J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

PDP feels heat after change of guard
Jammu, February 5
The Peoples’ Democratic Party, it seems, has become a “whipping boy” in the political arena in Jammu and Kashmir. A senior PDP leader, said here yesterday that “soon after the change of guard in the state our party has become a whipping boy when the same party leadership received accolades till Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Chief Minister.”

7 killed as bus falls into gorge
Jammu, February 5
Seven persons, including a woman and her eight-month-old son, were killed and at least 30 others injured when a bus in which they were travelling plunged into a gorge near Bhimber Gali in Poonch district, the police said today.

Sikhs seek say in Indo-Pak talks
Jammu, February 5
Leaders of several Sikh organisations have demanded that representatives of the community be invited for talks by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh so that the dialogue between Delhi and Islamabad for normalising relations between the two countries gets added strength.

Mirwaiz urges Pandits to return to valley
Jammu, February 5
The Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, on Friday urged the Kashmiri Pandit migrants to return to their original homes in the valley without seeking a separate homeland.

Pandits’ no to talks with APHC
Jammu, February 5
Expressing doubts about the Hurriyat’s role as facilitator, an organisation of Kashmiri Pandits today rejected the offer to discuss the return of migrants to the Valley.

Two jawans hurt in grenade attack
Srinagar, February 5
Militants had shot one person dead while two security jawans had been wounded in a grenade blast in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

Bandh over Denmark cartoon issue
Jammu, February 5
A bandh was observed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir today over the ‘blasphemous’ cartoon on Prophet Mohammed published in a Danish newspaper, official sources said today.

PDP feels heat after change of guard
Our Correspondent

Jammu, February 5
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), it seems, has become a “whipping boy” in the political arena in Jammu and Kashmir.

A senior PDP leader, said here yesterday that “soon after the change of guard in the state our party has become a whipping boy when the same party leadership received accolades till Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Chief Minister.”

Moreover, the BJP, RSS, Jammu Mukti Morcha, National Conference, do not miss any opportunity in lambasting the PDP on one issue or the other. What seems to have surprised the PDP leadership is the way its partner, the Congress, too has expressed veiled criticism over the PDP’s stand on the self-rule issue.

According to the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Baig, the PDP has not endorsed the self-rule idea mooted by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf with eyes shut. It simply favoured a debate and discussion on the matter after the idea was submitted in a specific format.

Another senior PDP leader said the National Conference leadership has “made it a one-point” programme of berating our organisation for supporting the idea of self-rule. He said the National Conference president, Mr Omar Abdullah, had even accused Mufti Sayeed of having sided with previous Chief Ministers in getting the spirit of Article 370 diluted.

The PDP leadership seems to be pained over the way a sustained campaign has been launched against the organisation when the same party was instrumental in developing an atmosphere which proved conducive for a broad based dialogue. The displeasure of the PDP leaders is the result of a meaningful silence political leaders have adopted over the role Mufti Sayeed played in setting the stage for confidence-building measures between Delhi and Islamabad.

Mr Dilawar Mir, a senior PDP leader, said, “The idea of opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road had been mooted by none other than Mufti Sayeed weeks before the Assembly election in 2002.” He said it was Mufti Sayeed who laid the foundation stone for the rebuilding of the Mughal road which remained a cherished desire of Sheikh Abdullah.

The pace of development works and tackling of the problem of unemployment during the time Mufti Sayeed headed the government were one of the major achievements of the coalition rule in the state.

These leaders argue that since the fall of the Farooq Abdullah led government in 2002 the National Conference leadership has been targeting the PDP and showing keen interest in wooing the Congress. “We have no problem in sitting in the Opposition if the Congress trusts the National Conference more than the PDP,” one PDP leader said, adding that “we are for strengthening the coalition government in the interest of peace and progress.”

7 killed as bus falls into gorge
Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 5
Seven persons, including a woman and her eight-month-old son, were killed and at least 30 others injured when a bus in which they were travelling plunged into a gorge near Bhimber Gali in Poonch district, the police said today.

The bus was on its way from Jammu to Loran Mandi. The accident occurred when the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle, the police added.

Five of the dead were identified as Mohammad Kabir, Anwar Bi, her eight-month-old son Shaoib Akhtar, Samda Kashmiri and Mohammad Azam.

The injured were admitted to hospital in Poonch district, the police said.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed grief over the incident. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and asked the district administration to take necessary steps for providing all medical facilities to the injured.

Sikhs seek say in Indo-Pak talks
Our Correspondent

Jammu, February 5
Leaders of several Sikh organisations have demanded that representatives of the community be invited for talks by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh so that the dialogue between Delhi and Islamabad for normalising relations between the two countries gets added strength.

