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Tuesday,
July 15, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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12 ultras among 20 killed in valley
Jamait poll outcome may change Amarnath yatra in disarray as numbers swell |
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Govt orders probe into attack on minister
CPM for Indo-Pak talks minus US role News Analysis 17-year-old boy killed in
mine blast
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12 ultras among 20 killed in valley Srinagar, July 14 A BSF spokesman said acting on a specific information, troops of 42 batallion raided a militant hideout in Putalipora village in the central Kashmir district of Badgam late last night. When the troops were about to storm the hideout, they came under heavy fire from militants. The troops also retaliated and in the ensuing encounter for about an hour, three Jaish-e-Mohammad militants were killed. Three AK rifles, seven magazines, 86 rounds, one wireless set and Rs 10 in Pakistani currency, besides a photograph of Osama-bin-Laden, were seized from the slain militants. Official sources said three BSF jawans were also injured in the encounter. In another incident, militants attacked a police camp with automatic weapons at Shopian in the south Kashmir district of Pulwama late last night. No one was injured in the attack and the militants fled under the cover of darkness, they said. A Forest Department official, identified as Heshmatullah Khan, was killed when he was caught in a crossfire between a police patrol party and a group of unidentified gunmen which had attacked the patrol party at Zadoora in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district last night, officials said. Two soldiers were killed when militants attacked a patrol party in the Machil area late last night. The ultras later managed to escape in the forest under the cover of darkness, sources said. Panic gripped the busy Regal Chowk near here when militants fired upon a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan of 74th batallion this afternoon. Mr Satiwani, who received a bullet in the head, died on way to hospital while a shopkeeper Bashir Ahmad was wounded. Militants shot dead a girl Naiz, daughter of Ghulam Hassan, at Pamposh Colony Bijbehara in south Kashmir last night while one Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh was killed at Mamgam Handwara in north Kashmir today. Two security jawans laid down their lives during an encounter at Ghai Chapta last night. One militant was also killed in the clash, the spokesman said, adding that one AK rifle, two magazines, 29 rounds and one pouch were recovered near the site of the encounter. The security forces gunned down four militants at upper Pangain while two other ultras were shot dead at Chater Nar. A large cache of arms and ammunition was seized from the slain militants. The security forces also killed one militant each at Chargal Tuta Khul and Palanwala last night. —
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Jamait poll outcome may change Hurriyat course Jammu, July 14 Though the former Chairman of the APHC, Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat is optimistic of continued support of the Jamait-e-Islami to the APHC, sources close to the Jamait leadership say that it depends on the person who would get elected as its Amir Prof. Bhat told this correspondent “there is no question of Jamait-e-Islami quitting the APHC.” According to Jamait sources, if Syed Ali Shah Geelani becomes the new Amir he may create problems for the Hurriyat Conference because he continues to be firm on seeing the Peoples’ Conference out of the conglomerate. However , Maulvi Abbas Ansari, the new Hurriyat Conference Chairman, told me that “the demand for the expulsion of the Peoples’ Conference is not justified because those who had participated in the last Assembly poll had already been thrown out of the PC.” The Maulana said “those from Jamait-e-Islami who had contested the election had been expelled from the Jamait and we did not throw Jamait-e-Islami out of the conglomerate.” Mr Ansari said he would take on priority basis the exercise of bringing about reconciliation between Mr Geelani and the Peoples’Conference leadership adding that “as compared to Mr Sajjad Lone and Mr Bilal Lone, PC leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani is a senior leader having varied political experience.” The Maulvi gave an indication that his attempt would be to bring the APHC out of its self imposed hibernation by organising
public rallies, party conventions and the mass contact programme. He said he was nor worried whether the USA, the UK or Pakistan felt annoyed over his statement suggesting the western powers to keep off Kashmir. I have to think of my people in Kashmir and firmly believe that gun is no solution. The Kashmir issue can be resolved through prolonged negotiations between Delhi and Islamabad he said. Indications are that senior APHC leaders are in favour of Mr G.M. Bhat getting re-elected as Amir of Jamait-e-Islami. There has been perfect understanding between the Hurriyat leadership and Mr Bhat during the last eight years. These leaders said “it is for new Amir to decide whether to retain Mr Geelani as Jamait’s representative in the Executive Committee of the AHPC or replace him by another leader.” They said “we cannot thrust a choice on the
