J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

PM clears Lone’s visit to Pak
NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — The Government has reportedly decided to issue travel documents to the senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone whose son Sajjad is due to marry Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Amanullah Khan’s daughter Asma this weekend in Rawalpindi.

Centre in contact with Hizbul, says George
NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — Defence Minister George Fernandes said today that the government was in contact with the Hizbul Mujahideen and other militant groups in the Kashmir valley but ruled out any talks until there was a conducive situation.

2 Hizb activists killed
SRINAGAR, Nov 13 — Three militants, including two activists of Hizbul Mujahideen, were killed and three persons wounded in militancy-related incidents in the Kashmir valley today, an official spokesman said.

No ‘differences’ with Farooq on J&K issue
NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — Defence Minister George Fernandes said today that doors were open for a dialogue with militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir and emphatically denied differences between the Centre and the state on the approach to resolve the Kashmir issue.

3 hurdles to panchayat poll
JAMMU, Nov 13 — There are three hurdles in holding panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir on January 5, 8 and 11.

Taxation advisory panel set up
JAMMU, Nov 13 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a 15-member taxation committee. The committee will recommend measures to bring tax administration in tune with national policy on tax structure enforcement.

Snow in Kashmir's higher areas
SRINAGAR, Nov 13 — Upper reaches of the Kashmir valley experienced season's first snow while plains had light rains, ending the long dry spell.

Two martyrs cremated
JAMMU, Nov 13 — The mortal remains of subedar S.K. Limbu and havildar Janak Raj of Gorkha Rifles were cremated with full military honours at Batote, 120 km from here, last evening, an Army spokesman said here today.

Passport service streamlined
JAMMU, Nov 13 — The Jammu passport office has issued 7,595 passports out of 8,096 applications received for issuance of passports last year. The office rendered 333 miscellaneous services and earned a revenue of Rs 26,29,816 during the year.

PM clears Lone’s visit to Pak
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 13 — The Government has reportedly decided to issue travel documents to the senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone whose son Sajjad is due to marry Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Amanullah Khan’s daughter Asma this weekend in Rawalpindi.

Travel documents are likely to handed over to Prof Lone in the next two days, sources said adding that the decision was taken at the Prime Minister’s level who is said to have intervened in the case.

As per the direction, two officials of the Ministry of External Affairs went yesterday to Prof Lone for collecting his photographs and sample of his signatures. The Hurriyat leader was in the Capital till today. He had been camping here for the last few days for getting his passport. He left for Jammu enroute to Srinagar where he is likely to receive his travel documents.

Travel documents are being issued for a limited period of one month and Prof Lone would be able to travel to Pakistan only, sources said.

Meanwhile, about 50 persons from India, mostly from Jammu and Srinagar, are expected to travel to Rawalpindi for participating in the marriage which is going to attract a lot of media attention.

Prof Lone’s visit to Pakistan is sure to get a lot of international attention also as there is a strong likelihood of a meeting between the Pakistan’s Chief Executive Officer, Gen Pervez Musharraf and the senior Hurriyat leader.

Earlier, Prof Lone had told UNI that he had put in an application at the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Srinagar “a long time back” intimating them about his son’s wedding. He received a reply on September 19 saying that the application had been forwarded to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Meanwhile the Pakistan High Commission is issuing entry visas at the recommendation of Prof Lone, sources said.

Kashmir Times Editor Ved Bhasin, Academician Balraj Puri, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Forum President Bhushan Bajaj and journalist Pushp Saraf are likely to travel to Rawalpindi to attend the wedding ceremony.

Former Hurriyat Chairman Mirvaiz Umar Farooq, who is currently on a visit to Qatar where a meeting of the OIC is going on, will also be attending the wedding ceremony.

Hurriyat Chairman Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, former Hurriyat Chairman S.A.S. Gillani, JKLF Chief Yasin Malik, who had also applied for passport, are not being given travel documents, sources said.

Centre in contact with Hizbul, says George

NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (UNI) — Defence Minister George Fernandes said today that the government was in contact with the Hizbul Mujahideen and other militant groups in the Kashmir valley but ruled out any talks until there was a conducive situation.

The minister said where was the question of talks if Pakistan continued to abet terrorism in the state.

He said the Hizbul Mujahideen had initiated the process for the talks with the government but Pakistan had interfered and seen to it that it was stalled.

2 Hizb activists killed

SRINAGAR, Nov 13 (PTI) — Three militants, including two activists of Hizbul Mujahideen, were killed and three persons wounded in militancy-related incidents in the Kashmir valley today, an official spokesman said.

Two Hizb militants, one of them identified as Mohammad Abbass Wani, were killed by the Rashtriya Rifles troops during search operations at Wahilbala in Anantnag district in South Kashmir early today, he said.

Two AK assault rifles, six magazines and 30 rounds of ammunition were-recovered from the slain ultras.

Security forces also killed a militant at Walterpora in Badgam district of Central Kashmir today.

He said militants shot at and critically wounded a counter-insurgent Abdul Hamid Bhat of Ikhwan in Anantnag district this afternoon. Bhat was rushed to the Army hospital.

Two security personnel were wounded when militants attacked their picket with a grenade at Firdous cinema in downtown Srinagar last evening, he said.

About 40 houses, a mosque and a government guest house were damaged in artillery and mortar shelling by Pakistani troops in Gurez and Kanzalwan sectors.

Official sources told UNI that Pakistani troops fired more than 40 artillery and mortar shells from across the border targeting civilian areas and security force installations in Gurez and Kanzalwan sectors in North Kashmir last evening.

Sources said most of the shells landed in civilian areas causing damage to about 40 houses and other structures besides completely damaging a mosque and a government guest house.

However, none was injured, sources said.

