J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Hurriyat to meet on Advani’s remarks
Srinagar, March 8
A day after the Centre ruled out any mediatory role for the Hurriyat Conference between India and Pakistan, the conglomerate of separatist groups today said it represented the people of Kashmir, a primary party, and had no intention to act as a mediator.

A paramilitary jawan stands guard atop his armoured vehicle near a minaret of Srinagar’s grand mosque on Thursday. Security was beefed up in the area after suspected militants detonated a bomb near a paramilitary camp on Wednesday evening, damaging the camp building and destroying nearly a dozen residential houses.  — Reuters photo

JKLF chief seeks visa
New Delhi, March 8
Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Amanullah Khan is among the first batch of 26 persons, who have applied for visa to India to participate in a two-day seminar. “Mr Khan is among the first 26 persons who have applied for visa to participate in the two-day conference beginning on March 17,” senior ANC leader and coordinator of the conference Muzzafar Shah said here today.

Hurriyat to meet on Advani’s remarks

Srinagar, March 8
A day after the Centre ruled out any mediatory role for the Hurriyat Conference between India and Pakistan, the conglomerate of separatist groups today said it represented the people of Kashmir, a primary party, and had no intention to act as a mediator.

Reacting to Mr Advani’s remark that the Centre proposed to hold talks with all parties, including the Hurriyat, he said the “Hurriyat will not share the platform with pro-India parties like the ruling National Conference and the Congress as they have no problem with the Centre. PTI

JKLF chief seeks visa

New Delhi, March 8
Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Amanullah Khan is among the first batch of 26 persons, who have applied for visa to India to participate in a two-day seminar.

The two-day seminar “In search of peace and solution” is being organised by the Awami National Conference (ANC) at Jammu from March 17. PTI

All-weather road link on anvil
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 8
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is contemplating a “modern tunnelling system” at the base of Banihal on the Srinagar-Jammu highway to establish an all-weather road link between the Kashmir valley and the rest of the country. This would also overcome the pressure of traffic that has increased four times since the construction of Jawahar Tunnel in late 1950s.

Disclosing this here today, Mr Gautam Kaul, Director-General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), said at a press conference that a proposal in this regard was submitted to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). He said there was a need to think of an up-to-date road link that would suffice for the increasing number to vehicles plying on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only road link between Kashmir and the rest of the country.

The Jawahar tunnel established over four decades before for daily movement of 600 vehicles was at present having 2300 vehicles plying every day between the valley and the rest of the country. The outline of the new tunnel envisaged on Jammu to Srinagar side would be 9 km to 11 km in length beginning from the left side of Banihal town and emerge on the Lower Munda-Verinag road on the valley side.

Mr Kaul said though the project would be costing high it would suffice the needs of the valley in the future years. The expertise utilised for the project would be domestic only as there was much expertise available in the country, he said. He added that a big rush of tourists was anticipated for which there had to be planning.

He said there was no expiry date for the Jawahar tunnel as apprehended earlier. “It can work for centuries”, Mr Kaul stated, adding that maintenance would help a great deal in the life of the existing tubes of the Jawahar tunnel, about 100 km from here, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Referring to the prevalent condition of the Jawahar tunnel, Mr Kaul said the design could be improved and repair work was being done on it. He said during the coming tourist season both the eastern and western tubes of the Jawahar tunnel would be functioning to overcome the increased number of vehicles to and fro the valley. A time table was being set for closure of the eastern tube for repair work to ensure that both the tubes functioned next tourist season, he said.

Mr Kaul also pointed out that the old road link over the Jawahar tunnel was being repaired and widened so that the same was used as an alternate arrangement to lower the increasing pressure on the Jawahar tunnel. He said it would also be thrown open for lighter vehicles during summer months.

Mr Kaul said the announcement of unilateral ceasefire, though delayed, would “bring down the temperature of conflict” in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Since it has been unilateral the other side has not been able to concretise the idea,” Mr Kaul said in reply to questions at a press conference here today at the end of his visit to Kashmir, prior to his superannuation later this month. He said the announcement was made after a “very long time” and regretted that post-ceasefire measures had not been taken. Mr Kaul added that since the decision of unilateral ceasefire was taken after a long gap its results would take more time.

Earlier, the DG, ITBP, had a meeting with senior officers of the police here and reviewed the activities of the paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir during the past one year. Besides, the anticipatory measures for the next six months were also reviewed at his meeting with senior officers and commandants. The ITBP, which looks after the Srinagar-Jammu highway, is also engaged in counter-insurgency operations in parts of south Kashmir.

The DG commented there had been attacks on the ITBP troops, “but it is not something special”. He added that there was a decline in these incidents after the announcement of the unilateral ceasefire.

Mr Kaul said apart from the counter-insurgency operations and looking after the national highway some more social aspects were connected with the duties of the ITBP. He pointed out that these included the first electronic traffic signal post in Leh. This would be useful to the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army as well, he said. Mr Kaul said nine border villages were provided with satellite telephone system in collaboration with the Union Telecom Ministry. “We are only functioning as custodians of the scheme,” Mr Kaul said, adding that 52 more such village satellite telephone systems would be established during the next financial year.

The ITBP was also establishing one battalion in Leh for which requisition for land had been made to the state government, Mr Kaul said. He also disclosed that one battalion headquarters were under development at Udhampur.