J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Reorganise J&K, demands front
NEW DELHI, Nov 23 — The Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Front has demanded reorganisation of the state to create states of Jammu, Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh.

State govt to tighten security on highway
JAMMU, Nov 23 — Emphasis was laid on tightening security on the 300-km-long Jammu-Srinagar highway where sporadic incidents of massacres had taken place during the past several months, including the killing of five truckers yesterday.

Bandh hits life in Jammu
JAMMU, Nov 23 — Notwithstanding Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s announcement that a judicial probe would be ordered to inquire into the massacre of five truckers near Banihal yesterday, a complete bandh was observed in Jammu today.

Cop, wife among 4 killed in J & K
SRINAGAR, Nov 23 — Four persons, including a policeman and his wife, were killed and two others injured in Jammu and Kashmir, where security forces arrested nine militants since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

Reorganise J&K, demands front
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 23 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Front has demanded reorganisation of the state to create states of Jammu, Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Talking to mediapersons here, the convener of the front, Mr Tilak Raj Sharma, said they had held meetings with leaders of various political parties, including the BJP and the Congress, on the issue.

The front members, Mr Yash Bhasin, Mr Abdul Rouf Ghanai, Prof K.L. Bhatia, Prof Virender Gupta and Mr Ramesh Sabarwal, said that Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh were three different entities, separate from each other geographically, historically and culturally. Nature has created them distinct from each other with Pirpanjal separating the Jammu region from the Kashmir valley and Zojilla Pass separating Ladakh from Kashmir.

“The three regions have distinct urges and aspirations different from each other,’’ said Mr Gupta, who is also president of the Jammu Mukti Morcha.

The members said that Kashmiri ruling leadership has been dominating the other two regions and various sections in the Kashmir valley since independence. Jammu and Ladakh regions have been facing discrimination and injustice, they charged.

The front members said the Jammu region has an area of about 26,000 sq km, Ladakh is spread over an area of 96,000 sq km and the Kashmir valley over 16,000 sq. km. “Jammu and Kashmir regions have almost equal population but the allocation of seats in the state assembly has always being discriminatory against the Jammu region. It has been allotted 37 seats where as Kashmir valley has 46 seats and Ladakh only four,” they said, adding that while the electorate in Jammu region was 2 lakh more than the Kashmir valley, Jammu has only two Lok Sabha seats compared to three for Kashmir.

“This arbitrary discriminatory action of the ruling Kashmiri clique has put the Jammu region at political disadvantage with Kashmir continuing to have its political and administrative hegemony over other two regions, they said. Condemning the autonomy resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir legislature, they said that it could lead to dangerous repercussions.

State govt to tighten security on highway
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 23 — Emphasis was laid on tightening security on the 300-km-long Jammu-Srinagar highway where sporadic incidents of massacres had taken place during the past several months, including the killing of five truckers yesterday.

Two separate meetings were held here today to review the security situation in the state following an increase in the activities of the militants, besides a spurt in Pakistani firing on Indian border villages and posts.

At a meeting of the Unified Headquarters, senior Army officers, including Lieut-Gen A.S. Khanna, Corps Commander, besides the police chief, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, stressed the need for improving security in areas inhabited by minorities. The Chief Minister and other state officials said attempts would be made by Pak-trained militants and other pro-Pakistan forces to intensify attacks on soft targets to wreck peace talks.

The security agencies, especially the Army, were urged to step up counter-infiltration on the LoC and the International Border following reports that Pakistani agencies were trying to push large groups of rebels in the valley. They felt security cover around vital government and defence installations in the state should be strengthened.

The Additional Special Security, Union Home Ministry, Mr T.R. Kakkar, Director-General Military Operations, Lieut-Gen Sihota, the DGP, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, and the Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitley were closeted with the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, where they discussed measures to foil the activities of militants.

Mr Kakkar and Lieut-Gen Sihota flew to Jammu this morning to review the security scenario that had emerged after the killing of the truckers near Banihal.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has called for sanctions against Islamabad which could force Pakistan to stop aiding terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

Talking to several Sikh delegations that met him here today, the Chief Minister said the highway was the lifeline to the valley and Pakistan was trying to snap the supply line.