Sources said Indian troops also retaliated and the intermittent exchange of shelling between Pakistani and Indian troops continued throughout the night.

No ‘differences’ with Farooq on J&K issue

NEW DELHI, Nov 13 (PTI) — Defence Minister George Fernandes said today that doors were open for a dialogue with militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir and emphatically denied differences between the Centre and the state on the approach to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Commenting on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s recent remarks taking exception to Central leaders and Army Chief Gen S. Padmnabhan labelling the Kashmir problem as “political”, Mr Fernandes said “Farooq understands what we are saying”.

The Defence Minister said as far as external interference in Jammu and Kashmir was considered, it was essentially a “military problem” while within the state it was a “political issue”.

“Farooq has recognised that we should talk to Kashmiri militant groups as we did with the Hizbul Mujahideen. When you talk you are discussing how and why of what has been happening in the state”, Mr Fernandes said on the fringes of the annual National Cadet Corps (NCC) meeting here.

“So when we talk to militant groups, it is a means to find out how to resolve the issue and that is what is meant by ‘political’ problem”, the minister said.

Asked about the forthcoming visit of the Myanmar military junta strongman, Mr Maung Aye, the Defence Minister said it was aimed at taking measures to deal with insurgency problems in the north-east.

Mr Maung Aye, Vice-Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council, would be arriving here on a weeklong visit tomorrow. The first three days of his stay would essentially be a private affair of going on a Buddhist pilgrimage circuit tour from Bodh Gaya.

The Myanmar leader, who is also the effective head of the country’s army, will start his official engagements in the capital from November 17.

Mr Fernandes said talks between the two sides would focus on curbing militancy and avoiding border clashes like that which happened near the Nagaland-Myanmar border early this month.

“Myanmar like us is also affected as militants keep on criss-crossing the borders and often take shelter on their side. They are also having trouble like us in dealing with these insurgents”, Mr Fernandes said.

3 hurdles to panchayat poll
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 13 — There are three hurdles in holding panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir on January 5, 8 and 11.

First, the state government had asked security and intelligence agencies to carry out a survey on the security situation in the state. So far the government has not received any green signal from these agencies.

It would be beyond the resources of the state to provide security to all those contesting elections in view of the boycott call by the All Party Hurriyat Conference. There are 2681 panchayats in the state.

Assuming that three to five persons contest for each seat, it would mean that more than 60,000 candidates would be in the fray. A senior police officer said it would be beyond “our resources” to provide security to all contesting candidates and also guard over 2600 polling centres.

Second, the state government is yet to arrange funds for organising the elections. A ministerial colleague of Dr Farooq Abdullah said at least Rs 25 crore would be needed for holding the panchayat poll in the state. He said, “We need 100 per cent financial assistance from the Centre for meeting the poll expenses and we are not sure whether the Centre will help us.”

He made it clear that “we need the funds in advance. We do not trust any commitment from the Central Government because during the past two years the Union Government has not fulfilled its financial commitments made to us from time to time.”

Third, a section in the ruling National Conference is not willing to take the risk of holding the panchayat poll. This section is apprehensive of the voters’ mood and one senior National Conference leader said, “If we lose the poll it can cast its shadow on the Assembly elections which are due in 2002.” Also, weather may play foul with the government plan. During the month of January large belts of rural areas in Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, upper reaches of Udhampur, Pulwama, Anantnag and Gurez, Tangdhar, Machel and Ladakh areas would be cut off owing to snow.

It may not be easy for the poll staff to make arrangements for the proposed poll. It would not be feasible for the candidates to mobilise voters' support.

Taxation advisory panel set up
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 13 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a 15-member taxation committee. The committee will recommend measures to bring tax administration in tune with national policy on tax structure enforcement.

The Finance Minister, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, is the chairman of the committee.

Other members of the committee are presidents of the chamber of commerce and industry, Kashmir and Jammu, president, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, president, Bari Brahmana Industries Association, Jammu, presidents of Small Scale Industries Association, Gangyal and Digiana, president, Fede-ration Chamber of Industries, Kashmir, Head of Department of Management Studies, University of Jammu, Head of Department of Commerce and Management Stu-dies, University of Kashmir, presidents Bar Associations of Jammu and Srinagar, Principal Secretary and Secretary, Finance Depart-ment, Commissioner Excise and Commissioner, Sales Tax, Mr Mahesh C. Purohit, Professor Nipfp and member secretary (committee of finance secretaries) National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi.

Snow in Kashmir's higher areas

SRINAGAR, Nov 13 (UNI) — Upper reaches of the Kashmir valley experienced season's first snow while plains had light rains, ending the long dry spell.

The holy Amarnath cave, Sheshnag, Mahaguns and Panjtherni had about six inches to one feet of snowfall since last evening while Pahalgam and Khilanmarg, Yusmarg and Deksuh experienced rains. There was a light snow at Zojila on the Srinagar-Leh highway.

Meanwhile, the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh National Highway remained open despite few inches of snowfall since last evening. However, the highway is closed today for maintenance, officials told UNI.

Two martyrs cremated

JAMMU, Nov 13 (UNI) — The mortal remains of subedar S.K. Limbu and havildar Janak Raj of Gorkha Rifles were cremated with full military honours at Batote, 120 km from here, last evening, an Army spokesman said here today.

The soldiers laid down their lives while fighting with militants in the Arinder area of Banihal in Doda district on Friday evening.

Passport service streamlined
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 13 — The Jammu passport office has issued 7,595 passports out of 8,096 applications received for issuance of passports last year. The office rendered 333 miscellaneous services and earned a revenue of Rs 26,29,816 during the year.

The Srinagar passport office issued 8866 passports and rendered 527 miscellaneous services during the past year and earned a revenue of Rs 29,89, 715.