J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Pak party to Kashmir issue: Shahabuddin
SRINAGAR, June 6 — Describing the Kashmir problem as “basically political” and not economic, senior Muslim leader and former MP Syed Shahabuddin has sought involvement of all sections of society in India and Pakistan in any dialogue to solve the issue.

Pak hell-bent on sabotaging talks
JAMMU, June 6 — Notwithstanding the fact that the process for initiating talks with the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) had been started a fortnight ago by sending feelers through mediators to the separatists, the Centre has become apprehensive of the latest gameplan of Islamabad trying to sabotage the parleys by kicking up major subversive violence in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir. As such there may be further delay in the proposed talks, according to highly placed sources.

Bus mishap toll in Doda 27
JAMMU, June 6 — With seven more persons succumbing to their injuries, the toll in last evening’s bus accident near Batiyas village in Doda district has risen to 27, official reports said here today.

2 jawans, 2 ultras among 5 killed
JAMMU, June 6 — Five persons, including two Army jawans and two hardcore militants, have been killed and two women injured in militancy-related incidents in Poonch and Udhampur districts of the Jammu division since yesterday, official sources said today.

Pak party to Kashmir issue: Shahabuddin
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, June 6 — Describing the Kashmir problem as “basically political” and not economic, senior Muslim leader and former MP Syed Shahabuddin has sought involvement of all sections of society in India and Pakistan in any dialogue to solve the issue.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Shahabuddin urged the need for restoration of peace in Kashmir. “Let there be a beginning... restoration of peace is most needed”, he said in reply to questions. He stressed the need for an end to the killings on and by both sides, security forces as well as the militants. In this connection he condemned a recent explosion at Gund Khwaja Qasim in Pattan area of Baramula district. At least 12 persons were killed and over 36, including the prominent Shia leader and former Minister, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, were injured.

During his current visit to the trouble-torn valley, Mr Shahabuddin met a cross-section of people. He also met Governor Girish Chandra Saxena and Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and exchanged views on the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the decade-long militancy. He expressed concern over the human rights violations and the spree of custodial killings at the hands of the security forces. He urged the government to review the anti-militant operations in the valley. Mr Shahabuddin expressed concern over the method of the security operations in which a large number of people ware being heatedly harassed.

Mr Shahabuddin sought a multi-national and multilateral consensus on the Kashmir issue involving all sections of society and the intelligentsia both in India and Pakistan. He alleged that the Government of India lacked seriousness and sincerity over Kashmir. He said a reconciliation process was a long drawn process but needed to be commenced at a certain point.

The former MP urged the government to extend terms of reference of the Justice Pandian Commission of inquiry into the Brakpora incident in Anantnag district to the entire chain of events and killings with the beginning of the massacre of Sikhs in Chattisinghpora. He demanded investigations into all kinds of human rights violations, individual killings and disbanding of SOGs.

Pak hell-bent on sabotaging talks
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, June 6 — Notwithstanding the fact that the process for initiating talks with the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) had been started a fortnight ago by sending feelers through mediators to the separatists, the Centre has become apprehensive of the latest gameplan of Islamabad trying to sabotage the parleys by kicking up major subversive violence in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir. As such there may be further delay in the proposed talks, according to highly placed sources.

The sources said the delay should not be attributed to the difference of approach between the Union Home Ministry and the PMO or lack of unanimity among senior Hurriyat leaders but to the latest strategy of Pakistan.

Explaining it, the sources said during the past one month when the Hurriyat leaders were released and the Government of India announced its willingness to hold talks with the separatists Pakistan agencies, engaged in giving teeth to the ongoing proxy war, pushed into Jammu and Kashmir large groups of foreign mercenaries for fomenting subversive violence. One estimate is that more than 1500 foreign mercenaries have sneaked into the state from across Uri, Keran, Kupwara, Bandipore, Poonch, Rajouri, R.S. Pora and Samba during the past over one month.

If the step-up in militancy related incidents, including the landmine blast at a Shia congregation near Pattan and the killing of Minister of State for Power, Ghulam Hassan Bhat, is any indication Pakistani agencies have been making a determined bid to sabotage these proposed talks either by scaring away the Hurriyat leaders from the negotiating table or by allowing the government hardly any opportunity to initiate the dialogue.

