J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Plan to poison water sources detected
JAMMU, Nov 5 — Security agencies, engaged in operations against militants in Jammu and Kashmir have seemingly been worried over the new strategy being adopted by Pakistani agencies which may spell disaster in the state.

ANC plans all-party convention
SRINAGAR, Nov 5 — The Awami National Conference of the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mr G.M. Shah, will hold a public meeting here this week as part of its move to involve all sections of society to find a “solution to the Kashmir problem”.

Tight security for Jammu bandh today
JAMMU, Nov 5 — Elaborate security arrangements have been made to maintain law and order during the Jammu bandh tomorrow the call for which has been given by the Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Front and several student organisations.

Plan to poison water sources detected
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 5 — Security agencies, engaged in operations against militants in Jammu and Kashmir have seemingly been worried over the new strategy being adopted by Pakistani agencies which may spell disaster in the state.

According to official sources, the militants had a plan to use a powder for poisoning drinking water sources at different places to create a scare, tension and carry out mass destruction. This aspect of the gameplan was found out when security agencies smashed an arms dump near Trehgam forest belt in Kupwara district, where they found packets containing “water poisoning” substances.

The sources said that this indicated that rebels had become desperate after the security agencies mounted intensified operations against them in various parts of the state. In addition to this, some bottles of acid have been seized which were possibly to be used for attacking the targets.

The security forces have also demolished three transit camps, near Bandipora, Poonch and Rajouri. These transit camps, like the one set up by the Army during their movement from place to place, were being used by the militants soon after they infiltrated into the state. These camps had no weapons and ammunition except a large number of bags of wheat, atta, rice and other eatables.

From “each transit camp” more than three dozen utensils, including large-sized ‘patilas’ in which food for a big number of the “campers” can be cooked, revealed that these had been set up to accommodate more than 100 rebels at a time.

In the meantime, five activists of Jash-e-Mohammad were arrested by the security forces in the interior of Srinagar recently. During preliminary interrogation they had admitted that the outfits had plans of extending their activities in the old city, which had remained comparatively calm during the past five months.

The expansion of units of Jash-e-Mohammad is said to have jeopardised the plan of pro-Pakistan forces to revive Al Umar, which was once headed by dreaded Mushtaq Lattram. Mushtaq Lattram had been released along with two other jailed rebels in exchange for 250 IA passengers, who had been held hostage in Kandahar over a year ago. After his release, Lattram had crossed over to Pakistan. He has been on the lookout for an opportunity to cross back into Kashmir and strengthen his Al Umar, which had lost its teeth after his arrest in 1995. But his supporters, especially his close relations, have advised him not to infiltrate into Kashmir where he could be eliminated.

In the light of these developments, including gradual spurt in militancy-related violence in parts of south Kashmir, Budgam and Baramula districts, the counter-insurgency operations are being reframed. A senior Government official said that after government offices had closed in Srinagar, to be opened in Jammu tomorrow, as part of the biannual ‘durbar-moving’ exercise, security agencies were not under as much pressure as before.

“As long as the Government offices were open in Srinagar, our men had to provide security cover to VIPs, ministers, legislators, senior bureaucrats,” he said. He explained that this exercise would keep the security forces on tenterhooks and most of their attention would be diverted to the safety of VIPs. “Now that we had enough forces at our command, counter-insurgency operations will be stepped up in Kashmir shortly,” he added.

ANC plans all-party convention
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Nov 5 — The Awami National Conference (ANC) of the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mr G.M. Shah, will hold a public meeting here this week as part of its move to involve all sections of society to find a “solution to the Kashmir problem”.

Mr Shah, President of the ANC, is expected to announce the date for the all-party convention to discuss and find a solution to the issue. Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has already accepted the invitation from his brother-in-law for the convention. The convention, according to the Chief Minister would be held at Sher-e-Kashmir Park, instead of Mujahid Manzil, old office of the ruling National Conference. The Mujahid Manzil complex was gutted in a fire in early 1990’s. Mr Shah had recently issued a letter to 57 mainstream and separatist leaders for discussions “for bringing about a consensus for the settling the Kashmir problem”.

Earlier, the public meeting of ANC was scheduled to be held at Sher-e-Kashmir Park here tomorrow, but in view of the death of Shia leader, Aga Syed Mehdi on Friday last, it has been deferred. Party sources told TNS that the civil administration would be approached for seeking permission to hold the public meeting latest by Thursday.

The former Chief Minister, Mr C.M. Shah, early last month had stated that he would be inviting all political parties to reach a settlement on the Kashmir problem. He wrote a letter to 57 prominent leaders of political parties, intellectuals and professionals. They included the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Hurriyat Conference leaders and Dr Karan Singh. The letter urged these leaders to “sit together and deliberate over issue, enabling right thinking people to arrive at a consensus for achieving a lasting solution of the problem”.

Mr Shah had earlier last year joined hands with the senior separatist leader, Mr Azm Inquilabi, to constitute the Quomi Mushawarati Council “for peaceful and negotiated settlement of the Kashmir issue”. It had also hailed the ceasefire decision taken by the Hizbul Mujahideen in July last.

Through his open letter issued here yesterday, Mr G.M. Shah has urged all people belonging to different sections of the society to “initiate the peace process through dialogue”. “We must pressurise the parties to have a tripartite conference. This can be achieved only by the people. It cannot be the task of any one single party or forum...” he said.

Tight security for Jammu bandh today
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 5 — Elaborate security arrangements have been made to maintain law and order during the Jammu bandh tomorrow the call for which has been given by the Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Front and several student organisations.

Official sources said additional police and paramilitary forces would be deployed in various sensitive areas tomorrow to prevent supporters of the bandh to disrupt peace. The call has been given in support of the demand for immediate reorganisation of the state so that the Jammu region could get the status of a state.

Even the Jammu Bar Association has announced to strike work tomorrow in protest against continued “discrimination” of the people of the region.

Though the BJP, the Congress and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) are not supporting the bandh call tacit support from other constituents of the Sangh Parivar is likely to evoke some response to the bandh call.

What assumes significance to this call for a bandh is that government offices will reopen here tomorrow after a gap of six months.