J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

2 jawans killed in encounters
SRINAGAR, Nov 2 — Demonstration were held in Handwara town of Kupwara district in north Kashmir today in protest against the ‘‘mysterious killing’’ of six youths near the LoC recently. The authorities have confirmed the death of six youths and the body of one of them has been handed over to the relatives.

Pro-Pak APHC lobby ‘isolated’
NEW DELHI, Nov 2 — Even as the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) is meeting today in Srinagar to chalk out a new course, the pro-Pakistan lobby is getting increasingly isolated within the decade-old movement.

2 jawans killed in encounters
Tribune News Service and PTI

SRINAGAR, Nov 2 — Demonstration were held in Handwara town of Kupwara district in north Kashmir today in protest against the ‘‘mysterious killing’’ of six youths near the LoC recently. The authorities have confirmed the death of six youths and the body of one of them has been handed over to the relatives.

Residents claim that the six youths who had mysteriously disappeared from nearby villages were allegedly killed by the security forces in a ‘‘fake encounter’’ near the LoC on October 26. Five of them were identified as Aijaz Ahmad Wani, Bashir Ahmad Lone, Azad Ahmad Bhat, Aashiq Hussain Bhat and Abdul Majid Bhat.

According to a local news agency, the relatives of these youths visited various security camps from Karnah to Handwara last month, but in vain.

The police today rounded up two brothers, Abdul Rahman Najar and Mohammad Shafi Najar, residents of Badrihal in Handwara area of Kupwara district. They are believed to have been worked as motivators and guides for sending local youths for arms training across the border. The two are being interrogated and the police expect more information from them.

A police spokesman said here this evening that unidentified militants shot dead Shamshada, daughter of Mohammad Akbar Lone, at Paulpora in Tangmarg area of Baramula district in north Kashmir. reports said the teacher was an activist of the ruling National Conference.

The police found the body of Sanullah Bhat of Shounch Paulpora, Pattan, today from Veelo Kralpora. Further investigations into the case are in progress.

A jawan and a self-styled district commander of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, Abu Umar Talabani, were killed and two security personnel were injured in an encounter at Surankote in the border district of Poonch last night.

Two militants were killed in another encounter at Dudasanpain of Rajouri district. Two assault rifles, 17 magazines with 119 rounds, four grenades and a wireless set were recovered from them.

A jawan and a civilian were killed in an encounter in Lah Planger area of Thanamandi. The militants escaped after the shootout.

An IED planted by militants at Lassana-Surankote in Poonch district was detected and neutralised by securitymen, averting a possible tragedy.

Militants attacked security pickets with grenades at Sarafkadal and Badamwari in downtown Srinagar, seriously injuring a jawan last evening.

Pro-Pak APHC lobby ‘isolated’
From Satish Misra
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 2 — Even as the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) is meeting today in Srinagar to chalk out a new course, the pro-Pakistan lobby is getting increasingly isolated within the decade-old movement.

From all available accounts of several meetings of the extended Executive Committee, held on October 23 and 24, and of the Executive Commitee on October 31, the former Hurriyat Chairman, Mr Syed Ali Shah Gillani, who has all along been one of the most ardent supporters of Islamabad, was cornered at the meetings, resulting in his reported threat to withdraw from the organisation.

Mr Gillani was literally “isolated”, a top source told The Tribune, adding that the former Chairman told the meeting that if the members considered him to be an obstacle, then he was ready to withdraw. At the two-day meeting of the extended Executive Committee last month, the members, particularly the chairman of the Kashmir Bar Council, Mr Nazir Ronga, minced no words, saying that the Hurriyat must get its fundamentals on track.

Former APHC Chairman Mirvaiz Umar Farooq did a lot of plain speaking on October 31, stating that it was time for serious rethinking as the movement was losing support in the West as well as in Islamic countries.

Mr Ronga questioned the Hurriyat leaders, asking them as how could they call their struggle a “jehad”. It was a contradiction in terms, the Kashmir Bar Council chief said, adding that the jehad was waged only against “Kafirs” (non-believers). Either the Hurriyat should stop claiming to represent Hindus and Buddhists from Jammu and Ladakh or cease to call the struggle a jehad, he said. “If we are not representing Jammu and Ladkah, then do we stand for the trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir?” he reportedly asked.

It was a political struggle and should be settled politically, Mr Ronga said.

At this point, the People’s Conference leader, Mr A.G. Lone, stood up and said it was time for a dialogue with New Delhi and Pakistan could be roped in later. Mr Lone said the Hurriyat should also participate in the local panchayat elections as it would help the organisation to reach out to the people. The APHC Executive Committee should be further expanded to make it more broad-based, he added.

On the October 31 meeting, Mr Mirvaiz Umar Farooq, who recently returned from abroad, came out in the open, saying that nobody in the West was talking about freedom in Kashmir but the biggest concern there was Islamic fundamentalism.