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| Wednesday, January 10, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Crucial Hurriyat meeting tomorrow CPM’s peace plan for J&K J&K seeks funds to fortify jails Press banned from J&K R-Day function |
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| JD (U) urges ultras to reciprocate Migrants ‘part’ of Kashmiri culture 10 cr plan to develop Charar-e-Sharif Qureshi may fly to Kashmir today
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| Crucial Hurriyat meeting tomorrow NEW DELHI, Jan 9 — The All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leadership will meet in Srinagar on January 11 to decide its response following Home Minister L.K. Advani’s statement that passports will not be given to the entire seven-member Hurriyat team to travel to Pakistan. The Hurriyat has been insisting that all seven members of its executive be given travel papers and the composition of team be left to its Chairman, Mr Abdul Ghani Bhat. A Hurriyat spokesman indicated that issuing passports selectively would not be helpful to the peace process and could affect Hurriyat’s decision on going to Pakistan. Mr Advani had said yesterday that only some of the Hurriyat executive members would be given passports. Though Mr Advani did not specify the number of leaders who would be given passports, it is likely that APHC hardliners, who in the recent past have reacted negatively to the moves towards peace, will not be allowed to go to Pakistan. Hurriyat Chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat, who was in the Capital, is leaving for Srinagar tomorrow along with other senior leaders. Indicating that the visit to Pakistan may not commence on January 15, as originally scheduled, Hurriyat leaders blamed it on the “dilly-dallying tactics” in issuing them passports. “We have received no communication from the government so far,” an APHC spokesman said. Following senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone’s remarks about not going to Pakistan, the APHC had decided to leave the composition of its delegation to its Chairman. Mr Lone later clarified that he had offered not to go because he had returned from Pakistan recently. Some Pakistan-based militant group leaders have been insisting on the inclusion of hardline leaders like Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the proposed Hurriyat delegation to Pakistan. On the other hand, some hardline groups in the valley have opposed Hurriyat leaders’ proposed visit. PTI adds: Informed sources in the government said travel documents of four leaders, including Mr Abdul Gani Bhat, had already been cleared while issuance of passports to three other leaders, including Mr Geelani, was still being considered. |
| CPM’s peace plan for J&K JAMMU Jan 9 — The state unit of the CPM has suggested that India and Pakistan should accept its four-point plan which could carry the peace initiative announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to its logical conclusion. Worried over the continued violence in Jammu and Kashmir even after the declaration of the ceasefire the state unit of the CPM has put forth a programme which, it says, could lead to easing of tension between the two countries. Releasing the party’s four-point plan at a press conference here today senior CPM leader, Mr M. Y. Tarigami, who is also a member of the Legislative Assembly, said Pakistan should “effectively use its authority and influence in persuading armed groups operating from its soil to desist from kicking up violence in Jammu and Kashmir.” He said the Pakistan Government should release all political prisoners and ensure the restoration of democratic rights to the people living in Pak-held Kashmir, including northern areas. The Communist leader wanted, as per the party plan, the Centre to make ceasefire a permanent feature and gradually reduce the size of the security forces involved in internal security. Mr Tarigami called upon the Central Government to provide fair and prompt trial to all detainees, languishing in different prisons and release those against whom there was no evidence of having committed any serious offence. The plan also demands substantial relief to the victims of violence and steps for facilitating the return of Kashmiri youths from across the border who wanted to lead a peaceful life. The CPM plan has emphasised the need for both India and Pakistan to “create conducive conditions for people living on both sides of the LoC to meet one another without undue hurdles.” Besides this, suitable mechanism has to be evolved for easy trade and travel between the two countries. Exchange of cultural groups and people-to-people interaction could result in confidence building and removal of mistrust. Mr Tarigami urged all political parties, including the APHC, to initiate steps for “degnified” return of the over three lakh Hindus who had fled from the valley in the wake of militancy in 1990. The plan also calls upon these political organisations to