alleged atrocities by the security forces, immediately after Friday prayers at Jama Masjid.

Earlier, addressing the Friday congregation, former All-Party Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Omar Farooq said the security forces would not be allowed to “commit atrocities on Kashmiris.”

He said human rights violation by the forces needed to be stopped before the summit meeting between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Mirwaiz Farooq condemned the grenade blast and indiscriminate firing on devotees in the shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali at Charar-e-Sharief last Friday and the damage to a mosque at Shangus recently.

Shops and business establishments in Maisuma, Red Cross Road, Madina Chowk and Gaw Kadal remained closed in protest against the alleged atrocities by the security forces.

In a crackdown on separatists, six leaders of the Muslim Conference, two of the Jamait-e-Islami, were placed under house arrest and two activists belonging to the JKLF and the Awami Action Committee were arrested in Srinagar today.

Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Chairman, All-Party Hurriyat Conference, and the chief of the Muslim Conference besides five of his associates were placed under house arrest at the Muslim Conference headquarters. Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Qazi Ahadullah of the Jamait-e-Islami were also placed under house arrest. Mr Javed Ahmed Mir, vice-president of the JKLF, Shaidul Islam of the Awami action committee were arrested.

Blast on yatra track: 5 jawans hurt
M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 15
At least five BSF jawans were wounded in an IED blast on the yatra track between Pahalgam and Chandanwari in east Kashmir today. The men of the BSF were being sent as part of security deployment for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, which is scheduled to start from July 2.

According to the BSF authorities as the BSF men were marching to set up pickets on the yatra route an IED blast took place in which five jawans were injured.

The authorities said the IED had been planted by the militants well in advance of the arrival of security personnel. They said activists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba had decided to disrupt the annual yatra. Last year more than 30 persons were killed in firing by the militants.

State government functionaries said various security and intelligence agencies had prepared a comprehensive security plan for foiling any mischief by the militants. With the start of the registration of pilgrims in various states, the entire route from Pahalgam to the holy cave and from the Baltal side were being placed under a three-tier security setup. Police and Army patrol parties would be placed on duty for carrying out regular road-opening exercises in order to ensure that non-explosive device was planted on the mountain track.

According to the state tourism authorities, more than 1.25 lakh pilgrims were expected to visit the holy cave for ‘darshan’. More than 7,000 volunteers had been enrolled to assist the pilgrims right from Jammu to the cave.

The state government has made a provision for three helicopters for carrying out surveillance before and during the one-month yatra period and for any emergency. In addition to this , medical camps, fully equipped with medicines and machines, are being set up at five places between Pahalgam and the cave.

Two persons, one of them a militant, were killed while the forces captured two ultras and another surrendered in the Kashmir valley overnight.