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June 15, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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8 hurt in blast in Kashmir Yasin, Umar desire to head APHC Special Assembly session on autonomy report Farooq rules out tripartite talks 5 J&K hydel
projects under Central plan
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8 hurt in blast in Kashmir SRINAGAR, June 14 (UNI) — Five militants, including three infiltrators,
surrendered in the frontier districts of North Kashmir while eight persons were injured in a grenade explosion in South Kashmir today. Elsewhere in the state, three militants and a jawan were among five persons killed while a ruling National Conference leader and his family escaped unhurt in a bid on their lives by militants and three persons were kidnapped during the past 24 hours. A report from Baramula said Pakistani troops fired mortars and artillery shells in Keran, Karnah and Teetwal sectors this morning from across the border targetting civilian areas and security force installations. It said one shell fell near a house at Bandi Karnah causing injuries to one Javid Ahmad who was later hospitalised. A mother and her son were killed and two others were injured in Pakistan shelling yesterday at Balakote. An official spokesman said three militants surrendered before security forces immediately after they crossed over to this side from Pakistan occupied Kashmir in Kupwara last evening. They also handed over three AK rifles to security forces. This was for the first time that militants had surrendered after infiltrating into the Indian side during this year. He said two more militants surrendered along with two AK rifles, two magazines and 50 rounds of ammunition at Aloosa Bandipora in Baramula district last night. |
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Yasin, Umar desire to head APHC JAMMU, June 14 — The five wisemen in the Hurriyat Conference have set their eyes on the post of the Chairman of the political and religious conglomerate after Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s one-year term expires. Though under the constitution of the party Syed Ali Shah Geelani can be renominated for the post of Chairman for another year, reports indicate that the JKLF chief, Mr Yasin Malik the Peoples’ Conference Chairman, Mr Abdul Gani Lone, veteran Shia leader Maulvi Abbas Ansari and the Chairman of the Awami Action Committee, Maulvi Umar Farooq, are nursing a desire to head the Hurriyat Conference. When the Hurriyat Conference was floated in 1993 it nominated its youngest leader, Maulvi Umar Farooq, as its first Chairman. At that stage, Maulvi Umar had emerged as a consensus candidate and the leaders’ various political and religious groups, which are part of the Hurriyat umbrella, were unaware of their future. But the situation this time has changed and the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has assumed political weight during the past six years of convulsions and confusion that prevailed in Kashmir. During these years the APHC set up its offices in Jammu and Delhi and its leaders did not confine their activities in the Kashmir valley alone. No doubt over the years the APHC has lost control over the masses and the militants but it has come into the limelight after the Centre indicated its willingness to talk to the Hurriyat leaders. In the light of these developments, the chairmanship of the APHC has become a coveted post for the separatists. The APHC Executive Committee has tentatively decided to evolve a consensus over the candidate who would head the organisation because most of the leaders are opposed to a contest which could create bad blood. It is no longer a secret that there is hardly much in common among several top APHC leaders. They are together under the APHC umbrella because they know that individually they would not be able to survive for long. It is only the Awami Action Committee chief, Maulvi Umar Farooq, who can survive even if he goes out of the APHC because his constituency or the pockets of influence had been carved for him by his ancestors. Young Umar has succeeded in extending his influence to bigger areas in the summer capital and some other towns. By all account the Jamait-e-Islami continues to be the dominant constituent of the APHC. If this is taken as any criteria then Syed Ali Shah Geelani may be asked to continue for another term. Prof Abdul Gani Bhat is not a serious contender. Sources close to him say he is content with his performance as the spokesman of the APHC. Mr Abdul Gani Lone may not be a consensus candidate because of late he has been seen on the sidelines while the key players continue to be Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mr Yasin Mailk and Maulvi Umar Farooq. As far as Maulvi Abbas Ansari is concerned he is the least controversial leader and Pakistan may favour a hardliner to be the chairman of the APHC. Since Syed Ali Shah Geelani is the most respected politician and a religious leader in the valley he may not face any rough weather in his desire to head the APHC for another one year. If there is any challenge to him it may be from Mr Mailk whose slogan of “azadi” continues to be dear to more people than the demand for Kashmir’s incorporation with Pakistan. Inside reports say a small section within the APHC is in favour of rotating the headship of the organisation. Maulvi Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani have already headed the organisation. However, the Jamait-e-Islami and other pro-Pak militant outfits are said to be in favour of Syed Ali Shah Geelani. They want him to continue for another year so that he can create a situation in which tripartite talks are held for resolving the Kashmir issue.
Special Assembly session on autonomy report SRINAGAR, June 14 — A five-day-long special session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legistative Assembly to discuss the autonomy report begins here on Monday. The report the main plank of the National Conference election campaign in 1996, was tabled in the House in March, 1999, after its completion by a committee constituted by the government. Elaborating on the special session, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, Speaker, Legislative Assembly, said the session would begin with obituary references to former Minister of State for Power Ghulam Hassan Bhat and senior Congress leader and former minister, Rajesh Pilot. Bhat was killed along with four others in a powerful landmine explosion outside his home village in Anantnag district on May 15. There would be no other business after obituary reference in the House, the practice having been adopted on the pattern of Parliament, after another former sitting MLA Abdul Ahad Kar was killed by unidentified militants in Kupwara district last year, the Speaker said. He said he had held meetings with various leaders of his party and leaders of other parties on the autonomy report. He said this was an “important issue and needed to be given a thought that it deserves.” The discussion on the subject would be held for four days and will conclude on June 24. There would not be any legislative business on Friday an off day. The Speaker said a discussion would be held on giving powers of the people of all three regions of the state.  |
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Farooq rules out tripartite talks BUNIYAR (Baramula), June 14 — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has ruled out tripartite talks for bringing peace in the militancy-hit state, saying that separatists could have a dialogue only with the Centre. The Chief Minister held that nothing like “azadi”, “merger with Pakistan” or tripartite talks was going to happen, adding that neither Washington nor Islamabad would be of any help in restoration of peace in the state. Claiming that the USA was keen on India and Pakistan holding talks, the Chief Minister said talks could not be held unless infiltration and the cross-border terrorism was ended. He expressed concern over the killings of innocent civilians along the LoC due to Pak
shelling. |
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5 J&K hydel
projects under Central plan DALHOUSIE, June 14 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has offered the execution of five major hydroelectric projects totalling to a generating capacity of over 2,700 MW in the state under the Central Sector Plan. Giving this information here yesterday Mr S.K. Dodeja, Executive Director, Region II of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), disclosed that in this respect a high-level meeting on power development was held in Srinagar on June 10. The Union Power Minister, Mr P.R. Kumarmanglam, the J&K Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the NHPC, Mr Yogendra Prasad, and senior officials from the Union Ministry of Power and the Government of J&K attended the meeting. Mr Dodeja said these colossal projects included 280 MW Uri hydroelectric project (Stage II), 330 MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project, 1020 MW Bursar hydroelectric project, 1000 MW Pakul Zul hydroelectric project and 120 MW Sewa hydroelectric project (Stage II) in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir. He informed that the execution of these projects for detailed survey, investigation, detailed project report and construction by the NHPC was under the active consideration of Central Government. |
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