Islamabad has fears that in case the proposed talks make some headway Pakistan will be relegated to being a spectator. In order to maintain its legitimacy of being a party to the dispute the Pakistani military ruler, Gen Parvez Musharraf, has repeated his offer for holding talks with India on many occasions in the past one month.

Political observers here refer to General Musharraf’s repeated willingness for resuming the Indo-Pak talks on Kashmir and say that it was being done to keep the US Government in good humour and convey to the world that Pakistan has never been opposed to parleys for resolving bilateral problems peacefully. The observers say General has not responded to India’s suggestion that Delhi will resume talks with Islamabad provided Pakistan puts an end to cross-border terrorism. Pakistan, instead of reducing its moral and material support to the militants, has earmarked several hundreds of crores of rupees for supplying highly sophisticated weapons and explosives to the militants and enhancing the monthly wages of the rebels operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

During the past one month Pakistani troops have resorted to heavy firing and shelling on the Indian border villages and security posts in various sectors of Jammu and Kashmir in which more than 20 Armymen and 12 civilians were killed.

These events, according to political observers, indicate that Islamabad is neither in favour of the Centre-Hurriyat talks making any headway nor is it prepared to face isolation as far as settlement of the Kashmir issue is concerned.

Security experts say during the last couple of weeks the security scenario has witnessed a change in the sense that in several areas, including Poonch, Rajouri, Anantnag and Kupwara districts, Pak-trained militants have remained on the defensive owing to the offensive launched by the security forces. These militants avoid getting into direct encounters with the security forces after more than 600 militants were killed in the state during the past five months.

The militants would bank on IEDs, RDX and grenades to inflict casualties among the security personnel and blow up government installations. But with the supply of more weapons and explosives and with better manpower at their command militant outfits have intensified their counter-operations against the security forces and also against the political activists.

If such incidents are allowed to increase in number it will be a difficult proposition for not only the Government of India but also the Hurriyat Conference to start talks for restoring peace and normalcy to the state which has been ravaged by 10-year-long insurgency.

Bus mishap toll in Doda 27

JAMMU, June 6 (PTI) — With seven more persons succumbing to their injuries, the toll in last evening’s bus accident near Batiyas village in Doda district has risen to 27, official reports said here today.

The reports said 25 critically injured, who were rushed to different hospitals in Doda, were being brought here for treatment at the medical college and hospital.

The ill-fated bus which was on way from Jammu to Gandoh, fell into a deep gorge while negotiating a curve.

Twenty persons were killed on the spot while 32 sustained serious injuries, the reports said.

This is the second major road accident in Doda district in less than a month. On May 12, 20 persons were killed and 35 injured in a road mishap.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Food and Supplies, Mr Ajay Sadhotra has expressed sympathies to the families of the deceased and asked the authorities to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.

2 jawans, 2 ultras among 5 killed

JAMMU, June 6 (PTI) — Five persons, including two Army jawans and two hardcore militants, have been killed and two women injured in militancy-related incidents in Poonch and Udhampur districts of the Jammu division since yesterday, official sources said today.

Two militants were killed in an encounter with Army jawans at Shajru in Udhampur yesterday, the sources said, adding an Army jawan of 16 Dogra Rifles succumbed to injuries.

The troops seized two AK-47 rifles, six magazines and some grenades from the slain militants, suspected to be Pakistani nationals.

One Army jawan was killed in an encounter with militants at Sanar village in Poonch district.

A delayed report said militants shot one person in Tuksan village in Udhampur early yesterday.

In another incident, militants shot and injured an elderly woman at Nausinga in Udhampur.

Another woman was injured in cross-firing between militants and security forces at Heel Dalwal in Udhampur district, sources said.

SRINAGAR: A woman was seriously injured when Pakistani troops fired artillery and mortar shells targetting Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of North Kashmir today, an official spokesman said.

The shelling from across the border began around midnight, forcing the Indian troops to retaliate, he said.

The woman was injured when a stray shell hit a residential building at Batargam village of Uri early today, he said, adding the building was badly damaged in the attack.

The cross-border shelling in the sector was continuing, he said.

The Pakistani troops have been resorting to shelling along the LoC to push armed militants into the valley to break the water-tight security cordon on the Indian side, official sources said.