He directed the Minister of State for Home, Mr M.A. Lone to finalise the cases regarding the grant of ex gratia relief and compensation to the families of the truckers.

Bandh hits life in Jammu
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 23 — Notwithstanding Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s announcement that a judicial probe would be ordered to inquire into the massacre of five truckers near Banihal yesterday, a complete bandh was observed in Jammu today.

Normal life was totally paralysed following full response to the call for bandh given by various transport association, traders’ unions and social and political organisations in protest against the massacre of five innocent truck drivers.

Transporters staged a series of demonstrations in the city since yesterday. Today the transporters and all those connected with the transport agencies took out a big procession in the city, shouting slogans against the militants who massacred the truckers. At a couple of places people, mostly belonging to the Sikh community, staged a dharna on the roadside, demanding immediate compensation to the bereaved families and jobs to the wards of the deceased.

As a result of the bandh most of the shopping centres remained closed. Transport services within the city, on the inter-district and inter-state routes were totally suspended.

Most of the educational institutions remained closed as neither the students nor the teachers could reach the institutions in the absence of transport services. Work in government offices, banks and other public sector undertakings was badly hit by the bandh. Near Chatha, on the outskirts of the city, protesters squatted on the road with the body of a driver slain by the militants, demanding adequate compensation for the bereaved family and a job for the son of the slain driver.

Since yesterday the city has been gripped by a wave of anger and dismay. Several Sikh organisations held meetings in different gurdwaras protesting against the massacre, which was the second on the national highway during the past 10 months. They demanded foolproof security cover for the transporters plying their vehicles on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

In a number of areas in the city protesters had raised road blocks to prevent the movement of vehicles. Certain protesters stoned three-wheelers and matadors and burnt tyres on the roads to enforce total strike.

Two major protest rallies were taken out in the city, one by transport operators and another by the Shiv Sena. The protesters shouted anti-Pakistan slogans. The demonstration organised by the Shiv Sena was lathicharged when the protesters turned violent. The demonstrators hurled stones on the police. At least 10 persons, including four newspersons, were injured.

More than 20 vehicles were damaged in different parts of the city by the demonstrators. Mr T.S. Wazir, President of the Jammu Kashmir Motor Transport Association, said the movement of trucks on the Jammu-Srinagar highway would remain suspended till the government took adequate measures to protect the lives of truck operators.

He said he had suggested to the government to carve out security zones at three places between Qazigund and Udhampur in order to ensure security to the transport operators against militant attacks. So far, nothing of the sort had been done, he added.

Cop, wife among 4 killed in J & K

SRINAGAR, Nov 23 (PTI) — Four persons, including a policeman and his wife, were killed and two others injured in Jammu and Kashmir, where security forces arrested nine militants since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

The policeman Ghulam Hassan, and his wife Mehbooba were killed by the militants who raided their house at Hanjibugh village in Badgam district in central Kashmir late last night, he said.

Unidentified gunmen shot dead a civilian, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, at Tarigam in Anantnag district, the spokesman said. Security forces shot dead a Lashker-e-Toiba militant at Peer Rattan Shah in Poonch district last night.

Two Home Guard volunteers were injured in a militant attack at Dalpad in Doda district last evening, he said.

Two Pakistan-trained militants were arrested from Utligam-Chewadara in Badgam district today, he said. A Hizbul Mujahideen militant Maqbool Dar was arrested from Tullamulla area in Srinagar today. Dar was wanted in a number of militancy-related crimes.

A close associate of dreaded militant Mustafa Khan and a government employee Ghulam Nabi Qadri was arrested from his house at Tarhama of Baramula district yesterday. Security forces arrested three militants from Sheikhpora and Kangan areas of Srinagar and seized 12 kg of explosives and three grenades and a wireless set from them, he said.

Two other militants were arrested from Doda district along with 10 kg of RDX and six mortar shells.