Financial help to decide NC support
JAMMU, April 11 — The support of the National Conference, which has three MPs in the Lok Sabha to the Vajpayee Government would depend on the quantum of financial assistance that will flow from Delhi to Jammu.

4 militants killed in valley
SRINAGAR, April 11 — Four militants have been killed by the security forces in two separate encounters while an ultra has been apprehended since last evening in the Kashmir valley, an official spokesman said here today.

Soldiers’ bodies handed over to Pakistan
POONCH, April 11 — The bodies of two Pakistani soldiers, who were killed by Indian troops as they tried to guide a group of militants into the Poonch sector, have been handed over to the Pakistani authorities with due military honour and decorum.

J&K operators for repeal of Acts

SRINAGAR, April 11 (PTI) — With the law and order situation turning for the better, Kashmir valley is looking forward to reviving tourism but operators say that business would grow if the Disturbed Areas Act was repealed in the state.

The Disturbed Areas Act (DAA), and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which empowers the Army, paramilitary forces and the state police to conduct searches without warrants and effect arrest without assigning reasons, would deter visitors, they say.

Even as tour operators claim that the retention of these acts would hamper tourism, officials of the state Tourism Department claim that there had been an increase in the domestic and foreign tourists this year.

Over 1,20,000 tourists including 10,000 foreigners visited the state last year — the highest since the outbreak of militancy, they say adding that "we expect 4 lakh domestic and foreign holiday-makers this season.’’

A group of foreign heliskiers are presently skiing in Sonamarg which is a good indicator that more and more foreign as well as domestic tourists will visit Kashmir during the season, the officials said.

The department had earmarked Rs 12 crore of its Rs 34 crore budget for soft loans to owners of "shikaras" and houseboats, hoteliers, taxis and ponies. Some 3,000 beds in houseboats and another 1,500 in hotels would be available this season, they added.

The stress was on strengthening infrastructure and new hotels. An international chain of hotels would soon start operating on the main boulevard in Srinagar overlooking the Dal lake.

"What is required is an integrated development programme creating facilities and providing protection to the tourists,’’ say operators, expressing the hope that the law and order situation would normalise.

"The state government is aware of these drawbacks and may withdraw these acts once the Union Defence Ministry gives the nod," officials said noting that consultations were already on in this regard.

The acts, often termed as "draconian’’ by the human rights watch groups, were invoked in July, 1990.

With the improvement and expansion of Srinagar airport and entry of private airlines in Kashmir, the tour operators say the region is prepared for a tourist boom once these twin acts are repealed.

However, the uncertainty over the law and order situation continues with intelligence sources reporting that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan plans to step up insurgency in summer months by infiltrating trained militants into the valley.

Brushing aside all apprehensions that the situation may go out of hands this summer, the Security Adviser to the government and Corps Commander, Lt-Gen Krishan Pal, said security forces were well geared up to stop infiltration.

The visit of film units from Bollywood using the scenic locales of Kashmir as the backdrop of their movies during the off season would add confidence among the domestic tourists contemplating to visit Kashmir.

The Tourism Department would be on internet shortly with its own website giving the latest information to holiday-makers, tourism officials said.

The state government is also likely to request the centre to provide a stopover for the Tashkent-Delhi flights at Srinagar as there was a great potential to attract tourists from central Asia to Kashmir.

Security at tunnel beefed up
Tribune News Service

JAWAHAR TUNNEL, April 11 — Sniffer dogs have been engaged and security measures intensified by the ITBP around this vital link connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the world by road following reports that militants planned to blow up the tunnel.

For this purpose, at least six sniffer dogs have been engaged around the tunnel to provide security and frustrate any designs of the militants to damage the tunnel. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) which has undertaken the security cover of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway has got two companies for providing security to the tunnel. It is assisted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other related agencies which also regulate traffic on the 294-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Security measures were tightened further early this year when the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested one militant in Anantnag. The militant had revealed to the interrogating agencies that militants planned to blow up the tunnel with a truckload of explosives and "even the driver of the truck may not be knowing it". During peak hours about 500 vehicles, most of these trucks loaded with goods from different parts of the country, enter the tunnel.

