J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

APHC endorses Delhi talks
Srinagar, January 29
A meeting of the constituent groups of separatist Hurriyat Conference has endorsed the recent talks between five-member APHC delegation and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani.

In video: Hurriyat leaders call for a cease-fire in Kashmir.
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Former Chairman of the APHC Abdul Ghani Bhat (right) and Maulvi Abbas Ansari during a press conference at the APHC headquarters in Srinagar on Thursday.  — Photo by Amin War

Two top ultras killed in J&K
Jammu, January 29
Two top militants, including a self-styled company commander of Lashker-e-Toiba, were killed in separate gunbattles in Jammu and Kashmir where the security forces seized a huge cache of arms and explosives meant for carrying out suicide attacks in the state.

Cabinet to choose public service panel chief today
Jammu, January 29
In an unprecedented move, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet will meet here tomorrow under the chairmanship of the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, with the one-point agenda of choosing a full-time Chairman of the state public service commission.

Fire in CRPF building
Srinagar, January 29
The upper storey of the Central Reserve Police Force headquarters here was gutted in a fire which broke out today, Fire Department sources said.

APHC endorses Delhi talks
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 29
A meeting of the constituent groups of separatist Hurriyat Conference has endorsed the recent talks between five-member APHC delegation and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani. Three main parties led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammad Yasin Malik and Shabir Ahmad Shah, having differences over the approach, continue to stay away from the dialogue process.

Talking to mediapersons at the end of a four-hour long meeting of the general council, working committee and executive body of the conglomerate, former APHC, Chairman, Abdul Ghani Bhat, accompanied by the Chairman, Maulvi Abbas Ansari, here today said all were “happy with our talking” in Delhi. He held that “talking did create an impression, no miracles could happen in the first meeting” where the APHC delegation deliberated on “problems facing Kashmiris and the Kashmir problem”. Former Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also attended the meeting of constituent groups that were apprised of the deliberations in Delhi.

Bhat said the APHC would go to the people with a definite political programme with reference to the resolution on Kashmir issue through dialogue. He added that it was working on an outline that would take some time to get finalised.

“We talked about release of detainees, withdrawal of POTA, end to human rights violations and we talked about Kashmir also as an issue. But our decision was that first step be taken with caution and wisdom. We never wanted to do something that would land us in trouble, and therefore, we were cautious”, Bhat told reporters.

Replying to questions, the APHC leader said while India and Pakistan came closer, “an element of flexibility” was needed on the part of APHC as well. He said there was definitely a change in the situation as he referred to the atmosphere prevailing in the region. He said a process seeking to address the issues concerning subcontinent had been initiated in the region and it was part of this process that the APHC initiated dialogue with the Indian Government.

Having endorsed the talks with the Centre, the Hurriyat Conference is also persuading three prominent leaders to join the fold. The three leaders include Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a hardliner who heads a breakaway faction of the APHC, Mohammad Yasin Malik of the JKLF, a constituent of the APHC who has been staying away from both the factions of the conglomerate, and Shabir Ahmad Shah, outside the Hurriyat fold. Geelani had been opposing the talks process on the plea that the Government of India was not sincere to the dialogue process. He claims that on the one hand dialogue process was started while on the other, India holds that Kashmir was its integral part. He seeks India to recognise Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory and withdraw security forces before the beginning of the dialogue process.

Two top ultras killed in J&K

Jammu, January 29
Two top militants, including a self-styled company commander of Lashker-e-Toiba, were killed in separate gunbattles in Jammu and Kashmir where the security forces seized a huge cache of arms and explosives meant for carrying out suicide attacks in the state.

Zulfi Bhai, a Pakistan-based LeT “company commander” for Poonch district, was killed in an exchange of fire with Army troops in Surankote hills in the Jammu region, officials said.

The gunfight ensued when troops acting on a specific information about the presence of militants in the hills searched the area, the officials said.

Zulfi’s associates managed to escape while a jawan was wounded in the gunbattle, they said.

A self-styled battalion commander of Tehreek-e-Jehad-e-Islami was killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Baramulla district in North Kashmir.

A satellite phone and an AK rifle were seized from the spot.

Troops seized an arms and explosives dump near the Indo-Pak border at Arnia, some 15 km from here, the officials said adding that these were meant to carry out suicide strikes in Jammu city. — PTI 

Cabinet to choose public service panel chief today
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 29
In an unprecedented move, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet will meet here tomorrow under the chairmanship of the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, with the one-point agenda of choosing a full-time Chairman of the state public service commission (PSC).

The meeting is being held in the absence of the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who is abroad. The Deputy Chief Minister, along with certain ministers belonging to the Congress, had walked out of the meeting of the Cabinet here on January 25 as a PDP minister, Ghulam Hassan Mir, opposed the candidature of Mr K.B. Pillai, who is presently the Director-General of the Institute of Management and Public Administration. He has the status of Chief Secretary.

The Cabinet failed to choose a full-time Chairman in the past about eight months because of differences among ministers. The post had fallen vacant last year following the retirement of Mr H.Y. Tayabji.

At least three meetings of the Cabinet were held earlier to chose the new incumbent.

Mohammad Shaffi Pandit, the then Finance Secretary, was appointed as the PSC Chairman in October last, but he refused to assume charge.

Having faced the unsavoury incident of the Deputy Chief Minister walking out of the Cabinet meeting on the issue, the Mufti has now left the final choice to Mr Sharma.

The Cabinet had sometime ago ordered the seniormost member of the Commission to officiate as Chairman.

Mr Sharma was reportedly in favour of Mr Pillai being appointed Chairman of the Commission. However, certain ministers wanted that some son of the soil should be appointed on the post. A panel for the top slot for the commission consists names of Mr Pillai, Mr M.M.L. Kaul and Mr J.A. Khan. Among them only Mr Kaul belongs to Jammu and Kashmir, but certain ministers were not in favour of his candidature on the plea that the Mufti government has already given adequate representation to Kashmiri Pandits by appointing them on top positions.

A section of the ministers reportedly suggested that Ms Sushma Choudhary, an adviser in the planning commission, whould be appointed as the commission chairperson. She belongs to Jammu and has held top positions in the Central Secretariat.

Mr Khan, who was considered close to the previous National Conference regime in which he was holding the important post of Finance Secretary, after his retirement now was being favoured by Mr Sharma for being appointed Chairman of the Electricity Regulatory Authority.

Fire in CRPF building

Srinagar, January 29
The upper storey of the Central Reserve Police Force headquarters here was gutted in a fire which broke out today, Fire Department sources said.

The fire broke out due to a short circuit in the two-storeyed building housing the office of the Inspector-General, Operations, CRPF, around 5 a.m. at Kralsangri, near Nishat, causing extensive damage, the sources said.

However, firemen managed to save the ground floor and the records stored in the office. — PTI