Amir.” Mr Geelani continues to enjoy the support of majority of leaders of different militant outfits especially the Hizbul Mujahideen. And in case Syed Ali Shah is elected as the Amir of Jamait-e-Islami and decides to quit the APHC it may give a serious setback the APHC because Jamait-e-Islami is viewed as a source of strength for the separatist conglomerate. |
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Amarnath yatra in disarray as numbers swell Amarnath, July 14 An increasing number of pilgrims are undertaking the annual pilgrimage. “Nearly 9,000 devotees are here right now against the government plan to permit 3,500 pilgrims for ‘darshan’ daily,” said Commandant Vikram Singh Sahi of the 86th battalion of the CRPF. An advisory has been sent to the base camps at Pahalgam and Baltal to restrict the movement of the yatris to a manageable level. Security personnel had to use force to disperse the charged up crowd after the devotees started running on the snow-clad path leading up to the cave. Even the near-zero-degree temperature, hailstorms and rain could not deter the devotees. This pilgrimage is similar to a single railway line without a loop and no train is allowed to move on the track till the previous train reaches the next station. However, efforts to regulate the flow have been in vain as crowds tried to break through the barrier at Panchtarni to cover the last 6 km. Commandant Sahi expected the crowds to recede in the coming days of the pilgrimage that runs upto Raksha Bandhan. Meanwhile, following intelligence reports regarding possible terrorist attacks on the Amarnath yatra, a major security grid has been set up at the Pahalgam base camp. Called Joint Police Control Room, the grid would comprise the Army, BSF, CRPF, ITPB, SSB and police, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Anantnag-Pulwama Range, Mr M.A. Anjum, told the PTI today. All police control rooms of Anantnag, Srinagar, Jammu, Doda and Udhampur were connected with the security grid, he said. Helicopter pilots, disaster management group and crack commandos have been told to remain prepared round the clock to tackle any situation. The DIG said no one would be allowed to stay at the Amarnath cave due to security reasons. Meanwhile, the TNS adds from Srinagar that with the arrival of 3,873 yatris at the Pahalgam base camp from Jammu today, the number of Amarnath pilgrims has gone up to 42,756. Today’s batch arrived in Pahalgam in 222 vehicles. An official spokesman said a pilgrim, Basanti Vyas (58) of Bhawani Shankar in Jaipur, had passed away near the cave last night. Meanwhile, the locals at Qazigund, Vessu and Ganeshpora on the yatra route have set up stalls to offer cold drinks and water to the arriving
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Govt orders probe into attack on minister Srinagar, July 14 Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department, Vijay Bakaya has been appointed inquiry officer and asked to submit his report to the government within one month, a government spokesman said. The inquiry was ordered hours after a group of Congress activists met senior government functionaries after staging a demonstration in support of their demand for suspension of Senior Superintendent of Police Anantnag, M.A. Khan, in connection with the attack. The spokesman said the inquiry would go into the circumstances leading to the incident and identify lapses, if any which led to the attack on the minister. The inquiry officer would also study the security arrangements and the drill during the tours of ministers and other high-risk protectees, speed of evacuation and adequacy of medical arrangements to the injured persons and recommend improvements in such security arrangements, the spokesman said. Mr Sayeed escaped with minor injuries in a militant attack during a visit to his constituency at Kokernag which left three persons, including his security guard, dead and 26 injured. The Congress activists claimed that Mr Khan facilitated the militant attack. Mr Sayeed was intending to visit his constituency on July 2 and informed the SSP. However, the SSP suggested him to visit two days later. Then he himself went to Pahalgam instead of making security arrangements for Mr Sayeed’s visit, they said. Meanwhile, a group of students belonging to J and K Students Movement marched from SP Higher Secondary School to Pratap Par to protest alleged human rights violations. The students, carrying placards calling for an end to alleged violations, dispersed when confronted by the police. —