According to Mr Jaspal Singh, Assistant Commandant of the ITBP in charge of security to the tunnel, checking of trucks has been intensified and six sniffer dogs are engaged in the process. However, it may not be possible to physically check the number of trucks entering the tunnel on either side every day and also other light and heavy vehicles. "We have also received intercepted messages of the militants to blow up the tunnel", Mr Jaspal Singh said. "We have been taking adequate measures particularly after revelations were made by the apprehended militant in February this year", he said.

A high-level committee reviews the security situation and other related measures after a couple of months. The set-up is headed by the Director-General of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat. Others include the Minister for Transport, the Inspector-General of Security, Inspectors-General of Police of Kashmir and Jammu Divisions, the DIG, ITBP, the Chief Engineer, Beacon, and others.

Meanwhile, even as the traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway has increased manifold since the construction of Jawahar tunnel it continues to have a capacity of running about 5000 vehicles everyday. The tunnel, 85 km from Srinagar, is expected to last till more than 100 years after its construction was completed 48 years ago.

Decrying fears that the tunnel was unsafe, Brig D. Satyanarayana, Chief-Engineer, Beacon Project of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), looking after the 294-km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway, here said about 500 vehicles passed through the tunnel in an hour. "Initially, the tubes were designed to run 200-300 vehicles in two hours", he said. Normally, traffic is regulated through only one tube of the tunnel "because of the less staff available", Brigadier Satyanarayana said.

In reply to a question on the recent statement of the Director-General of the ITBP, Mr Gautam Koul, Brigadier Satayanarayana said damage had been caused due to blasting inside the tunnel for providing inner lining. He said a fire supervisor already worked at the tunnel and there were sufficient measures to control any kind of accidental fires inside the tunnel.

However, the Chief Engineer held that there was no fire engine. He said a fire engine may not be practically applicable for fire control purposes. He added that so far there were no incidents involving a fire inside the tunnel. "All agencies, including that of security and transport, meet regularly on the security set-up", Brigadier Satyanarayana said.

Work on the which is western tube, 2547-meter-long, is in progress. This includes black topping of the road, lining, pavement, ventilation and lighting system. More than 800-m-long road on each side of this tube has been black-topped. The lining on the roof of the tubes has been completed and other work is under completion. Proper drainage of water is also effected for safety of the road surface inside the tunnel.

The Chief Engineer regretted that "not only the volume of traffic but also the load carried by trucks has increased manifold", adding that the load carried by trucks was double than permitted, which also led to deterioration of pavements inside the tunnel. He regretted that no action was taken in spite of the matter being taken up at various fora. He added that overloading and increased volume of load created ventilation problem inside the tunnel. He added that maintenance of the tunnel by the Beacon people was carried out at night only. During peak season, the number of hours for which the tunnel is handed over to the Beacon people reduces to only five hours. The ITBP looks after the security set-up around the tunnel and the national highway.

Fund shortage may delay road work
Tribune News Service

JAWAHAR TUNNEL, April 11 — The Beacon project of the Border Roads Organisation awaits more funds for taking up work on the 155 km-long Anantnag-Kishtwar road that was handed over to it last year.

Stating this here, Brig D. Satyanarayana said clearance from the Forest and Environment Department was also required to undertake the work, for the alignment passed through deep jungles from Daksum in south Kashmir linking the valley with Doda district. Work on the road was started about 10 years ago, but due to various factors the work could not be completed.

"If the hurdles are removed immediately, the 155 km-long road will be completed within the next five years', Brigadier Satyanarayana said. He said the double-lane system might not work for the alignment passed through deep woods and ridges. "There is a paucity of funds and that is why there can be a delay in the completion of many roads taken up by Beacon in the valley", he said.

Other roads taken up by Beacon include the Baramula-Kupwara-Chowkibal in north Kashmir, the Baramula-Uri and the Srinagar-Sonmarg-Gumri road.

Snow clearance is in progress at Zoji La, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. The road, the lifeline to the Ladakh region, usually remains closed to traffic during the winter due to heavy snowfall.

Work on the Baramula-Kupwara-Chowkibal road is also in progress.

Pak still pushing in militants: Gen Malik

KUPWARA (Kashmir), April 11 (PTI) — The Army chief, Gen V.P. Malik, today said Pakistan had not done "anything" since the Lahore declaration to curtail militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir and warned that India would give a "befitting reply" if Islamabad continued its interference in the state.