raise their voice against the killing of innocent unarmed people and political activists. He said though the level of violence had subsided in the state after the enforcement of the ceasefire, armed groups operating from across the LoC continued to sabotage the peace process by fomenting violence in one form or the other. He said an atmosphere free of violence was needed to encourage a negotiated settlement of all bilateral problems that had heightened the Indo-Pak conflict. He said Islamabad’s positive response to Mr Vajpayee’s peace initiative was appreciable and time had come when the Ramzan ceasefire and the peace initiative need to be extended to allow a chance to all parties to move forward for a “comprehensive and meaningful dialogue for the settlement of all issues.” |
| J&K seeks funds to fortify jails JAMMU, Jan 9 — Following reports that groups of battle-hardened guerrillas had been pushed into Jammu and Kashmir for carrying armed attacks on jails to secure the release of militants, the state government has approached the Government of India for financial help for upgrading security arrangements in 13 jails of the state. At present there are 1600 detainees in these 13 jails and 80 per cent of them are militants, including those hailing from Pakistan and Afghanistan. The state government has asked the Centre to release Rs 68 crore for the upgradation of the security bandobast in and around these 13 jails. The jail authorities have, in their report admitted that the current security arrangements are not adequate enough to prevent a jail break or storming by the rebels, including fidayeen. The government has made it clear to the Centre that since the state is facing serious financial crisis it is not possible for it to spare even a penny on improving security arrangements in and around the jails. It has been conveyed to the Centre that most of these 13 jails are vulnerable to armed attacks and already Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu had witnessed two major jailbreaks during the past three years. Under the upgradation plan the state government has decided to install close TV circuits for monitoring and screening the movement of militants and those visiting them. All jails will be provided with flood-lights. Additional bunkers are to be constructed and each jail staff member besides the security personnel will be provided with sophisticated wireless sets. In addition, 500- metre to 1 km area around the jails is to be fully sanitised by raising high walls and barbed wire. The state government has explained to the Centre that already the annual expenditure on diet and other facilities to the militants has shown an upward trend. The annual expenses have touched Rs 45 lakh. In Kot Bhalwal jail, where about 300 rebels and other criminals are detained, the daily expenditure on diet and medical treatment has gone up to Rs 30,000. Senior functionaries in the Finance Department said recurring heavy expenses on providing diet and other facilities to the detainees have been one of the factors responsible for the acute resource crunch in the state. They said between 1990 and 1996 more than 3,000 militants will lodged in different jails and interrogation centres thereby causing heavy burden on the state exchequer when the annual expenses on providing basic facilities to these detainees touched Rs 60 lakhs. Jail officials said since members of the International Red Cross had free and easy access to jails for meeting militants the government had to enhance the grants on diet and other facilities for the rebels on the recommendations of these members. | |
| Press banned from J&K R-Day function JAMMU, Jan 9 — The state government has banned the entry of newsmen, including those working for the electronic media, into the Maulana Azad stadium in Jammu which is to be the venue of the main Republic Day function on January 26. No news cameraman or a journalist can enter into the stadium for doing a write-up on security arrangements being made in and around the stadium. When a television channel team reached the gate of the stadium its members were not allowed to go inside. They were not allowed to take pictures. Police sources said that the ban had been imposed till the morning of January 26. When newsmen approached the DIG Intelligence he expressed to intervene pleading for “cooperation” from the men of the print and the electronic media. Similar steps have been taken in Srinagar also. Strict measures have been taken to prevent any visitor from going near the stadium. The stadium stands out of bounds for the sportsmen. Sources said that these measures had been taken in the light of reports that militants may try to disrupt the Republic Day functions as part of their move to sabotage the peace process. One report said that the Pakistani agencies were motivating “Fidayeen” to carry out armed attack on the stadium on the D day by storming into the premises. A couple of days ago two local newspapers published pictures regarding the security arrangements being made inside the stadium. The top brass of the police has initiated disciplinary action against those security personnel who allowed the news cameramen entry into the stadium. | |
