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Thursday,
September 13, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Cong rebels gun for Qureshi’s
head Farooq favours global action to curb
terrorism APHC condemns attacks on US
targets Lashkar-e-Jabbar men target unveiled
woman |
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Sema is new CJ of J&K
HC 1 killed, 13 hurt
in IED blasts Ultras torch 3 houses
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Cong rebels gun for Qureshi’s
head Jammu, September 12 After the one-day convention more than 106 PCC members, including over 10 of PCC office-bearers, would leave for Delhi to mount pressure on the AICC leadership to replace Mr Qureshi. Efforts of the dissidents have not so far yielded results as senior AICC members are opposed to a change in the PCC leadership for now. In fact a word was sent through Ms Mohsina Kidwai, who spent three days in Jammu recently, that the dissidents should accept Mr Qureshi as their leader and later on some changes would be carried out to accommodate the disgruntled group in the PCC. Ms Kidwai felt embarrassed when all dissident leaders boycotted her meetings. And some of them who met are individually told her that the dissidents were not in any mood to accept Mr Qureshi as PCC chief. The dissidents have take tough postures and have decided not to invite Mr Qureshi to the proposed convention. Even those who are his staunch supporters are not on the list of invitees. The campaign against Mr Qureshi is not confined to the Jammu region only. In the Kashmir valley Mr Taj Mohiuddin has been in the forefront of the “Qureshi ouster” campaign and in this connection he has, during his recent visit to Delhi warned the AICC leadership that in case Mr Qureshi was not shown the door the Congress would cease to be a political force. What seems to have embarrassed the dissidents is the report sent to the party high command by Mr Qureshi in which he had exposed the involvement of Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, in “pilfering” with the Congress property in Srinagar, which includes the Khidmat Press complex. During the past over three decades the Khidmat Press management used to remain in the hands of the PCC chief. But during the past 12 years Mr Kar as assumed the role of the Chairman of the party assets. Supporters of Mr Qureshi conveyed to the party high command that under the supervision of Mr Kar a new complex was constructed having a big shopping centre and each shop was being auctioned for over Rs 5 lakh and the money was not going to the party’s coffers. Mr Qureshi has been pressing the AICC leadership to force Mr Kar to handover the party property to the PCC chief but the party high command has not succeeded as Kar has taken legal refuge. The anti-Kar lobby in Kashmir has accused Mr Kar of “hobnobbing” with the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to ensure that there was no administrative or police action against him as the chairman of the Khidmat Press complex. The Qureshi camp has also informed Ms Sonia Gandhi that some of the dissidents, especially Mr Kar were in league with the National Conference leadership which could harm the Congress in the state. But the dissidents have denied this charge and have announced to fight against Mr Qureshi and Dr Abdullah. Some of them plan to take some extreme steps if Mr Qureshi was not thrown out and this included either joining other political parties or floating a parallel organisations. |
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Farooq favours global action to curb
terrorism Srinagar, September 12 Talking informally to some mediapersons after swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Justice at Raj Bhavan here today, Dr Abdullah expressed shock and grief over the huge loss of human life in yesterday’s attack in New York and other US cities. The Chief Minister said the yesterday’s incident should leave no room for complacency that the other nations would be spared by terrorists. The events have proved that terrorists can do anything they like and they are least concerned about human rights and humanity, he said. He said the world has no option but to face this worst-ever challenge and work jointly to finish terrorism. He said our Prime Minister and Foreign Minister should raise the issue of terrorism strongly at the UNO and seek world help and cooperation in rooting it out. Dr Abdullah allayed apprehensions about human rights violations and said that clear instructions had been issued to security forces that while they were free to deal with militants with a heavy hand, they would have to ensure that no innocent was harmed. Anybody found violating human rights would be punished, he said. To a question on Hurriyat Conference leaders denying his claim of contesting elections, Dr Abdullah said they were scared of terrorists and that is why they were coming out with such statements. He said he was still confident that many Hurriyat leaders would join electoral fray once the level of terrorism came down in the valley. When asked to comment on Pakistan President Musharraf’s condemnation of terrorist attacks on the USA, Dr Abdullah said all such statements were meaningless unless these were matched by “genuine actions.” He asked how anybody could accept such condemnation when several militants and jehadi organisations were functioning openly and flourishing with government support in Pakistan. He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had seen the ugliest face of terrorism during the past 12 years. The Chief Minister warned the Pakistani President that the jehadi groups that were being propped up by it against India would prove disastrous for Pakistan as some day they would turn their guns towards it. He reminded Pakistan of Prime Minister Vajpayee’s speech at Gurez in which he had said, “We can change friends, not the