"Pakistan is (still) pushing militants into Jammu and Kashmir to keep militancy in the state alive... it has not done anything to curtail their activities in the state," General Malik said.

Addressing troops in the frontier district of Kupwara, he asked Pakistan to desist from interfering in India’s internal affairs, including Kashmir, as "such actions of our neighbour will not be tolerated."

"If the interference continues, we will give a befitting reply so that the Pakistani army realises the futility of its activities," the Army chief said adding that "our troops are capable enough to deal with such endeavours".

Referring to the Lahore declaration General Malik said New Delhi wanted peaceful and friendly relations with Islamabad "but that does not mean that we should become complacent as the Pakistan army is still pushing militants into Kashmir".

The Army chief visited defence positions at Chirkot, Kupwara, Nowgam and Wusan.

Lauding the troops for helping in improving the situation in Kashmir, General Malik assured them that more modern weaponry would be given to them to fight militancy.

He said mine protected vehicles would be used by the troops in forward areas.

He asked the troops to step up efforts to strengthen the intelligence network and stop infiltration from the Pakistani side so that situation in Kashmir could improve further.

"Good intelligence and least infiltration will give a winning edge for defeating the proxy war unleashed by Pakistan," he said asking the troops to keep the focus on the Line of Control as "the coming summer will be crucial".

Financial help to decide NC support
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, April 11 — The support of the National Conference, which has three MPs in the Lok Sabha to the Vajpayee Government would depend on the quantum of financial assistance that will flow from Delhi to Jammu.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has made it clear that his party would support the BJP-led government at the Centre but he has put a condition. He said: "If we are able to save the government there (Centre) they will have to give us something." He said it in reference to the refusal of the Centre to give counter guarantee for the construction of the Baghliar power project. He was talking to newspersons yesterday.

So far the Chief Minister has withstood the pressure from two MPs, Prof Saifuddin Soz and Mr Omar Farooq, Dr Abdullah's son, who have been advocating the need for withdrawing support to the Central Government. Omar Farooq has gone to the extent of blaming the Centre for having "cheated" the state. In a recent interview he said the National Conference had given issue-based support to the BJP-led government after it was promised that the state would not be allowed to starve because of financial crisis.

Prof Saifuddin Soz had opposed the NC decision to support the Vajpayee-led government from day one in power. He had gone against the decision of the Chief Minister and this led to a situation in which Prof Soz was summoned to Jammu to explain before the working committee of the National Conference his stand on the issue. It was because of the intervention by Dr Abdullah that the demand for sacking Prof Soz was abandoned.

Both Omar Farooq and Prof Soz have raised the issue again. And if Omar Farooq had supported his father a year ago, as far as NC support to the BJP-led government was concerned today he is an ardent critic of his party's support to the Centre. Informed sources said that Omar Abdullah had come out in the open against the BJP government only after he received a nod from his father, Dr Farooq.

It is no longer a secret that the Chief Minister is upset over the squeeze in the flow of a cash from the Centre to the state. Twice he tried to open his heart on the floor of the assembly but restrained himself saying that two former Prime Ministers, Mr H.D. Deve Gowda and Mr I.K. Gujral had helped the state by releasing additional financial support. What has seemingly irritated Dr Abdullah is the refusal of the BJP-led government to honour the commitments made by the two former Prime Ministers regarding giving retrospective effect to the scheme of giving 90 per cent grant-in-aid and 10 per cent loan to Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme has been in force since 1990 and the state government has demanded that it should be given effect from 1970. And had the Centre conceded this demand, the state government would have been spared of paying Rs 620 crore annually on servicing the central debt of Rs 1275 crore.

The Chief Minister is annoyed with the Centre for the past over one year over its refusal to give counter-guarantees to the firms which had been sounded for constructing four major power projects in the state.

Despite pressure from his party colleagues the Chief Minister has decided not to take any hasty decision and hence he has informed his partymen that the matter of support to the BJP-led government will be discussed and decided by the party's working committee which is likely to meet in Jammu before the vote of no-confidence comes up for discussion in the Lok Sabha.