The demand was raised through a resolution adopted at a meeting of leaders of various Sikh organisations here today. Mr Mohinder Singh, chief organiser of the Bhai Kanahiya Nishkam Seva Society presided over the meeting. Among other who participated in the meeting included Mr Amar Singh, president of the Sikh Welfare Society, Mr Narbir Singh, president of the Shiromani Youth Akali Dal, Mr Paramjit Singh, AISSF president, Mr Kulwant Singh, chief adviser of the Sikh Naujawan Sabha, and Mr Jagdev Singh, president of the state Akali Dal.

The resolution said hitherto APHC and other Kashmiri leaders had been invited by the Prime Minister and invitations for talks were being sent to Kashmiri Pandit leaders also.

It said, “As a minority community whose people had sacrificed their lives for safeguarding the integrity of the state and the country, representatives of Sikh organisations deserved to be included in the talks.”

It wanted Prime Minister to take in hand measures that could fix some quota for Sikhs in government jobs besides allowing representation of Sikhs in the state legislature and in the state Cabinet.

Mirwaiz urges Pandits to return to valley
Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 5
The Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, on Friday urged the Kashmiri Pandit migrants to return to their original homes in the valley without seeking a separate homeland.

Mirwaiz, who was addressing an interactive session arranged here by the action committee of return of migrants, said the situation was conducive to their return as the Muslims, who were in majority, were keen that the migrants should return to the valley

This was his first interaction with the Kashmiri Pandits here. But he was waiting for a nod from those Pandits living in migrant camps to visit them. A section of the Kashmiri Pandits had boycotted his visit here.

He said that the government couldn’t do much for the return of the migrants. Living in specially constructed colonies under security cover of the Army would be worst than jail.

The Hurriyat leader made it clear that there were no pre-conditions attached to their return. The issue of the Kashmir problem and the return of migrants could be clubbed.

He said Kashmir was incomplete without the Kashmiri Pandits. The Hurriyat wanted that a situation should be created in which the Pandits should return to the valley with honour and dignity.

He offered to arrange a meeting between various representatives of Kashmiri Pandit migrants with the Muslim majority in the valley for a heart-to a heart talk that could remove the misgivings.

Pandits’ no to talks with APHC

Jammu, February 5
Expressing doubts about the Hurriyat’s role as facilitator, an organisation of Kashmiri Pandits today rejected the offer to discuss the return of migrants to the Valley.

“Talks are the ultimate solution for all issues including the return of Pandits to the Kashmir Valley, but we are doubtful about the moves in the direction,” Jammu and Kashmir Vichar Manch president R L Bhat said here.

He said the Pandits were “in a struggle for attainting their right to live in Kashmir. They are in the process of talking to the Central government”. — PTI

Two jawans hurt in grenade attack
Tribune News Service & UNI

Srinagar, February 5
Militants had shot one person dead while two security jawans had been wounded in a grenade blast in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

Militants shot dead Qasim Iqbal Sheikh at Drangbal in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.

Qasim was believed to be a security force informer and had been on the hit list of militants, official sources said.

Militants hurled a hand grenade towards a security force patrol party at the Nilus forest area of Astangam in the Marwah sector of Doda district last evening. The grenade exploded near the patrol party, causing injuries to two soldiers.

However, ultras managed to escape taking advantage of darkness, the spokesman said, adding that a hunt had been launched to nab them.

The security forces seized eight grenades, two anti-tank mines, two rocket launchers, two remote control devices and 338 rounds of bullets from a militant hideout during a search operation at Kathua district last night, the spokesman said.

However, no one has been apprehended so far in connection with the seizure.

Meanwhile, a Special Police Officer (SPO) in the central district of Kashmir has fled with his AK 47 rifle while another, who had snatched a pistol from his officer some days ago, was arrested yesterday, official sources said today.

SPO Javed Ahmad Ganai, attached with the Charar-e-Sharief police station in Badgam district, took away the rifle, besides one magazine and 30 rounds of ammunition kept in an officer’s room.

The police and troops have launched a manhunt to arrest Ganai, a resident of Daloon village in the district, and questioned several people in this regard.

Meanwhile, the police arrested SPO Humayun Aijaz, who had snatched a pistol from his officer, at Zero Bridge near here on Saturday.

JAMMU: The motorcade of the Hurriyat Conference chief, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, was stoned today at Samba where he addressed a seminar.

The Mirwaiz was unhurt, but the windscreen of one of his vehicles was broken.

A group of the youth was protesting against his visit to the town on the Jammu-Pathankot highway. They tried to block his way but the police chased them away.

They burnt his effigy and raised slogans against him.

Bandh over Denmark cartoon issue

Jammu, February 5
A bandh was observed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir today over the ‘blasphemous’ cartoon on Prophet Mohammed published in a Danish newspaper, official sources said today.

The Central Seerat Committee in Doda had given the call for the bandh, they said. Shops of the district remained closed and several religious outfits took out rallies across the town to protest against the publication of the cartoon, sources added.

The cartoon had attracted protests from across the Muslim world. — PTI