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April 8, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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APHC yet to decide on talks offer:
Lone 2 Hizb ultras die in
shootout Lawyers' march
thwarted Farooq pays tributes to Devi Lal |
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APHC yet to decide on talks offer:
Lone Jammu, April 7 Mr Lone said today that if the Chairman of the APHC, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, had rejected the offer, “it is his personal stand and not that of the APHC.” He told the electronic media here that the APHC Executive Committee comprising seven members would discuss the issue. Prof Bhat made it clear that the APHC had long back decided to reject any offer for talks if the parleys were not preceded by permission for the five-member Hurriyat team to visit Pakistan. He told TNS that “there is no room for talks when the government has refused permission to our team to visit Pakistan.” But Mr Lone seemed to favour talks because he believed that the Kashmir imbroglio could be resolved only through dialogue. “Where have we said we will not agree to talk,” he said, adding that “it was our suggestion to the government to hold talks which could make the unilateral ceasefire a meaningful exercise.” He, however, insisted on permission to the Hurriyat team to visit Pakistan. He said “there will be no storm or cyclone if we visit Pakistan.” In reply to a question, he send those leaders of militant outfits who were of any consequence were across the border. “By visiting Pakistan we could discuss all issues with them and find out from them whether they are for a peaceful solution to the problem or are keen to conquer Kashmir,” he said. Mr Lone lamented “the Government of India is neither sincere nor strong to take quick decisions. What will it talk when it has not been in a position to release our passports for visiting Pakistan”, he added. “We cannot ignore militants and that is why we want to create a conducive atmosphere for talks by holding a dialogue with them.” He suspected the intentions of the Government of India, saying that by inviting all groups and other militant outfits in the proposed talks, the Government of India was trying to sow “seeds of dissension in our camp”. Prof Bhat said by rejecting “our suggestion for a visit to Pakistan, the Government is placing us in a precarious position.” He said the government was interested in its “welfare” without caring for “our safety.” He said when “we suggested to the government that a Hurriyat team be allowed to visit Pakistan, at that stage there was no objection”. Accordingly “we selected a team and spelt our agenda quite clearly”. He said during the past three months, “we came to know that the government was a bit reluctant to clear our visit to Pakistan. We suggested that let four of the seven Executive Committee members hold talks with militant leaders in Pakistan and the remaining with the Government of India.” He said there was no response from the government. in such circumstances, “we have no other alternative but to reject the offer for talks.” Asked if the government had decided to hold direct talks with Pakistan after sidelining the APHC and other rebel groups, Prof Bhat said: “We will welcome it, if such talks yield results. Mr Lone said if the government was sincere in resolving the dispute and restoring peace, it should accept the APHC demand for allowing its team to visit Pakistan. “Let us see what those across the border has to say and those views would be later discussed with the Government of India,” he said. |
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Demand
to include Sikhs in talks Jammu, April 7 The President, State Gurdwara Prabandhak Board, Mr S.S. Wazir, said here today that his organisation and other Sikh bodies wanted all parties concerned to participate. Appreciating the government for its bold step, Mr Wazir urged Kashmiri leaders, especially the APHC leadership, to come forward for a negotiated settlement of the Kashmir problem. He appealed to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to allow the five-member APHC delegation to visit Pakistan to bring round other organisations for the proposed talks. Mr Gurdev Singh, President, state Shiromani Akali Dal, said representatives of Sikhs living in Jammu and Kashmir should also be invited to the talks so taht they could also contribute towards the restoration of peace. Mr Jagdev Singh, another Akali Dal leader, said only the future would tell whether the offer for talks by the BJP-led NDA government was a serious and sincere exercise or a mere eyewash to divert people’s attention from the Tehelka expose. He said if the Hurriyat team was allowed to visit Pakistan, then alone could the talks yield positive results. Mr Paramjeet Singh, President, AISSF, Mr Kultar Singh, President Sikh Youth Sabha, and other Sikh leaders supported the Prime Minister’s peace initiative and said the government would win the world-wide appreciation if the Hurriyat team was allowed to cross the Pakistan for holding talks with rebel leaders there which was necessary for building a suitable atmosphere for the proposed negotiations. |
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2 Hizb ultras die in shootout Srinagar, April 7 The BSF jawan, Constable Vijay Raj, was killed when militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at Nathipora-Wadoora in Sopore area of Baramula district in north Kashmir this morning. Militants triggered the IED possibly with a remote-control when a vehicle of the 84th BSF battalion was crossing the road. The vehicle also suffered damage in the explosion. Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed and five security personnel wounded in a fierce encounter which lasted several hours at Cheerhar village in Watlab area of Sopore today. The encounter broke out when militants hiding in a house opened heavy fire on a search party which had moved there to flush out the militants. Two assault rifles, a wireless set and some ammunition were recovered from the killed militants. The police found the body of a civilian from Nowgan Top in Kokernag area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir last evening. Army troops foiled two infiltration bids in Poonch district of Jammu Division, killing a militant even as Pakistani troops opened fire on an Indian post on Thursday, a defence spokesman said. Troops spotted an infiltrator coming from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Panjani area of Poonch district on April 5, The infiltrator opened indiscriminate fire. The troops retaliated. During a search operation yesterday, troops recovered the body of a militant identified as Muddessar Hamid. A rifle with five magazines and 107 rounds, 96 sniper rifle rounds, a grenade launcher with six grenades, two hand grenades and a multi-purpose knife were recovered from his possession. In another incident, troops observed a group of six ultras moving in a dense forest area, 600 metres inside the LoC, in Kinari area of Poonch. The infiltrators opened fire with heavy automatic weapons on the security forces, who retaliated forcing them to flee. “Pakistani soldiers from the Dheri post also opened fire with approximately 200 rounds of small arms on our side.” During a search of the area, troops recovered a 60 mm mortar with bipod sight and seven 60 mm mortar bombs, 70 plastic explosive sticks, nine RPG boosters and 20 cartridges of 12 boregun.
PTI |
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Lawyers' march thwarted Srinagar, April 7 The lawyers, who had assembled at the Sadder Court complex here to take out the procession, were pushed back by the police contingents at the court’s main entrance, official sources said. The lawyers’ strike began on March 28 against the issuance of a contempt notice by Mr Justice N.A. Kakru to President of Bar Association N.A. Ranga. Mr Ranga alleged that the trouble started when a police constable entered the high court premises with a pistol and tried to kill an employee of the Bar Association. “Instead of appreciating lawyers concern and security perception the judge issued a contempt notice to the President of the Bar Association after a gap of 13 days (on March 28),” the lawyers said. PTI |
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Farooq pays tributes to Devi Lal Jammu, April 7 In a message today, Dr Farooq described him as a messiah of the poor farming community and a veteren freedom fighter who always espoused the cause of the poor, especially farmers, and worked throughout his life for their betterment. Dr Farooq said in his death, the country had been deprived of the services of the one of the few freedom fighters of the Gandhi era. The national and state flags in the state will fly half mast for three days from today as a mark of respect to the departed leader.
UNI |
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