| JD (U) urges ultras to reciprocate SRINAGAR, Jan 9 — The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Janata Dal (U) has urged the local militants to “take advantage” of the unilateral ceasefire offered by the Centre as it was useless without being reciprocated. Talking to newsmen at a press conference here today, Mr Ghulam Mohammad Shah, general secretary of the party state unit said: “Ceasefire is unilateral and, therefore, meaningless. Militants will also have to reciprocate”. He said militants should understand that the people of Kashmir who suffered a lot during the past 12 years wanted peace. Mr Shah announced that the JD (U) would launch a campaign against the “wrong policies” of the state government from February in Jammu and Kashmir. “ Our aim is to restore peace in the state”, he said adding that the state suffered both on the fronts of militancy and rampant corruption at bureaucratic level. He blamed both the state and Central Governments for the wrong policies in Jammu and Kashmir. He alleged that the government in the state had been thrust upon the people from New Delhi and not “properly elected” by the people of the state. He lashed out at the wrong policies of the National Conference government during the past four years. The JD (U) leader held that the leaders of All-Party Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference (APHC) had accumulated crores of rupees and demanded that the CBI should investigate into the sources of their property. He added that APHC was not a true representative body of the people of Kashmir as its leaders were elected by the people. | |
| 10 cr plan to develop Charar-e-Sharif JAMMU, Jan 9 (UNI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has finalised an action plan for 2001-2002 for the development of a model town at Charar-e-Sharif. The Rs 10 crore plan was finalised at a high-level meeting presided over by Minister for Housing and Urban Development Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah here yesterday. The meeting also decided that works amounting to Rs 1.06 crore would be executed through R-B, PHE and PDO Department for which a project officer would supervise and submit a periodical report to the government. It was also decided that the Housing and Urban Development Department would approach HUDCO for loan for the construction of commercial complexes at Charar-e-Sharif. The construction of the Town Hall complex would be taken up immediately after the finalisation of the drawing and design by the Jammu and Kashmir Architect Association. For the construction of auditorium and “baitul zarian,’’ the land would be identified by a team of officers. The meeting was told that 70 kanal of land had been identified for the construction of a mini stadium and the plan would be discussed with the sports council shortly. | |
| Migrants ‘part’ of Kashmiri culture JAMMU, Jan 9 — Kashmiri migrants are an integral part of our composite culture and the government is committed for their safe return to the valley. This was by the stated Education Minister, Mr Mohammad Shafi, at the valedictory function of the 10-day long NSS special camp organised by the NSS unit of the MAM College. Mr Shafi was the chief guest on the occasion. Addressing the migrant students, Mr Shafi said the difficulties which they were confronting for the pursuit of their studies had been removed and better arrangement made to complete their studies before the examination. The minister extended good wishes to the students in grappling with the situation, compounded by the upsurge of militancy in the state from across the border. The minister said nothing would come in their way to deter them from carrying on studies for better prospects in life. Extolling the contribution of the Kashmiri community in the socio-economic life the state, the minister said the vacuum had been created in the valley without them and efforts were being made for their safe return. The minister announced Rs 10,000 as financial assistance to the students and Rs 5,000 for the students who presented the cultural programme. |
| Qureshi may fly to Kashmir today NEW DELHI, Jan 9 (UNI) — Mohammed Hashim Qureshi, a founding member of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), who is accused of hijacking an Indian Airlines plane in 1971, will be flown to Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow after the Delhi High Court today vacated a stay on the lower court’s transit remand. In a sudden turn of events, Qureshi withdrew his habeas corpus challenging his second trial in India. “I have instructions from the petitioner’s counsel that he wants to withdraw the petition,” said senior advocate K. T. S. Tulsi. “Without prejudice, we may raise the issue at a subsequent stage at a different forum”, he added.’ |
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