The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Sunday, June 3, 2001, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

J A M M U & K A S H M I R

NC delegation meets Pant
Opposes trifurcation
Jammu, June 2
The government’s chief negotiator, Mr K.C. Pant, today completed his first six days’ process of meeting a cross-section of people in the three regions of the valley, Jammu and Ladakh provinces to feel the pulse of the masses which could facilitate sanctioning of political and economic packages by the Centre.

Pak troops target Indian posts
Jammu, June 2
Pakistani Rangers opened fire at Indian border outposts along the international border in Jammu division but caused no injuries or damage, official sources said here today.

Kashir Channel airs Balti show
Srinagar, June 2
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah here on Thursday launched a programme in the Balti language on Doordarshan’s Kashir Channel. The half-hourly programme will be beamed every fortnight at 5.30 p.m.

YOUR TOWN

Jammu
Srinagar

EARLIER STORIES

	Inquilabi pays price for meeting Pant June 2, 2001
	GM Shah sticks to demand for tripartite talks June 1, 2001
	Pant fails to woo Hurriyat May 31, 2001
	J&K Cong leaders meet Sonia May 30, 2001
	Pak firing along border continues May 29, 2001
	VC releases book on Jhelum May 28, 2001
	Feasting in valley, not for invitation May 27, 2001
	APHC has no role to play in talks: Farooq May 26, 2001
	Pro-Pakistan rumblings again May 25, 2001
	BJP favours 5-yr J&K Assembly tenure May 24, 2001

NC delegation meets Pant
Opposes trifurcation
M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 2
The government’s chief negotiator, Mr K.C. Pant, today completed his first six days’ process of meeting a cross-section of people in the three regions of the valley, Jammu and Ladakh provinces to feel the pulse of the masses which could facilitate sanctioning of political and economic packages by the Centre.

Today Mr Pant met 14 delegations in the winter capital, including those from the Chamber of Commerce and Industries, RSS, Jammu Kashmir Nationalist Front and VHP. One National Conference delegation headed by Mriza Abdul Rashid, MP, also met Mr Pant.

Mr Pant had a detailed interaction with senior state government functionaries also wherein he discussed the extend of financial distress which was affecting development works.

Informed sources said the Jammu Kashmir Nationalist Front and the RSS delegations reiterated their demand for a separate statehood for the Jammu region. However, the National Conference delegation opposed such a demand on the plea that trifurcation of the state would affect the unity of the country.

Mr Pant withheld any comment when one delegation after the other made suggestions which ran counter to one another for resolving the Kashmir conflict.

Though Mr Pant stated that the proposed Indo-Pakistan talks had not made his trip to the state meaningless, in the Kashmir valley there was no euphoria over his trip. However, in Jammu at least 30 delegations besides some individuals met Mr Pant.

The stands taken by various political groups in the valley and Jammu were along the expected lines. In Jammu, the Jammu Mukti Morcha delegation discussed in detail the extend of “discrimination” against the people of the region. It explained to Mr Pant that while 70 per cent revenue was earned by the government from the Jammu region, not more than 20 per cent share devolved to its people in the annual budget proposals. It alleged that out of over 1.20 lakh youths given jobs in government departments during the past over four years of the Farooq regime, not more than 20,000 belonged to the Jammu region.

The Mukti Morcha emphasised the need for the trifurcation of the state. Mr Pant said he had not come to the state to offer a “cut and dried solution” to the vexed problem. He had come to understand the difficulties and aspirations of the people of the state.

Agencies which were preparing the list of delegations for a meeting with Mr Pant could not organise a secret meeting between Mahazi Azadi chief, Azam Inquilabi and Mr Pant. This caused a rift in the organisation which may lead to a split.

Pak troops target Indian posts

Jammu, June 2
Pakistani Rangers opened fire at Indian border outposts along the international border in Jammu division but caused no injuries or damage, official sources said here today.

The Rangers opened fire using light arms on six BOP in the Akhnoor and Jammu sectors and two posts in the Kathua sector, the sources said, adding that the Border Security Force troops also retaliated.

The intermittent exchange of fire, which broke out last evening, continued till this morning, they said.

SRINAGAR: Two persons, including a boy, were killed and 32 wounded in a grenade attack by militants at Kupwara bus stand in North Kashmir on Saturday morning, official sources said.

Militants hurled a grenade at the bus stand which hit the fuel tank of a parked bus causing a blast, the sources said.

A boy died instantly while Ghulam Ahmad Mir died in hospital, they said, adding that the injured were admitted to hospital where the condition of eight of them was stated to be critical.

The sources said no one was inside the bus at the time of the blast which took place at around 9.45 a.m. PTI

Kashir Channel airs Balti show
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 2
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah here on Thursday launched a programme in the Balti language on Doordarshan’s Kashir Channel. The half-hourly programme will be beamed every fortnight at 5.30 p.m.

The inauguration telecast live on Kashir Channel and Doordarshan, Srinagar, was announced open by bollywood actor Amrish Puri.

The highlights of the maiden programme included Balti folk dances and lores besides famous Kashmiri ‘Hafiz Naghma’ and a Pashto chorus.

The fortnightly Pashto programme started some time back on the channel on an experimental basis, will be a permanent feature.