J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Autonomy debate generates heat
SRINAGAR, June 21 —Noisy scenes were witnessed in the state Legislative Assembly today as the National Conference members strongly defended the case for autonomy amid opposition from Congress and BJP members. The NC leaders had to suspended their speeches a number of times due to strong resistance from the Opposition during the proceedings of the House on the much-talked about State Autonomy report. 

Militant-turned-politician Mohammed Yousaf Parray
 talks to Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in the 
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday.
 — photo by Amin War

Morcha decries calling of J & K Assembly session
JAMMU, June 21 — The President of the Jammu Mukti Morcha (JMM) has termed the calling on an emergency session of the state legislature to place before it the autonomy report as ‘irresponsible and condemnable’.

Troops on high alert
NAGROTA (Jammu) June 21 — Indian troops have been put on a high alert following reports that Pakistani agencies were planning to push in a number of militant groups into Jammu and Kashmir, especially foreign mercenaries.

Youth sent for jehad surrenders
NAGROTA (Jammu), June 21 — When the 26-year old Javed Akhtar Abbasi, son of a Pak Air Force official, was pushed into Jammu from across Poonch sector in April last he was a determined youth to participate in the “ongoing jehad” for liberating Muslims who were being subjected to “atrocities.”

6 Lashker men shot dead
JAMMU, June 21 — Seven militants, including six top Lashker-e-Toiba men, were killed when the troops foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector last night, official sources said here today.

IG to investigate blast at Shia gathering
SRINAGAR, June 21 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government today ordered an inquiry into the powerful bomb explosion at a Shia congregation which claimed 11 lives and left a number of others, including a former minister, injured early this month.

150 Kargil heroes get land in Leh
LEH, June 21 — A 150-plot Kargil War Heroes Colony will soon come up in this high-altitude town of the Ladakh region.

Autonomy debate generates heat
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, June 21 —Noisy scenes were witnessed in the state Legislative Assembly today as the National Conference members strongly defended the case for autonomy amid opposition from Congress and BJP members. The NC leaders had to suspended their speeches a number of times due to strong resistance from the Opposition during the proceedings of the House on the much-talked about State Autonomy report. 

Chief Minister and 12 other members, including six from the NC, two from the BJP and one each from the Congress, the Awami League, the Peoples Democratic Party and the BSP participated in today’s debate on the autonomy issue.

In his address, the Minister for Information and Transport, Mr Ajatshatru Singh, said the Instrument of Accession was a historic decision. Ajatshatru Singh, who is the son of former Sadr-e-Riyasat Dr Karan Singh and the grandson of Maharaja Hari Singh, said that Maharaja probably visualising the course of things to come 50 years later, had left certain things in the instrument so that these could be incorporated in future with the changing situation. He appealed to the Opposition not to treat the document on autonomy on regional or religious lines.

Mr Ajatshatru Singh regretted the duplicity of the central leaders who thronged in large numbers where the Sikhs or Hindus were being killed in Jammu and Kashmir. In this connection he referred to the killings of 35 Sikhs in Chatti Singhpora that was attended by over 10 leaders and Rajouri that was attended by a good number of central leaders. He regretted that no one visited the Kashmir valley where a number of people were being killed daily. He decried those dubbing the demand for autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir as anti-national and asked if the formation of Constitutional Review Committee by the Centre was not against the national interest how come the autonomy report was.

Morcha decries calling of J & K Assembly session
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, June 21 — The President of the Jammu Mukti Morcha (JMM) has termed the calling on an emergency session of the state legislature to place before it the autonomy report as ‘irresponsible and condemnable’.

In a statement issued here yesterday, the morcha president alleged that the government had failed on all fronts. He alleged that it was trying to deceive the people by resorting to cheap politics. He further said that people had voted for the control of militancy, establishment of normalcy in the state, and for a responsive and clean government.

The present government, on the contrary, had proved to be corrupt, irresponsible and insensitive to the problems of the masses, he alleged. As it had ‘failed’ to honour the mandate given to it, the state government must go and the Government of India must intervene to dismiss it.

