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| Thursday, March 15, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Militants fire at BSF post, PDP man’s house Hurriyat leaders
in dilemma Custodial killing: protests continue 4 killed as Matador
falls into gorge |
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Militants fire at BSF post, PDP man’s house Srinagar, March 14 Militants fired on the house of PDP leader Ghulam Mohammad Bhat at Payer in Pulwama district last evening but fled when police guards posted there returned the fire, he said. No casualty was reported in the shootout which lasted 15 minutes, the spokesman said. Militants threw a grenade at a BSF security picket in Soura on the outskirts of Srinagar which missed its target and exploded near it without causing any damage. They engaged security personnel in an exchange of fire at Ratsuna in Beerwah area of Badgam district. However, no one was injured in the firing, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, security forces arrested a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Fayaz Ahmad Bhat from Chatergam village of Pulwama district last evening and seized an AK assault rifle, three magazines and 86 rounds of ammunition from him.
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Hurriyat leaders
in dilemma Jammu, March 14 When the ceasefire was enforced on November 27 it was presumed that the government would initiate direct or indirect talks with the separatist groups, especially the APHC. However even with the passage of over 100 days of no combat operations against the militants, there has been no significant progress on any front. Talks were not held with APHC leaders and its five-member team was not allowed to visit Pakistan. In the light of these developments, the APHC finds itself cornered. Walking a tightrope, five of the seven members of the executive committee of the APHC found themselves caught in a rift with the hardliners, headed by Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani. After Jamat-e-Islami rejected the APHC plea for recalling Mr Geelani from the conglomerate, the APHC leadership tried to create a situation in which he would be forced to quit by not inviting him to the executive committee meeting held in Srinagar yesterday. The APHC, Chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, said Mr Geelani was not invited because the executive members wanted to discuss the latest stand taken by the Majlis Shoura of Jamat-e-Islami on the nature of the Kashmir dispute. He said the Majlis Shoura had endorsed Mr Lone’s stand that Kashmir was a political and not a religious issue. Mr Geelani had said earlier that the Kashmir issue was a religious and not a political matter which had brought him in direct conflict with other members of the APHC executive committee. Observers said had there been no difference of opinion or approach between the moderates and the hardliners there should have been no problem for the APHC leadership to invite Mr Geelani to yesterday’s meeting. Prof Bhat said in the presence of Mr Geelani a free and frank discussion could not have been possible. This clearly indicates that the APHC leadership sees Mr Geelani as a hurdle in the future plans of the conglomerate. Sources said at one stage, the APHC had thought of expelling Mr Geelani from the conglomerate but it did not take any final decision on the issue because top Hurriyat leaders realised that doing that would invite wrath from the militants and the Pakistani agencies. The Hurriyat leaders are not prepared to risk their lives by openly siding with the Government of India as far as the peace process is concerned. When Prof Bhat was asked whether the APHC welcomed the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s recent statement in Parliament, indicating that talks with various parties would be started soon on the Kashmir issue, he said if the Prime Minister meant talks with only Kashmiri leaders there was nothing new in it. But if he meant holding talks with all parties, including Pakistan, it would be a welcome move. In reply to another question, Prof Bhat said there was difference of “approach” and not difference of “opinion” between him and Mr Geelani. He said this in the context of a call given by Mr Geelani for observing a bandh in Kashmir against the sacrilege of the Koran in Delhi. Prof Bhat said the executive committee of the APHC would meet and decide whether it would support the bandh call. The recent developments in Afghanistan where the Taliban smashed the statues of Buddha too forced the APHC to remain reticent. Prof Bhat while condemning the sacrilege of the Koran, said he and his party were against the desecration of temples and mosques. Asked if he condemned the Taliban “war” against the Buddha statues, he said: “Afghanistan is quite far away from our place. We react only when any sacrilege takes place in India or Pakistan.” The APHC leaders are in a dilemma. If they side with the rebels they may lose a chance for being a party to the peace process and if they adopt a pro-government stance, they would lose face in Kashmir. |
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Custodial killing: protests continue Handwara, March 14 All shops and business establishments in Handwara town of Kupwara district also remained closed in protest against the killing. Traffic was also off the roads as part of the protest against the alleged custodial killing of Shamsuddin Wani, a 42-year-old shopkeeper of Magam. He had reportedly been apprehended by the security forces on Saturday evening. The police has started investigations into the killing of the shopkeeper. Two FIRs have been lodged at the Police Station, Handwara in this regard. One FIR was lodged by the Army yesterday following the death of the suspected militant during searches at a hideout, while another FIR also lodged yesterday was on behalf of the family members of the deceased in the Police Station, Handwara. According to the eye-witnesses, Shamsuddin Wani, was apprehended by the Army from his house on Saturday evening. His body was recovered from Rajwar area on Monday, reports said. The residents who held protest demonstrations for the second consecutive day today, alleged that Wani was tortured to death as his lower limbs and abdomen were found mutilated as a result of the torture. Senior police officers in Baramulla claimed that Shamsuddin Wani was apprehended from his house on Saturday evening and some arms and ammunition were seized from his possession in the presence of his family members. The recoveries included one AK rifle, some magazines and other ammunition. He had been taken to two hideouts for making more recoveries, the police said. No recoveries could be made from one of the hideouts in Rajwar area, but only one blanket was found lying in one of the hideouts. Wani was killed when an IED concealed by suspected militants inside the blanket went off when he was asked to again search out the hideout.
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4 killed as Matador falls into gorge Jammu, March 14 The injured were admitted to Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu. The Matador, carrying a marriage party, was on its way from Kalakote to Thanamandi when the mishap occurred.
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Srinagar, March 14 |
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