J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Pandian to probe police firing case
JAMMU, April 6 — Mr S.R. Pandian, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, will head the judicial commission, which the state Government has set up, to probe into the killing of seven persons in police firing at Bulbul and the Nowgam area of Anantnag district on Monday last.

Cong hails Advani’s statement on J&K
SRINAGAR, April 6 — The Congress has hailed the recent statement of the Union Home Minister, Mr L K Advani, on the government’s readiness to hold talks with the militants to end the trouble in Jammu and Kashmir.

Two intrusion bids
SRINAGAR, April 6 — Security forces foiled two intrusion bids by militants arresting three infiltrators, including a Pak national, and smashed two ultra hideouts in Jammu and Kashmir where four persons were killed since last evening.

Pandian to probe police firing case
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, April 6 — Mr S.R. Pandian, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, will head the judicial commission, which the state Government has set up, to probe into the killing of seven persons in police firing at Bulbul and the Nowgam area of Anantnag district on Monday last.

The issue of killing of seven persons had resulted in pandemonium in the state Assembly on Tuesday forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day. The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, had assured the members that he would get the incident probed by a high court or Supreme Court judge. The Chief Minister had sent the Law Minister, Mr P.L. Handoo, to get in touch with the Union Law Minister and get a suitable judge to hold the probe.

Mr Handoo informed the Assembly here today that as per the talks with the Union Law Minister, Justice Pandian has been requested to head the judicial commission.

The House today witnessed noisy scenes when two members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Mr Mohd. Sultan Panditpuri and Mr Abdul Rehman Veeri, got up and demonstrated in the well of the House against the alleged killing of five youths in police custody. They waved some papers.

As they kept on shouting the Speaker, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, pleaded that they should resume their seats. He said whatever issue they wanted to raise they should give an advance notice for that. He repeated his plea to the protesting members to take their seats and whey they refused he directed the marshal to carry them out of the House. The watch and ward staff forced the two members out of the House.

During question hour, Dr Farooq Abdullah informed the House that the state Government was in touch with the Centre over the question of rehabilitation of the Kashmiri migrants in the valley. He said some area would be identified where the migrants could be camped under security cover.

The Revenue Minister, Mr Abdul Qayoom, said that whenever the Government took any step for encouraging the migrants to return to Kashmir, Pakistani agencies would generally kicked up violence causing scare among the people.

He informed members that there were 31,490 migrant families registered with the Relief Commissioner. Out of them, 27,282 were Hindus 2,803 Muslims and 1,830 Sikhs. Besides this 2,743 families were registered as migrants with the Delhi Administration and with other state Governments.

He said that cash assistance to the migrants had risen from Rs 115 lakh in 1989-90 to Rs 38.41 crore in 1999-2000. He said that monthly expenditure on relief and other facilities for the migrants was to the tune of about Rs 3.50 crore.

He assured the House that the Deputy Commissioners in each district had been appointed as custodian of the immovable property left behind by the migrants in Kashmir. He admitted that some migrant families had sold their property after security permission from the state Government.

Mr M.Y. Tarigami (CPM) wanted the Government to take earnest steps to check grabbing of land and houses of migrants. He feared that if it was not checked a stage would come when the migrants will have nothing to bank on whenever they returned to Kashmir.

The Assembly today adopted a Bill providing for the constitution and regulation of a separate security force in the State for providing security to the Chief Minister, members of his immediate family and matters connected there with.

The House also adopted in the amended form the Protection of Forest Act so that anyone found guilty of encroachment on forest land or of illegal felling would get a suitable punishment.

It also adopted the Court Fee Amendment Act with a view to ensuring bigger revenue from the courts. The last revision in court fees had been done in 1974. No revision in court fee has been ordered an sums not exceeding Rs 10,000.

Cong hails Advani’s statement on J&K
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 6 — The Congress has hailed the recent statement of the Union Home Minister, Mr LK Advani, on the government’s readiness to hold talks with the militants to end the trouble in Jammu and Kashmir.

Disclosing this here today the ATCC General Secretary, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed hope that the Centre would not “delay the process” of restoration of peace in the valley. The BJP leaders “have woken up for the first time”, Mr Azad said, adding that the negotiations with the militant organisations would be the only solution to solve this problem. He lamented that due to the negligence of the government at least 50,000 persons had been killed in the state over the past decade.

“We hope that the Centre will not delay the process” as he referred to the Centre’s readiness for talks with the militants. He added that the Congress government in the early 90s was also in favour of holding a dialogue with the separatists to end the trouble in the valley. Mr Azad was addressing a press conference here today as the head of a delegation to visit Anantnag in the wake of the recent killings of eight persons at Brakpora on the outskirts of the town on Monday last.

Urging both the state and the Central Governments to take substantial measures that no such incidents take place in future, Mr Azad said there was a need to find a “final solution” to the problem. He also hinted that the question had been internationalised and thus could not be solved over the past 53 years. The AICC General Secretary said it was the right time for both the state and the Centre to take some separate measures. In this connection he referred to the alliance of the ruling NC to the BJP-led alliance at the Centre. “Now it is a part of the Central Government, more attention should be given to the problems of the state”, Mr Azad said.

The Congress leader demanded deployment of paramilitary troops around over 130 Sikh villages in the valley and sought more attention towards security arrangements in the valley. He regretted that immediate steps were not taken after the Kargil episode, otherwise attacks on the security installations could have been avoided.

Two intrusion bids

SRINAGAR, April 6 (PTI) — Security forces foiled two intrusion bids by militants arresting three infiltrators, including a Pak national, and smashed two ultra hideouts in Jammu and Kashmir where four persons were killed since last evening.

The police arrested three intruders near Raipora in the Hiranagar sector of Jammu early today foiling an intrusion bid by militants, an official spokesman said.

The apprehended militants included Khaleel Mohammad of Pakistan, he said, adding that four kg of RDX, Rs 45,000 in Indian currency besides some arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

Security forces foiled another intrusion bid in the Vijaypora sector in the Jammu region when they challenged a group of militants trying to sneak into India.

The intruders escaped into Pakistan leaving behind a pistol, some grenades, three kg of RDX and 110 rounds of ammunition, the spokesman said.

A militant was killed in a shootout with the BSF during search operations at Khaigam village in Badgam district, he said, adding ultras shot dead two surrendered militants at Halmatpora in Baramula district.

Militants barged into a house at Nichhama in Kupwara district and gunned down its owner.

Security forces smashed two militant hideouts during search operations at Chornar and Kanyari forests in the frontier district of Kupwara.

Residents of Maisuma in the heart of Srinagar today staged a dharna outside a BSF camp and demanded release of a youth arrested by para-military personnel.

Curfew was today relaxed for six hours in a phased manner in parts of Anantnag district for the first time after its imposition on Monday, official sources said.

The curfew was relaxed in civil lines areas of the town for the first time after 65 hours for two hours at 7 a.m., the sources said.

The relaxation in curfew was later extended till 11 a.m., they added.

Curfew was also eased from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the outskirts of the town today, the sources said.

Since no untoward incident was reported from any part of the curfew-bound areas, the curfew was further relaxed for two hours from 3 p.m., the sources said.