He added that the people of the Jammu region, in particular, must unite to save their interests and oppose the move of the state government with all their might. They are left with no other option except to demand a separate Jammu state, he added.

Troops on high alert
Tribune News service

NAGROTA (Jammu) June 21 — Indian troops have been put on a high alert following reports that Pakistani agencies were planning to push in a number of militant groups into Jammu and Kashmir, especially foreign mercenaries.

“Our men are ready to face the hot summer”, said Major General H.S. Kanwar, Chief of Staff, 16 Corps, at a news conference here today. He said attempts were being made to send Pak regulars in the Jammu sector in the “garb of terrorists” to give a fillip to the ongoing violence.

General Kanwar said Pakistan had started building “hostile atmosphere” along the LoC and international border in the Jammu sector by resorting to heavy firing and shelling on the Indian border villages. He said in the recent weeks nine civilians had been killed and a number of people wounded. He said as a result of intermittent but heavy firing large tracts of prime land had become barren in the Akhnoor sector.

He said since Pakistan had declared that the current year would be the year of “liberation of Kashmir” large groups of militants were being pushed into the Jammu sector. He said though the rate of elimination of militants along the LoC, on the international border and other areas of the Jammu sector had increased, the rate of infiltration, at the same time, had not shown any marked decrease.

General Kanwar said in the past six months, 312 militants had been killed out of them 159 were foreign mercenaries against 458 during the past year. He said the rate of elimination of foreign mercenaries had risen to 50 per cent in the past six months against 37.7 per cent in 1999.

Answering a question he said it was not possible to seal the LoC and the international border because of the difficult terrain but at the same time “our troops have displayed dedication in reducing the rate of infiltration”. He said it was because of the better border management by the troops that 53 infiltrators had been killed along the LoC and the international border in the past six months against the same number past year.

He said that Pak agencies were finding it difficult to recruit local boys who were fed up with militancy and several militant outfits had resorted to forcible recruitment. He said in the recent weeks the troops had rescued 23 local youths who were being forcible taken to training camps. He said 10 boys had been rescued at Marmath, five boys at Keshvan, four youths at Chattroo and four others in Marwah, all in Doda district.

General Kanwar said Pakistan and the ISI were trying to widen the “arc of insurgency” by extending the operations of the militants in Udhampur and Kathua districts. He cited recent incidents in support of his contention.

He said latest reports said that Pakistani agencies had tried to implement a multi-pronged programme for escalating the scale of violence in the state. He said the programme included stepping up of firing and shelling on the Indian border villages, carrying out forcible recruitment of local youths to give indigenous colour to terrorism, attacking soft targets to create scare, escalating violence to further internationalise the Kashmir issue.

He introduced 11 civilians, including three women, from Doda and Rajouri districts, to newsmen to hammer out his point home that Pak- trained militants had been found indulging in worst-type of human rights violations. Lal Begum, Razia, and Rafiqa Begum were in tears when they recounted how their husbands were brutally murdered when they refused to support militancy and lend help to the rebels. Rafiqa Begum has nine daughters and some of them were physically harassed by militants and this forced her and two other women to seek help from the Army.

Rauf Ahmed, Nadim, Javed Iqbal and Gulzar Ahmed, belonging to far-flung areas of Doda and Rajouri districts said they were mercilessly beaten up and one of them showed how his throat was slit when they refused to join militancy. They thanked the Indian troops for having saved their lives while they were being dragged to the arms training camps.

General Kanwar said it was because of increasing cooperation from the people that “our men have achieved success in eliminating a large number of militants in the Jammu sector in recent months”. He said people had realised that Pak aided “terrorism” had spelt ruin for them and their children. Development works in militancy hit areas had been suspended which had increased the level of poverty and unemployment. 

Youth sent for jehad surrenders
Tribune News Service

NAGROTA (Jammu), June 21 — When the 26-year old Javed Akhtar Abbasi, son of a Pak Air Force official, was pushed into Jammu from across Poonch sector in April last he was a determined youth to participate in the “ongoing jehad” for liberating Muslims who were being subjected to “atrocities.”

