J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Jaish, Lashkar, Hizbul join hands
Jammu, April 9
Activists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen are said to have joined hands for carrying out joint operations against the security forces in Poonch and Rajouri sectors.
In video: The Inspector-General of CRPF warns against thousands of Pakistan-backed militants trying to sneak into Kashmir.
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A view of the burnt houses in Dadli village of Udhampur district, where militants killed seven persons and burnt 21 houses on Monday. — PTI

Pak firing in Poonch sector
Jammu, April 9
Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked artillery fire from across the Poonch sector in the past 24 hours.

Copies of Tribune burnt
Jammu, April 9
Activists of the youth wing of the Panthers Party burnt copies of The Tribune in front of the office of the Directorate Information here today in protest against, what they called, “pro-government policy” of the newspaper.

Jaish, Lashkar, Hizbul join hands
M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 9
Activists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen are said to have joined hands for carrying out joint operations against the security forces in Poonch and Rajouri sectors.

According to official sources, a number of strikes against the security forces in Poonch and Rajouri districts during the past one month were found to have been carried out jointly by rebels belonging to these three organisations.

The security forces had to face moments of anxiety when activists of these outfits increased their strike capability in Gurdanbala (Rajouri), Mendhar (Poonch) and the armed attack on the 25 Divisional Headquarters in Rajouri.

What seems to be worrying state government agencies, including the police, is the participation of Afghan guerrillas in these operations. Another worry is that the rate of infiltration from across Poonch and Rajouri has registered an upward curve in recent days.

A majority infiltrators, according to police sources, are Afghan guerrillas. The sources said these Afghan mujahideen have been enrolled with the Hizbul Mujahidden outfit, which otherwise is dominated by local militants. In support of their contention they cite the instance of elimination of Abu Azad Afghani in Surankot area of Poonch today from whom large quantities of weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered. Afghani was a dreaded terrorist and belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen.

According to inputs received by state government agencies, more than 4,000 militants, most of them foreign mercenaries, are waiting across Poonch, Rajouri, Uri, Kupwara and Bandipore Sectors for sneaking into Jammu and Kashmir. While the mountain border routes in Poonch and Rajouri have become passable with the melting of snow, the ones in north Kashmir will be free of snow within the next one month.

Official sources said three factors have prompted Pakistani agencies to push into Jammu and Kashmir bigger groups of terrorists, including the Taliban.

First, people in the state are scared by the implementation of POTA and are not prepared to give shelter to the militants.

According to a Defence Ministry spokesman, a conversation between two leaders of the Hizbul Mujahideen intercepted by the security agencies, revealed that people refuse direct or indirect help to the militants, fearing that they may be arrested under the POTA.

The intercepted message read: “I have Rs 2500 and six litres of oil. I cannot keep these at a place you have suggested. The people of that house are afraid and do not allow us to get inside their residences. The situation is the same here. Civilians do not allow us to go inside their houses, stating they will suffer loses if the Army comes here and arrests us under the POTA.”

Second, the Pakistani agencies have decided to not only scare away moderate separatists planning to take part in the ensuing Assembly poll, but are hell bent on creating a situation in which the elections are postponed.

Third, these agencies have found the morale of the militants, operating in the state during the past over one year, down. In order to boost their sagging spirit, they have assured them that more manpower and weapons will be with them in the next two months.

The sources said the next two months are crucial as far as the level of militancy is concerned because Pakistani agencies have set April 15 and 21 as the date for starting fresh infiltration from across Uri, Bandipore and Kupwara Sectors.

Will Azad forge unity in PCC?
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 9
Will Mr Gulam Nabi Azad, who has ultimately agreed, though unwillingly, to head the PCC in Jammu and Kashmir succeed in forging unity among the warring party leaders in the state or continue with his divide and rule policy which he pursued during the past over one decade?

Several senior Congress leaders in the state have welcomed the decision of Ms Sonia Gandhi to appoint Mr Azad as the PCC chief. But they are at the same time, apprehensive of the “scheming mind” that Mr Azad carries with him.

Those who are still doubtful of his role refer to the argument made by a former PCC chief, Mr Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, before Ms Sonia Gandhi soon after he submitted his resignation. Mr Qureshi had told the AICC President that Mr Azad had never allowed any PCC chief to function smoothly. He cited the example of Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, Mr Mohammad Aslam and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Mr Qureshi had explained to Ms Gandhi that in case of all these PCC heads, including himself, Mr Azad patronised dissidents who defied the authority of the organisational head.

Mr Qureshi is said to have told Ms Gandhi that he was not allowed to function at all because of the unhelpful role played by the dissidents. It was Mr Qureshi who suggested the name of Mr Azad for the post of the PCC president with the remarks that let Mr Azad be allowed to head the organisation so that he would not be able to afford to play the dissidents against the loyalists or vice versa. The question whether Mr Azad would be able to pull the Congress out of the morass is being debated in the political circles on the eve of his first visit to Jammu as PCC chief. Mr Azad would spend three days in Jammu and another two to three days in Srinagar. During that period, he is scheduled to address a number of public meetings and hold discussions with party colleagues.

Mr Azad had been totally reluctant to head the organisation because he knew it fully well that it was a sort of demotion for him because as AICC General Secretary he had a bigger role to play. Also, he had raised the bogey of a security threat to make the AICC leadership take a fresh decision. 

Batote mishap toll rises to 6

Jammu, April 9
With two more persons succumbing to injuries in hospital late last evening, the death toll in the bus accident near Batote on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway has risen to six, official sources said today.

Four persons were killed and 42 injured, 12 of them seriously, when the bus carrying them skidded off the road and fell into a gorge near Batote, 112 km from here, yesterday.

The injured were being treated at the sub-district hospital at Batote and Jammu Medical College Hospital here. PTI

Pak firing in Poonch sector
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 9
Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked artillery fire from across the Poonch sector in the past 24 hours. Reports said Pakistani troops fired with 82 mm guns and some bunkers were hit in the Nakarkot, Digwar and Kerwan areas of Poonch. There was no loss of life or property on this side of the LoC.

The Indian troops retaliated. One senior Defence Ministry official said “we retaliated in equal terms” and some Pak bunkers were damaged.

Copies of Tribune burnt
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 9
Activists of the youth wing of the Panthers Party burnt copies of The Tribune in front of the office of the Directorate Information here today in protest against, what they called, “pro-government policy” of the newspaper.

They said since The Tribune was not giving full coverage to series of press conference of the President of the party, they had decided to set ablaze the copies of The Tribune.

A week ago, Prof Bhim Singh had announced at a press conference that since The Tribune did not cover his statements, he had directed the youth wing to burn the copies of the newspaper.