Soz may contest as Independent
JAMMU, May 1 — While the chances for forming a third front in J&K are remote, the Congress leadership at the Centre is said to be exploring the possibility of supporting Prof Saifuddin Soz.

Infiltration attempts foiled
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, May 1 — The killing of 10 civilians on Thursday night near Kupwara, the largest in the series of attacks on "informers" is regarded as an act of frustration of militants, facing "tremendous pressure" from security forces.

The timing of the attacks is also significant, as the passes in high mountains on the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir have opened. These passes along the LoC are blocked by snow each winter. There have been several attempts by infiltrators to cross the border during the past two months and around 200 infiltrators are reported to have sneaked into the valley.

According to the reports here, the Army foiled attempts by two groups of infiltrators to cross in the Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district on Thursday night. Both groups were engaged in an encounter on Thursday night.

While one group is reported to have been turned back, an unidentified militant of the other group was killed. His associates managed to escape. Mr A.K. Chopra, BGS, 15 Corps headquarters here said the body of an unidentified infiltrator was recovered in the Tangdhar sector on Friday morning after an overnight exchange of fire between the security forces and infiltrators. One pistol and some ammunition recovered from the site of the encounter.

At least 244 militants, most of them foreigners, have been killed in different encounters with the Army this winter. We have killed a large number of militants and targeted their leadership this winter", Mr Chopra, told TNS. A divisional commander of Harkat-ul-Ansar was among those killed.

"Militants feel the situation getting out of their control .... that is why they indulge in such acts of killings", Mr Chopra said.

Defence sources disclosed that 65 civilians and former militants killed and 68 wounded in attacks by the militants from February to April last. However police sources put the toll at 60. The number of such persons killed in April alone is around 40.

Yesterday's killing of eight members of a the family of Abdul Ahad Ganai at Krishipora Nagri village of Kupwara district was the largest such attack during the past three months. Meanwhile, the police today said one of the two children undergoing treatment at the Army hospital succumbed to injuries in Kupwara. He was injured in the militant massacre of the Ganai family.

Six persons were killed by the militants at Watalar in Ganderbal area, 25 kms from here on April 23. They included two released militants and three members of their family. Two others were injured in the shootout. Four members of a single family were killed at Panzla in Baramulla on April 19.

Soz may contest as Independent
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, May 1 — While the chances for forming a third front in Jammu and Kashmir are remote, the Congress leadership at the Centre is said to be exploring the possibility of supporting Prof Saifuddin Soz, who, after expulsion from the National Conference for voting against the motion of confidence moved by Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and which resulted in the fall of the BJP-led coalition government, plans to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha poll from Baramulla constituency. Since 1984 Professor Soz has been elected to the Lok Sabha in a row except in 1996 when the National Conference had boycotted the poll.

Though Professor Soz has received offers from Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Indian Muslim League besides the Janata Dal supremo, Mr V.P. Singh, to contest the forthcoming poll from any constituency outside Jammu and Kashmir, his heart beats in Baramulla and he wants to show the National Conference that he can win without the support of Dr Farooq Abdullah.

It is in this connection that Professor Soz had felt the pulse of local Congress leaders and after he was assured of support from senior Congress leader Mufti Mohammed Sayed, Professor Soz had a brief meeting with the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi.

Indications are that Professor Soz is not prepared to join the Congress but wishes to contest the poll from Baramullah as an independent candidate. Initially the Mufti would have been too unwilling to support Professor Soz because, in the event of the Congress forming the government in the Centre, the latter had better prospects of getting a Cabinet berth than him. As such Professor Soz could prove a threat to the Mufti.

Reports said since Mufti Sayed had a one-point programme of humbling Dr Abdullah, he thought it advisable for him and the Congress to support Professor Soz and that could enable the Mufti to concentrate in Jammu and Kashmir which at the later stage would upgrade him politically to act as a suitable alternative to the National Conference government.

The Mufti is not keen to have a third front in the state because except for the National Conference, the BJP and the Congress, the rest of the mainstream political parties are ineffective.

According to these reports, both the Mufti and Professor Soz do not find any relevance for a third front in the state when it had to be without the participation of the Congress.

Judged by the current mood of the people and the political atmosphere, Professor Soz cannot make it to the Lok Sabha simply with the support of the Congress. The National Conference has lost its lustre, but its flame has not yet extinguished. But in case other political organisations, which include the All-Party Hurriyat Conference and the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party of Mr Shabir Ahmed Shah, lend support to Professor Soz, he has a chance to avenge his expulsion from the National Conference.

However, it is too early to draw a graph of the permutation and combination of political parties and leaders during the ensuing Lok Sabha poll. Professor Soz is said to be taken to go back to the National Conference provided it revokes the expulsion notice and stops supporting the BJP-led caretaker government at the Centre.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who will be in Delhi within the next seven days, will review the latest political situation with his party colleagues and may try to renew his links with the Congress in order to ensure that his party candidates are not defeated in all six constituencies.