During his arms training at the Kotli camp he was almost brain-washed with stories that Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir were an “oppressed and repressed class.” Within one month of his stay in the Muslim-dominated belts of Poonch and Rajouri, Akhtar was a changed man. He found, as he told newsmen here today, that Muslims enjoyed all their religious and fundamental rights. “There is no oppression or repression on them. They are as free as any other community,” he added.’

“My conscience revolted. I did not carry out any attack on the Indian security forces as I had been instructed by the ISI,” he said.’ And within days he decided to surrender before the Indian troops.’

Asked why did he not go back? He said he would not like to go back. “I have requested the Government of India for asylum. I am waiting for a reply,” he said adding that “I felt I may be eliminated if I returned to Pakistan.”

Javed Akhtar has four brothers and a sister and hailed from Murri in Rawalpindi. He said he was booked by the ISI for arms training at the Kotli camp. He said “60 youths were also receiving training in handling of arms and ammunition.”

Akhtar said “boys keep coming and attending several training camps.”

He confessed he was paid Rs 2000 before crossing over to Poonch border, 280 km north-west of Jammu on April 17,2000. He said he had been promised liberal financial help if he carried out the task of attacking the Indian security forces.

Javed wearing Army uniform which had been given to him after his clothes had been tattered and soiled, answered questions from the press with confidence. He was brought with handcuffs before the newsmen. When asked why he was brought in chains Brig Ranbir Singh said “we do not trust him. He may have been planted. We shall send him to bigger interrogation centre to know whether the change in his mind was genuine.

But Javed seems to be one among several rebels who have surrendered before the government forces in Jammu sector. 

6 Lashker men shot dead

JAMMU, June 21 (PTI) — Seven militants, including six top Lashker-e-Toiba men, were killed when the troops foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector last night, official sources said here today.

On specific information about the infiltration bid by ultras, troops of Poonch Brigade set up several nakas and ambushes along the border belt in the Dewar-Gali forward area of the Poonch sector, they said.

As the militants entered the Indian territory, troops on the naka duty challenged them resulting in an exchange of fire which left six militants dead.

The troops also seized 5 AK rifles, 3 IEDs, 13 magazines and six mines from the militants.

Meanwhile, BSF troops shot dead a militant in Kalakot tehsil of Rajouri district last night, the sources said.

IG to investigate blast at Shia gathering

SRINAGAR, June 21 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government today ordered an inquiry into the powerful bomb explosion at a Shia congregation which claimed 11 lives and left a number of others, including a former minister, injured early this month.

Inspector General of Police (Operations) P.S. Gill would head the inquiry into the June 2 blast at the congregation, addressed by former state minister and Shia spiritual leader, Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari. He was among the injured.

Mr Gill would monitor the investigation on the day-to-day basis so that it was completed in the shortest possible time, an official release said.

Meanwhile, authorities quoting wireless intercepts blamed pro-Pakistan Hizb-ul-Mujahideen for the explosion and said the outfit contradicted its earlier statement on the blast thinking retaliation from the other side.

However, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen condemned the blast and said it had no hand in the blast. The outfit made counter-allegation accusing the intelligence agencies of engineering the blast with a view to triggering sectarian violence in the state.

In another message intercepted by the intelligence agencies, an official spokesman said Pakistan-based self-styled supreme commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Syed Sallahuddin directed the outfit leaders in the valley to inform the base camp before claiming any action in the media. 

150 Kargil heroes get land in Leh

LEH, June 21 (UNI) — A 150-plot Kargil War Heroes Colony will soon come up in this high-altitude town of the Ladakh region.

As the first phase, the district administration has allotted land to 32 soldiers of “Operation Vijay”. The formal handover of the documents was held at a meeting here chaired by Deputy Commissioner Navin Kumar Chaudhary last evening.

Of the 32 families given allocation at the proposed colony to come up at Angling Thung near the local airport, three are bereaved. Among the rest, five war heroes are winners of gallantry awards, including Mahavir Chakra and Vir Chakra.

Each plot of land, allotted by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, will measure 5445 square feet. “The government value of each plot is estimated at Rs 1,15,000. The fencing is being carried out by the District Defence Coordination Committee,” Additional Deputy Commissioner T Angchuk said.