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CPM for Indo-Pak talks minus US role Srinagar, July 14 The follows views put forth by the National Conference led by former Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr Omar Abdullah and new chairman of the Separatist Hurriyat Conference, Maulana Abbas Ansari. Announcing pullout from the NDA government at the Centre, NC president, Omar Abdullah on Saturday criticised the central government for involving USA in solving the Kashmir issue. A day after taking over as the chairman of separatist Hurriyat Conference, Maluana Abbas Ansari here yesterday also held that the USA and the UK be kept out of any attempt to resolve Kashmir issue. Addressing a press conference here this morning, Mr M Y Tarigami, general secretary of the state unit of the CPM, who is also leader of the 11-member Peoples Democratic Forum in the state Legislative Assembly, an ally of the coalition government, reiterated his stand of evolving an autonomous voice in Jammu and Kashmir. This, he said, could pave the way for resolution of the Kashmir issue and the restoration of peace in the region. Mr Tarigami lamented that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were being isolated in the matter of improving relations between the two countries, adding that such an attitude would be a hurdle in the improvement of these relations. In this connection he referred to the request of the visiting 100-member Pakistani delegation led by its Senator, llyas Ahmad, president of Indo-Pak Chamber of Commerce to visit the state, that had been turned down. “It is isolation of people on both the sides of LoC”, Mr Tarigami commented, adding this would hamper the process of congenial atmosphere developing between the two countries. Replying questions, Mr Tarigami also sought disbanding of the coordination committee of various coalition parties, constituted to oversee the performance of the government. He said that the functioning of the Committee was not visible, but claimed that the coalition partners were working in unison and in accordance with the common minimum programme (CMP) of the government. He rued that very little has been done by the government to curb corruption. The CPM leader, however, ruled out any differences between his party and the other coalition partners led by Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. In reply to a question on the withdrawal of the National Conference from the NDA government at the centre, the CPM leader held that party should have taken such an initiative much before. In this connection he referred to the incidents in Gujarat and rejection of the Autonomy Resolution by the NDA government, which had been passed by the Legislative Assembly led by Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, some years ago. This, Mr Tarigami, said was responsible for the verdict against the NC in the last Assembly elections, which he clarified was for a change. |
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News Analysis Jammu, July 14 The party leaders who were stoned during electioneering in the Pampore byelection four months ago were greeted by a crowd over three times bigger than the gathering of ruling coalition’s leaders at the martyrs’ graveyard. The decision of the NC to pull out from the NDA is said to be responsible for traditional NC supporters coming out openly in support of the Opposition party. It has been an NC tradition to rake up anti-Centre sentiments whenever going gets tough. Even the charismatic Sheikh Abdullah did it in 1952 and 1977. It was done in 1983 by Dr Farooq Abdullah which helped him win an absolute majority in the Assembly. Dr Farooq Abdullah supported the BJP-led NDA in spite of awareness of public resentment against the Sangh Parivar simply to receive a bigger aid for rebuilding the infrastructure damaged during militancy. He did it also to shield his government against any machinations of the type of 1984 when his duly elected government was dislodged through defections engineered by the ruling Congress in the Centre, as alleged by the NC leadership. His success was partial in the first sphere, but total in the second, which allowed him to complete the six-year tenure. The NC had come to the conclusion that its alliance with the NDA had been one of the major factors for its defeat in the 2002 Assembly poll. Hence, the pullout was supported by all senior party functionaries, except Dr Farooq Abdullah, who did not want to fight on two fronts — the state and the Centre. The NC leadership is trying to save face it had lost by not pulling out of the NDA during the communal turmoil in Gujarat. Its demand for restoration of greater autonomy to the state and ending human rights violations has strengthened its foothold in the valley. Its leadership has stopped Pakistan bashing and begun recognising the relevance of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference. Will the NC ultimately succeed in regaining lost glory by going against the Centre or be forced to remain a back runner because of a better governance by the PDP-led coalition only time will tell. |
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17-year-old boy killed in
mine blast Jammu, July 14 Yogesh Lal, who had gone to the fields for grazing his cattle in S.M.Pur village in the Ramgarh sector last evening, inadvertently stepped on a mine which exploded. He was killed on the spot. The body was later handed over to his relatives after legal formalities. Meanwhile, the BSF troops seized an AK rifle with its magazine and 20 rounds during a search operation in the Khah area of the Kandi belt in Rajouri district last evening. —
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In video: The BSF guns down three Jaish-e-Mohammad
militants in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. (
