J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

APHC leaders bury differences
JAMMU, Oct 28 — The wedge between two groups in the apex committee, the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, one comprising Chairman of the Peoples’ Conference, Mr Abdul Gani Lone, and the Chief of the JKLF, Mohammed Yasin Malik, and the other consisting of the Chairman of the APHC, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Senior Jamait-i-Islami leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a prominent Shia leader, Moulvi Ansari, has narrowed.

BJP seeks protection for Hindus
JAMMU, Oct 28 — The state unit of the BJP has expressed concern over “gradual attempts” by militants and separatists to force people of the minority community to migrate out of Muslim dominated areas of Poonch, Rajouri and Doda districts.

Ladakh council poll peaceful

LEH, Oct 28 (UNI) — About 45 per cent voters exercised their franchise during the first seven hours of polling in the 26 constituencies in elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council today, which went off peacefully, official sources said.

In all, 74 candidates were in the fray. The National Conference had put up its candidates for all the 26 seats, followed by the Congress 25, Bharatiya Janata Party 15 and Independents eight.

At Turtuk, which hit the headlines last year during the Kargil conflict, people were seen outside polling stations even before the polling started at 7.30 a.m.

The town wore a festive look with people in their traditional dresses proceeding towards the polling booths. Long queues were seen outside polling stations. A good number of those present were women.

Inspector-General of Police Ashok Bhan said security forces had been deployed in strength to ensure free and fair elections.

The Jammu and Kashmir police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel were brought from Srinagar to maintain law and order during the poll. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police was deployed in some constituencies to foil attempts by anti-nationals to disrupt the polling.

The administration had set up 205 polling stations for 68,000 voters, including 33,000 females.

Ballot boxes from the remote and inaccessible polling stations of Lingshet, Yulchung, Nyaraks, Fotoksar, Deepling and Skyumpata of the Lingshet constituency would be brought to Leh by helicopter tomorrow.

The polling station at the housing colony in Leh was the largest with 1,244 voters while the Demjok polling station of the Nyoma constituency had just 12 voters.

More than 800 government employees were deployed on election duty as presiding and polling officers.

The counting of votes will be done at Leh on November 3 and the results are expected by the evening. 

APHC leaders bury differences
From M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Oct 28 — The wedge between two groups in the apex committee, the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), one comprising Chairman of the Peoples’ Conference, Mr Abdul Gani Lone, and the Chief of the JKLF, Mohammed Yasin Malik, and the other consisting of the Chairman of the APHC, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Senior Jamait-i-Islami leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a prominent Shia leader, Moulvi Ansari, has narrowed.

The two groups have pledged to work together. During recent meetings of senior APHC leaders, the two groups discussed issues that had created some misunderstandings between the two sides. In fact, the distance between the two, one favouring Azadi for Kashmir and the other supporting the state’s incorporation with Pakistan, had widened when Mr Lone was defeated by Professor Bhat in the recent election to the post of the Chairman, APHC. Mr Lone and Mr Malik had secretly blamed Syed Ali Shah Geelani for supporting Professor Bhat which resulted in his victory in the election.

It was a face-to-face exchange of views between the two sides Mr Lone is said to have informed APHC leaders that by organising a convention of the People’s Conference, he had not planned to revolt against the APHC. He also made a statement, making it clear that during the convention, he had made some observations which were not meant to slight Pakistan. Mr Lone explained that he may have differences with the Pakistan Government, but not with the people of Pakistan who have “supported us in our struggle for securing the right of self-determination fo rthe people of Kashmir.”

Inside reports say that during the two-day meeting of the committee members of seven top organisations, forming the kernel of the APHC, members directed questions to elicit answers from each of the senior executive members of the APHC. It is during the question-answer session that Mr Lone, Mr Malik, Professor Bhat and Moulvi Ansari pledged to swim of sink together.

According to these reports, agencies across the border have sent a clear warning to the APHC leaders to remain united and bury their misunderstanding if they wanted them to continue their support to the Hurriyat Conference. This warning is said to have brought the two sides closer, at least for the time being. It is also under the instructions from across the LoC that the APHC has decided to broadbase its executive committee by inducting more members form different organisations.

BJP seeks protection for Hindus
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 28 — The state unit of the BJP has expressed concern over “gradual attempts” by militants and separatists to force people of the minority community to migrate out of Muslim dominated areas of Poonch, Rajouri and Doda districts.

This was stated by the party president, Mr D. K. Kotwal, at a press conference here today. Mr Kotwal said that the state government should provide protection to the minorities to preempt an exodus of the kind witnessed in Kashmir when over three lakh Hindus were hounded out of the valley in 1990.

In reply to a question the BJP president said that Pakistan had no locus standi in Kashmir after the instrument of accession was signed making the state part of India.

Referring to the demand for the trifurcation of the state he said the state unit of the party supported the line adopted by the Union Home Minister L. K. Advani, who recently rejected the demand. He said “our stand” on the issue is clear and the BJP is for unity of the three regions. But at the same time to end discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh three regional councils should be formed.

He blamed the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, for “communalising” the situation in Jammu and Kashmir by raking up the issue of restoration of greater autonomy and patronising the demand for trifurcation.

Meanwhile, the convener of Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Front, Mr Tilak Raj Sharma, told newsmen here today that nothing short of trifurcation of the state could resolve the problem of regional disparity.

He said there was nothing communal in the demand as a large number of Muslims including Gujjars supported establishment of separate Jammu state. He said the front would continue its agitation till the state was trifurcated.