JKLF to violate LoC

NEW DELHI, Sept 13 (UNI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) (Amanullah Khan group) today declared that it would violate the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector in the Jammu region on October 4 when thousands of its volunteers would cross over to occupied Kashmir (PoK).

JKLF secretary-general Bhawani Bashir Yasir Kashmiri told a press conference here that the JKLF volunteers would cross the "ceasefire line’’ from Madarpur in PoK from the Pakistan side and from Poonch in Jammu. He said he was mobilising his cadres in the valley for the purpose.

The attempted violation of the LoC would be the second such attempt by the JKLF during the past seven years. An earlier attempt in February, 1992 was foiled by the Pakistan authorities and seven persons were killed and more than 165 injured in firing by the Pakistan police. Many more were taken prisoners.

Declaring that they did not recognise the LoC and the entire Jammu and Kashmir, including PoK, was an "indivisible entity’’, Dr Yasir said the "so-called sanctity’’ of the LoC often talked about by India and Pakistan during and after the Kargil conflict did not have "any meaning for us.’’

Dr Yasir said full preparations were on for crossing the LoC and arrangements were being made to receive those who crossed over from PoK and those who crossed over from Poonch.

Describing the Hurriyat as "an NGO of five people’’ he lashed out at ‘’fundamentalist forces in both India and Pakistan including the Jaamat-e-Islami and the RSS.’’ As long as the fundamentalist forces continued to operate in the two countries, there was no prospect for peace in the region. Even the Jamaat-e-Islami group in Kashmir was equally fanatic, he said and added that they (the fundamentalists) had brought the two countries to the brink of a nuclear war and needed to be curbed.

‘’A nuclear war will not be in the interests of any country and the region will only become a base for international forces. It is best to prevent that,’’ he said.

Declaring that the Kargil conflict was a "mutually agreed de facto war by the rulers of the two countries to serve their own political ends,’’ he said the two countries had pitted fellow Kashmiris — the Northern Light Infantry, the Gilgit Scouts and Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry — against one another.

He, however, welcomed Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Lahore bus journey, saying the JKLF was for anything that promoted peace in the region. "The JKLF was the only party which welcomed the bus yatra,’’ he added.

Dr Yasir said no Kashmiri was obliged by any law or agreement to respect the "forcibly drawn so-called LoC nor does it carry any sanctity for them not to be violated.’’ The entire Jammu and Kashmir, as it existed on August 14-15, 1947, the two-thirds of which is controlled by India and one-thirds by Pakistan, "is an indivisible political entity and belongs to Kashmiris alone.’’

"It is neither an integral part of India nor the jugular vein of Pakistan,’’ he said.

Criticising the UN Security Council as an "impotent institution’’ in so far as the Kashmir issue was concerned, he said one billion people of the subcontinent were being held hostage just for the Kashmir issue which was eating into the very vitals of both India and Pakistan.

He said Kashmir had been a victim of "India’s political hegemony and hypocrisy and Pakistan’s diplomatic duplicity and both countries are out to destroy each other.’’

The JKLF did not want Kashmir to be a bone of contention between the two countries but a bridge of understanding and friendship and should have friendship with both. It could also play the role of "Geneva of Asia.’’

He blamed the fanatic and fundamentalist forces for trying to step up enmity between the two countries as sponsored by external forces for their own political survival.

Pak infiltrator killed

JAMMU, Sept 13 (UNI) — BSF jawans foiled an infiltration bid when they gunned down a Pakistani infiltrator while three of their own were injured in an encounter in the Malochak area of Ramgarh sector early this morning.

A BSF spokesman said here this afternoon that troops noticed three heavily armed Pakistani infiltrators trying to sneak into the Indian territory.

He said when the infiltrators were well within the Indian side, the troops asked them to surrender. The infiltrators responded by firing which was returned and in the encounter which followed on one infiltrator was killed while his two associates fled back to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Three BSF jawans were also injured in the shootout, he said and added that the they were evacuated to hospital where their condition was stated to be stable.

Meanwhile, alert villagers nabbed three heavily armed Pakistanis and handed them over to the police in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district last night.

Armed with AK series weapons, the Pakistanis entered Jasrat village between Khagwal and Sanoora locality and demanded food.

The villagers overpowered them and snatched their weapons.

"The Only Ones" on adventure trail
Tribune News Service

SOMEWHERE IN THE WESTERN SECTOR: All ranks of 131 Air Defence Regiment popularly known as "The Only Ones" celebrate their 32nd Raising Day on September 24.

Raised on September 24, 1968 at Siliguri as 131 Air Defence Regiment, the unit has a chequered history. Since its inception to this day the regiment has recorded a number of laudable achievements. The unit participated in operation "Cactus Lily" in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, operation "Trident", Operation Rakshak I & II and Operations Vyavastha I & II (during Bombay riots in December 92 and January 93). The unit has participated in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir from August 1993 to December 95. Persons of the unit were awarded one Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card and seven General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (Northern Command) Commendation Cards for their gallant actions and unblemished devotion to duty during the counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir. Gnr (OPR) Amarjit Singh of 131 AD Regt was awarded Sena Medal on August 15 this year for his gallant action against militants in Jammu & Kashmir during 'CI Ops'.

The unit contributed handsomely to various adventure activities undertaken by the corps of Air Defence Artillery.

The First AD Arty mountaineering expedition to Leo Pargiyal Peak (22,280 ft), flagged off on August 8, comprised Nk (ADA) Prakash Chand and four jawans. Nk (ADA) Prakash Chand reached the summit and planted the flag of "The Only One".

Three jawans attended the offshore Sailing-cum-Wind Surfing Expedition from Visakhapatnam to Gopalpur.

The sky to ocean expedition car rally from Siachen base camp to Ganga Sagar was attended by Capt TS Bawa.

Gunner Pawar Prabhakar took part in the rowing expedition from Gazipur to Ganga Sagar.

To commemorate the 32nd Raising Day of the unit, the trekking expedition was flagged off on September 8, by Col CM Unnithan, CO of the unit.

The team, comprising an officer, a JCO and 17 ORs, will move to Puh in Himachal Pradesh. After reaching Puh the team will commence their trek on animal tracks. The trekkers are carrying trekking and mountaineering equipment. During this period the team will cover a distance of approximately 250 km and will be climbing heights ranging from 7,000 feet to 17,000 feet in the mighty Himalayan ranges.

The team is lead by Lt Summet Ramesh Randive. The deputy leader is an experienced soldier, Nb Sub Dharam Singh Rana. For one month the team has been undergoing rigorous training involving stamina building, map reading, first aid, art of survival and living off the land.