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Monday,
April 7, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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APHC, DFP not keen on talks with Vohra Top Harkat ultra killed Bollywood team to visit J&K on April 9
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Minister inspects grid stations DD, AIR staff threaten stir Pandits blame
government for massacre
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APHC, DFP not keen on talks with Vohra Jammu, April 6 “Though the APHC has not taken any final decision on acceptance of the offer for talks, I strongly believe that parleys with Mr Vohra will not be meaningful,” the Chairman of the 23-party conglomerate, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, told this correspondent. He said “Since Pakistan is a party to the dispute, there is no fun in a dialogue with Mr Vohra without involving Islamabad in the process.” Asked why he was opposed to talks with Mr Vohra when he and his party colleagues had held a series of discussions with members of the Kashmir committee headed by Mr Ram Jethmalani, Prof Bhat said: “The Kashmir Committee is an unofficial body with members whose credentials are well-known.” He said: “We boycotted Mr K.C. Pant when he visited Srinagar to initiate discussions because he too had been appointed chief negotiator by the Government of India.” “The Kashmir dispute has added severe complexities during the past over 56 years. It cannot be resolved by Mr Vohra. The issue can be settled through tripartite talks, ” the APHC Chairman said. The DFP chief, Mr Shabir Ahmed Shah, said: “We are not interested in the dialogue being initiated by the Government of India through its negotiators. “It is a political problem which requires negotiation by politicians,” he said, adding “there is no harm in accepting the repeated demand from Pakistan for resumption of the Indo-Pakistan talks.” He did not want Delhi to impose conditions by telling Islamabad to stop adding cross border terrorism first and then come forward for talks. He seemed to be in favour of giving a chance to Pakistan to discuss the issue with India and “let us see what comes out of it.” In the light of firm opposition by separatists to the dialogue initiated by the Government of India, the state government headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed seems to be determined to see Mr Vohra succeed where others have failed. In this connection, the Chief Minister is said to have conveyed to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani the need for suggesting to Mr Vohra to pay a second visit to the state as early as possible. Senior state government functionaries said that stiff opposition to talks with Mr Vohra from separatists indicated that they were under clear directions from agencies across the border to sabotage the talks so that Delhi was forced to resume talks with Islamabad. In the wake of these developments, the Centre and the state government have decided to adopt a two-pronged strategy for dealing with the situation. The strategy is to intensify operations against the militants on the one hand, and build the tempo of the talks being carried out by Mr Vohra on the other. |
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Top Harkat ultra killed
Srinagar, April 6 The militant, Fayaz Ahmad, a Pakistani national and self-styled commander-in-chief, operations, of the outfit was shot dead in the Khazanbal-Ahrabal area last night. One AK-47 and some ammunition were seized from the encounter site. Fayaz, alias Saif-ul-Islam, is the second top militant commander killed in the state in the past four days. On April 2, chief commander operations of the Hizbul Mujahideen Ghulam Hassan Khan, was shot dead in Budgam district. A woman Special Police Officer (SPO) and a militant were among four persons killed in the Kashmir valley overnight, official sources said. A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces at Damhal Hanjipora in south Kashmir last night. An AK assault rifle and other arms and ammunition were seized from the encounter site. Militants entered the house of Ghulam Hassan Mir at Lassipora in Pulwama and shot dead his daughter Shakeela, SPO, last night. The police found a body each at Sumbal and Kashipora last evening. JAMMU: Six hardcore terrorists were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in Rajouri district this afternoon, Defence Ministry sources said. Acting on a tip-off that some ultras were hiding in the Bathoni-Krat area, 4 km from Rajouri town, the security forces launched an operation to flush them out. As the jawans zeroed in on the ultras, the latter opened fire. In the ensuing gunbattle six hardcore ultras were killed. Meanwhile, a civilian who along with five others was injured in an IED blast triggered by militants in Pulwama district yesterday succumbed to injuries in a hospital here today, official sources said. The victim was identified as Ghulam Mohiuddin. Four BSF personnel and two civilians were injured when Hizbul Mujahideen militants blew up a vehicle of the security forces in Tral township in retaliation to the killing of their top commander Saif-ul-Islam on Wednesday. PTI, UNI
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Bollywood
team to visit J&K on April 9
Jammu, April 6 “The Indian movie industry is poised to make serious efforts to start shooting in Kashmir soon. A team of 25 producer, directors and other Bollywood personalities will visit the valley to study ground-level situation in this direction on April 9,” Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Tourism Gulam Ahmed Mir told PTI here today. The team led by producer-director Yash Chopra would visit eight different locations, including world famous tourist spots and film locations, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, during their three-day visit to the valley, he said. They would not only assess the security situation but also locate new shooting locations, he said, adding that the government was hoping for a “positive response”. “We hope that they will definitely find it suitable for them to start shootings of big budget and multi-star cast film here soon,” the minister said. “We are ready to shoulder any
