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APHC wants Indo-Pak
dialogue to continue 10 killed, 9 hurt in violence State BJP chief’s
removal sought Protests following death of civilian |
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APHC
wants Indo-Pak dialogue to continue Srinagar, May 19 They were participating in a day-long seminar, “Resolution of Kashmir issue and its importance in the context of growing Indo-Pak relations”, organised by the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and its main constituent, the Awami Action Committee. The seminar had been organised jointly to commemorate the memory of the founder leader of the Awami Action Committee, Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq, on his 14th death anniversary and Abdul Ghani Lone, founder chairman of the Peoples’ Conference, on his second death anniversary. The Awami Action Committee chief, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Abdul Ghani Lone’s son, Mr Bilal Lone, both executive members of the AHPC, were among those who attended the seminar. Former APHC chairman, Abdul Ghani Bhat said there were five substantive issues regarding his group’s dialogue with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani. He said these issues would be declared on May 21 on the occasion of the death anniversary of Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone at the martyrs graveyard at Idgah. The APHC has called for a general strike, exempting transport, for the people’s participation in the religious ceremony on the occasion. “The peace process cannot be stopped with the change of government at the Centre,” chief of Awami Action Committee and founder chairman of the APHC Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said in his address at the seminar, paying rich tributes to his father, Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq. This was direct reference to the initiation of a dialogue the separatist APHC (Abbas) had had with the NDA government, particularly with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, early this year. Mirwaiz said things would not change even if Ms Sonia Gandhi or Dr Manmohan Singh took over as the new Prime Minister of India. He added that times had changed and both India and Pakistan were bound to adopt a positive attitude as they had been doing for quite some time. Mirwaiz held that the ongoing triangular talks between the Kashmiri leadership and the Government of India, and the Indo-Pak dialogue would “ultimately lead to tripartite talks”, which has been the oft-repeated stand of the Hurriyat Conference. “We will continue to talk and not succumb to the pressure”, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said in a covert reference to a section of the separatists that oppose the APHC-Centre talks. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq held that Kashmiris were being neglected in the earlier Indo-Pak talks on Kashmir, wherein both the neighbouring countries put forward their respective points of view. “But now it (Kashmir) is an international issue by dint of the sacrifices made by its people”, he commented. He said not only India and Pakistan, but the world community was also concerned about the Kashmir issue which needed a peaceful and amicable solution for restoring peace in South Asia. He said Jammu and Kashmir was divided into several parts between India and Pakistan and required unity among its leaders to find a final settlement to the issue taking into consideration the aspirations of all the people in different regions. Without taking the name of former APHC chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who parted ways from the Abbas-led Hurriyat Conference, the Mirwaiz (chief priest) said the talks with the Deputy Prime Minister were significant as these were not held with the bureaucracy. “We have proposals, solutions and ideas and attempts have to be made”, Mirwaiz commented. Referring to the “campaign” against the road map on Kashmir, Mirwaiz held that it was Kashmir-centre and did not involved the USA or the UK. He added that the only way to resolve the Kashmir issue was through dialogue and not war, which the international community would not allow in view of both the countries being nuclear powers.Several other leaders of the separatist Hurriyat Conference and other like-minded parties also participated in the day-long seminar, which saw a threadbare discussion on the resolution of the Kashmir issue and restoration of peace in the region. The speakers also sought an end to custodial killings, excesses by security forces and harassment of innocent youth in and outside state. The speakers included the APHC chairman, Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Mr Bilal Lone and others. |
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Srinagar, May 19 Four security personnel, including a Colonel and a BSF Inspector, were also injured in the encounter which lasted several hours. An Army jawan, Lance Naik Surinder Singh, was killed and another jawan injured when militants opened fire on an Army search party at Sharshali in the Pampore area of Pulwama district this morning, the sources said. A civilian Jalal-ud-Din also killed during the crossfire, but the ultras fled from the scene. A militant was killed in a gunbattle at Relyar Khari in the Banihal area of Doda district. A rocket projectile gun, two grenades and a wireless set were recovered
from him. They said militants opened fire on a security vehicle at Kataymar in the Thanamandi area of Rajouri district today, killing its driver and injuring four civilians. Militants shot dead an activist of the Salvation Movement, a constituent of Moulana Mohammad
Abbass-led Hurriyat Conference, at Beerwah in Badgam district last night, the sources said. A civilian was killed by ultras in the Mahu area of Banihal tehsil of Doda last night. Militants opened fire on a CRPF camp at Sarnal in Anantnag district of South Kashmir last night, but none was injured. Militants kidnapped a retired government official Abdul Samad Dar from his house at Chawalgam in Kulgam area of Anantnag last night. Security forces recovered nine anti-tank rocket shells, nine rocket boosters and 394 rounds of heavy machine gun during search operations at Kralapora in Badgam district, the sources said. Security forces also busted a militant hideout in the Surankote area of Poonch district and recovered six AK magazines and 180 rounds of AK ammunition.
— PTI |
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State BJP chief’s
removal sought Jammu, May 19 Mr Suraj Dev Singh, convener of the splinter group, today told mediapersons that Mr Nirmal Singh was himself responsible for his own defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, but they were made the scapegoat. Mr Chander Mohan Sharma, a former vice-president of the BJP, was also present at the press conference. He accused Mr Nirmal Singh of having destroyed the party by sidelining the activists and giving official positions to rootless persons. |
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Protests following death of civilian
Srinagar, May 19 The Army had laid a cordon around Sharshali village of Pampore this morning to flush out hiding militants triggering an encounter, in which an Army jawan lost his life and another was injured. The troops chased the militants who while fleeing again engaged the troops in a ganbattle and the civilian, Jalal-ud-Din, was killed in the crossfire. The troops immediately withdrew to avoid further casualties as locals took to the streets to protest the killing, they said. When the troops left the village, the residents took the body in a procession to the local police post alleging that the deceased was killed by the security forces. However, the Army denied the charge saying that Jalal-ud-Din lost his life when the militants poened indiscriminate fire to provoke the locals. The protesters also pelted stones on the police post, the sources said, adding the situation in the area was tense and senior police and civil officials had rushed to the scene to take stock of the situation. Additional policement have been rushed to maintain law and order, the sources said.
— PTI |
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