 |
| Friday, September 22, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
|
Border fencing in Jammu area
on 76 youths cross over to
PoK Qureshi opposed to
tripartite talks Pak shelling in
Uri continues |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Border fencing in Jammu area
on NAGROTA (Jammu), Sept 21 — Following spurt in the activities of militants in the Jammu region and movement of infiltrators close to the border, the government has decided to fence the international border. The barbed wire fencing on the Punjab pattern, had been suspended in 1995 after Pakistani troops resorted to heavy firing on the border. The project envisaged fencing 187-km-long border from Akhnoor to Kathua. Lt Gen A.S. Khanna, Corps Commander, told newsmen here today that the fencing project would be executed by the BSF under the supervision of the Army. “If the Pakistani troops created any problem, they will be taught a lesson.” He said work on the project has already been started. He said Pakistan was focussing attention on the LoC and the International Border (IB) for pushing into the Jammu sector groups of militants. He said “we do not accept the Pakistani claim that the international border was a working boundary. It is a permanent border and we can raise the fence within our territory”. In support of his contention that Pakistan had chosen the IB and the LoC for infiltration, he said, during the past eight and a half months 77 infiltration attempts had been made against 54 in 1999. And on the LoC and the IB security forces had killed 115 infiltrators between January and third week of September against 62 last year. Gen Khanna said security forces have launched an offensive and with the help of the people and the police more than 550 militants, 50 per vent of them being foreign mercenaries, had been killed during the past over eight months against 458 in 1999 in various areas of the Jammu region. He said even if Pakistani troops had stepped up firing and shelling on Indian border villages in the Jammu sector there was possibility of any major armed conflict between Pakistan and India”. He, however, made it clear that Pakistan was not going to stop its material and moral support to militants. The low intensity war has suited Islamabad to divert people’s attention from the problems of political instability and economic crisis.” General Khanna said over 1100 militants, 50 per cent being foreign mercenaries, were operating in the Jammu region. He said in order to give a “local face” to the ongoing proxy war Pakistani agencies were forcing local youths to join militancy. He said in several border villages migration to Pakistan was being forced by Pakistani agencies. He said residents of border villages were being promised greener pastures. “But once they were across Pakistan they are being used as porters, guides and some of the ablebodied youths are recruited in camps for arms training,” he said. The corps commander stated that he had asked the state government to shift villagers of 17 villages that lie on the LoC so that the villagers were lured nor forced to migrate to Pakistan. He said “our focus will be on foreign mercenaries. If the foreign mercenaries pick up their guns against my nation, they cannot survive.” A group of six youths, from Pulwama, Anantnag and Doda were presented before the team of newsmen. Ali Mohammad from Pulwama said “we were forced to join the Jash-e-Mohammad and the troops rescued us.” General Khanna said since several hundred madrasas in Pakistan were sending out 5,000 trained youths, the manpower for the rebel outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir may not easily squeeze. He said anti-militancy operations would be further strengthened and he praised the role of the police. He said after snow would cover higher border belts militants may come to the lower heights and carry out subversive activities in the villages. He said to foil such a plan steps would be taken to prevent the rebels to operate from the villages. General Khanna favoured political solution to the ongoing turmoil and said the ongoing military action would force the rebels to resume talks. He blamed Pakistan for having sabotaged the proposed peace talks between the Hizbul Mujahideen and the government. He said in the ongoing proxy war a stage was bound to come when the militants would favour resumption of peace parleys. |
|
76 youths cross over to
PoK SRINAGAR, Sept 21 — A group of 76 youths from Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir have crossed over to PoK for arms training, while another group of 37 youths has reached the Poonch area and is ready to cross over, a BSF spokesman claimed here today. The border crossing, according to the spokesman for the Border Security Force (BSF), has been confirmed by one militant identified as Abu Tahir of Doda district. He reportedly surrendered before security forces yesterday in South Kashmir along with his arms and ammunition. The spokesman claimed that he had been kidnapped and inducted into Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen by two Pakistani militants in the first week of July. “When he resented, he was tortured continuously for five days and kept on sedatives for 15 days. Finally he was being taken for arms training in PoK via Doda-Kishtwar-Daksun-Anantnag and Tral hills. En route he was tortured for his reluctance to join militancy”, the BSF spokesman stated. Meanwhile, two militants were killed and six others were injured in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since yesterday. A police spokesman here stated that one militant was killed in an encounter with the SOG of police and the BSF in Miskeen Bagh of the Khanyar area of Srinagar city. He was identified as Tariq Ahmad Bhat, alias Irfan, alias Farooq of Asham, Safapore, from whose possession a loaded pistol and a rocket were found. A foreign militant belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba was killed in an encounter with security forces at Wagub, Sopore in Baramula district. The police said a group of militants attacked a camp of the security forces. The fire was returned. Abu Mugalla of the LeT was killed while his associates managed to escape. One AK rifle, three magazines, 30 rounds of AK ammunition and one disposable rocket launcher were found at the site of the encounter. At least six pedestrians were injured, two of them seriously when unidentified militants hurled a grenade in main bazar, Khudwani in Anantnag district yesterday. Two seriously injured were shifted to the SKIMS here, police said. |
|
|
Qureshi opposed to
tripartite talks JAMMU, Sept 21 — The state unit of the Congress has opposed tripartite talks so long Pakistan continued cross border terrorism. Instead of holding talks, the Congress party president Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, said with Pakistan, possibilities of initiating dialogue with separatists and militant outfits should be explored. Qureshi told newsmen here today there were no harm in holding talks with any group of separatists or individuals in the interest of peace. The PCC chief blamed the Union Home Ministry for having “bungled” while initiating talks with a section of the Hizbul Mujahideen. He said Abdul Majid Dar did not have mandate of the party supremo from across the border and hence the talks failed to take off. He said talks with leaders like Abdul Gani Lone, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and others could be initiated as they were identifiable and in the past had got elected to the state assembly and had taken oath of allegiance to the Constitution. Mr Qureshi wanted the state government to improve its functioning and check misuse of funds. He said the government functioning should be made transparent and those holding key posts should be accountable. He said it was unfortunate that migrants from the border areas of the Jammu sector have remained neglected for the past one year. He assured that the Congress would try to provide assistance to the migrants as far as it was possible for the organisation. In reply to a question, Mr Qureshi admitted that the Congress had been weakened in Jammu and Kashmir by dissidence. He said as the PCC chief he was trying to resolve the problem. He said there were differences in other political parties even those who differed with the PCC leaders were loyal to the party. He said assessment team would be constituted to tour the state and recommend names for party elections and the exercise would be completed by the end of November. He said as the PCC president his job was to revive the Congress so that it acted as a suitable alternative to the National Conference because majority of people were fed up with the ruling NC and wanted to support the Congress. |
|
Pak shelling in
Uri continues SRINAGAR, Sept 21 (UNI) — Pakistanis from across the border continued to shell the northern sector, damaging some houses in Uri, while six militants, including two foreigners, and two security personnel were among 10 persons killed in the state during the past 24 hours. Six civilians were injured in a grenade attack last evening. An official spokesman said unprovoked shelling by Pakistani troops from across the border continued in Keran, Karnah, Machil, Nowgam and Uri sectors since last evening. Some houses were damaged in the shelling in the Uri sector, though none was injured. Pakistani shelling began after Indian troops scuttled their attempt to capture a post in Nowgam sector early yesterday. About 10 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory action by Indian troops. One Indian soldier also lost his life and three others were wounded. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 120 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