responsibility given to us by Bollywood,” Mir said, adding that “the film activity will help in revival of our ailing tourism industry, the mainstay Kashmir economy”. Film shootings started in the state after a delegation led by Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed, which met Bollywood bigwigs in Mumbai in January, assured film units of adequate security measures. The shootings of three medium budget
tele-serials had been completed and film shooting of “Agni-pakha” was currently underway in Srinagar and other locations in the Kashmir valley despite the Nadimarg massacre, Mir said. The minister said a “positive response” from Bollywood would help to “restore the glory of Kashmir across the world”. In this direction, a delegation headed by Tourism
Minister Gulam Hassan Mir would also hold deliberations with the South Indian film industry, he said and added that “I will go to Mumbai to do a follow up exercise after the Bollywood delegation returns”. As many as 93 medium and big budget films were filmed in Kashmir prior to 1990, when militancy erupted in valley. These included top blockbuster and jubilee films “Kashmir ki Kali”, “Jungli”, “Jab Jab Phool Khilay”, “Anamika” and “Janwar”. However, during the past 13 years of militancy three films were shot under tight security. These included Anil Kapoor
starer film “Pukar Mere Apne” and more recently “Mission Kashmir”, with Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta in the lead. Moved by the scenic splendour of Kashmir, the cast of the film
Agni-pakha — Richa Pallod and Jimmy Shergil — and director Sanjeev Puri, who have been shooting in the valley for past one week, lavished praises on the state for its hospitality. “Initially we had planned a seven-day shooting schedule in Kashmir but it has been extended to one month,” producer of the film, Rahul, told reporters after a dinner hosted by the state government to welcome members of the Managing Committee of the Travel Agents Association of India
(TAAI) and the film unit in Srinagar last night. He praised the “highly cooperative attitude of the administration and people and the scintillating locations of Kashmir” which made the unit to extend its stay here . “I am so impressed by the countless amazing locations of Kashmir which can be compared to Switzerland,” Shergill said. State Congress President Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was also present at the dinner,
lauded the efforts of the government and travel traders to boost tourism.
PTI
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Minister
inspects grid stations Jammu, April 6 The minister undertook an extensive visit and inspection of work on various grid stations here, that include major grid stations at Janipur canal, Gladni and Burn Ambgharota. Mr Niaz emphasised the need for expediting work on the projects within the stipulated time-frame. The 132/33 kv Janipur grid station, receiving supply from Sidhra and Udhampur stations, has been augmented from 70 mva to 100 mva. Similarly, the capacity of the canal grid stations has been augmented from 70 mva to 100 mva. Gladni has the major grid station of the state with a transformation capacity of 520 mva at 220/132 level and 100 mva at 132/33 level. The station has been augmented at both levels from its capacity of 240 and 70 mva. The minister was informed that the automatic remote metering work was in progress, which would help record various meters polled at the area collection centre at Gladni. The scheme was under execution at an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore, of which Rs 3.18 crore had been spent. He inspected the state load dispatch centre at Gladni grid station. Mr Niaz visited the 220/132/33 kv Burn grid station being constructed at a cost of Rs 40.65 crore. So far, Rs 13.68 crore have been spent on it. With the commissioning of this station, the power supply to Poonch and Rajouri will be stabilised. |
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DD, AIR staff threaten stir
Jammu, April 6 “We will be forced to call back all staffers from the centres and rural districts in the state, if the authorities continue showing indifference towards the safety and security of employees posted in the trouble-torn state,” chairman of coordination committee of All India Radio and Doordarshan of Jammu province A.K. Handoo said here. Employees are scared about their safety in view of the recent kidnapping and killing of Assistant Station Engineer, DD, Srinagar, R.S. Bali by ultras in Kashmir, he said. “Ultras at the behest of agencies from across the border are targeting us as DD and AIR are engaged in the programmes of counter-propaganda of Pakistan,” Mr Handoo said. He said the coordination committee would meet Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and demand foolproof security, particularly in rural areas. “We are also sending a deputation to Delhi to apprise the Information and Broadcasting Minister about the security scenario of installations in the state and also press for risk insurance and an allowance to employees working in DD and AIR in the state,” he said. PTI
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Pandits
blame government for massacre Srinagar, April 6 “The government is responsible for the cold-blooded murder of 24 Pandits of Nadimarg”, a spokesman of the community said after a marathon meeting of its leaders at Durganao Temple at Sonawar. “It should take steps to ensure security and safety of 15,000 Pandits living in the valley before persuading migrant Hindus to return,” the trustee of the temple trust Pran Nath Taku said. Mr Taku said people hailing from different areas of the valley had expressed fears about their safety in the aftermath of the Nadimarg carnage and demanded foolproof security arrangements.
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Three persons buried alive Jammu, April 6 The accident took place in the hilly Chachwa area of the Gool belt. The injured have been hospitalised.
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