"If it has to survive, it will have to help us financially" was the Chief Minister's remark he made in Jammu recently. This is enough to indicate that Dr Abdullah may direct his three MPs to vote against the BJP government in case he found that the economic package in the shape of grant of additional financial support was not coming.

Informed sources say that Dr Abdullah would have withdrawn his party's support to the Vajpayee government. But he opted for patience on two counts. First, his withdrawal of support would have not resulted in the collapse of the BJP-led government so long the AIDMK supported it. In that case he would have placed himself and the state in a difficulty. Second, he had no other choice but to support the Vajpayee government because the United Front and the Congress had discarded him on the plea that Dr Abdullah was "temporising". However, he seems to have come out of these two inhibitions and has made his anger known to the Union Finance Minister by having remained absent from a function organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industries in honour of the Union Finance Minister here yesterday. He had not gone to receive Mr Sinha and the two met at a dinner hosted by the Governor where the Army Chief was also present.

4 militants killed in valley

SRINAGAR, April 11 (PTI) — Four militants have been killed by the security forces in two separate encounters while an ultra has been apprehended since last evening in the Kashmir valley, an official spokesman said here today.

Two militants were killed and the house in which they were hiding was razed to the ground after a gunfight with the security forces at Maminder, near Shopian, in Pulwama district today, the spokesman said.

He said two more militants were killed in another gunbattle with the security forces at Jabda-Bidnar, near Branwar, in Badgam district last evening. One of the killed militants was a self-styled battalion commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Joint operations carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir police and the security forces led to the arrest of a militant at Zainakdal in downtown Srinagar, the spokesman said, adding a militant surrendered to the security forces in Srinagar.

Quoting a delayed report, the spokesman said the security forces recovered a gun, 5 kg of explosives, 15 metres of cordex, 2 metres of safety fuse, 12 detonators, five grenades, a pair of binoculars, 15 improvised explosive device switches and 970 cartridges from a militant hideout at Sakali Dhok, near Darhal, in Rajouri district on April 8.

BSF personnel arrested the self-styled financial chief of the Al-Umer in Kashmir, a BSF spokesman said.

He said the self-styled chief, Parwaiz Ahmed, codenamed Bilal and Mitha, was arrested in Gurgiri Mohalla in Srinagar.

A Chinese pistol, a magazine and six cartridges were seized from him.

Parwaiz had been evading arrest since 1990. He had one-year training in Pakistan before becoming operations chief of the Pasdarayan Islam in 1992, but a year later he defected to the Al-Umer where he was made financial chief.

Parwaizfled to Calcutta in 1994 and then toured places like Delhi, Goa and Jodhpur.

He said the terrorist returned to Kashmir last month in a bid to reactivate the outfit.

JAMMU (PTI): Militants beheaded a 20-year-old youth in Rajouri district, a police spokesman said here on Sunday.

Armed militants barged into the house of Alam Din Gujjar in Dadsan-Bala village in Thanamandi tehsil and kidnapped his son, Mohammad Riyaz, last night, the spokesman said. The kidnappers then took Riyaz to a nearby forest and beheaded him.

The police recovered the headless body on the outskirts of the village and handed it over to the victim's parents.

Soldiers’ bodies handed over to Pakistan

POONCH, April 11 (UNI) — The bodies of two Pakistani soldiers, who were killed by Indian troops as they tried to guide a group of militants into the Poonch sector, have been handed over to the Pakistani authorities with due military honour and decorum.

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and soldier of the 8th Baluch Battalion were killed near the Line of Control on April 7 when they were guiding militants trying to infiltrate into Indian territory, an Army release said here today.

The militants, who were following at some distance, however, managed to run back to safety into Pak-occupied Kashmir.

The bodies were handed over yesterday at a special flag meeting,

A 7.62-mm rifle with a Pakistani ordnance factory markings and several documents were seized from their possession, the release said.

The soldiers were identified as Naib Subedar Riaz Ahmad and Naik Mohammed Shafiq, residents of Abottabad and Rawalpindi, respectively.

On humanitarian grounds and to maintain the goodwill and spirit of the Lahore declaration. The Indian troops unilaterally offered handing over the bodies to the Pakistani authorities through a flag meeting to which the Pak troops readily agreed, the release said.