neighbours” and said both countries should live in peace and build up friendly relations. Dr Abdullah hoped that when Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Musharraf meet at New York later this month, they would discuss the effects of terrorism and take steps to put an end to this ugly chapter. He said the state has suffered immensely after the Agra summit as militants had stepped up violent activities. Replying to a question about steps taken to deal with militancy, the Chief Minister said the state government was keen to strengthen state laws meant to deal with terrorists. He said the government was examining a law enacted by the Maharashtra government in this regard and would take the necessary steps to adopt it if found useful. |
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APHC condemns attacks on US
targets Jammu, September 12 The condemnation of the attacks from the BJP, the Congress and the National Conference is
understandable but the Chairman APHC, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, caused a flutter when he also condemned the act. He said “I condemn the incident in letter and spirit because it has resulted in massive destruction in the USA and in the death of several thousand people.” Prof Bhat said he hoped that the US Government did not punish “those not involved in the strike.” He said let the US Government hold a thorough probe and punish the culprits but not carry out strikes against those who “are not involved in it.” He wanted the world community to address issues which had prompted the growth of global terrorism. He said: “We should learn to live in peace and as decent human beings.” This was possible if the world leaders took note of some burning issues which might be spotted in the Kashmir and Palestinian struggle or elsewhere, and resolve them to ensure a violence-free world. Reports from various parts of the valley revealed that a majority of people remained tight-lipped as two factors weighed heavy on their mind. First, they apprehended major American strikes against Afghanistan and those Muslim countries which had been supporting the cause of Palestinians. Secondly, they fear that terrorist strike against key American installations might bring India and the USA closer in their fight against cross-border terrorism. |
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Lashkar-e-Jabbar men target unveiled woman Srinagar, September 12 The woman, identified as Kulsooma, a resident of M F Badyari locality, was stopped by two youths, at Nai Sarak in the Kralikhud police station area, who threw coloured water on her face, they said. Policemen deployed in the area immediately arrested a suspected youth identified as Fayaz Ahmad in this connection. However, local residents said Fayaz was an “innocent” driver and the miscreants had fled. This was the first action carried out by LeJ against unveiled women after its deadline for women to wear burqa ended on Monday. Other than that, no untoward incident has been reported so far. Meanwhile, the Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul Mujahideen have come out openly against the dress code and said women should not be pressured to wear burqa. The APHC and several other religious, social and political organisations have also criticised the move as anti-Islam. However, former APHC chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and chief of Dukhtaran-e-Milat have supported the dress code. The DGP, Mr Ashok Bhan, said police personnel in mufti had been deployed at all busy places and near institutions for women to foil any attempt by miscreants to harass women not wearing burqa. He said measures had been taken in this regard and the guilty would be dealt with strictly. He corroborated reports that no untoward incident from any part of the valley, including Srinagar city, had been reported. A majority of school and college girls, who were not wearing burqa had covered their head and face with “dupatas”. Several educational institutions for women recorded a less than normal attendance today. A Hizb spokesman Salim Hashmi told a local newspaper that “no one can force dress codes on women” and added that the LeJ would be seen as a “suspect group” until it was proved that it was part of the jehadi movement in Kashmir.
PTI/UNI |
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Sema is new CJ of J&K
HC Srinagar, September 12 Mr Justice Sema is the 21st Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, judges of the high court, ministers, legislators, members of the Bar and senior officers including the Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitly, were present on the occasion. The First Lady of the state, Mrs Rajni Saxena, and Mrs K. Atoli Sema were among those present at the ceremony. The Registrar General of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain, read out the warrant of appointment issued by the President of India appointing Mr Justice Sema as the Chief Justice. Born on June 1, 1943, Mr Justice Hotoi Khetoho Sema did his graduation from St. Joseph College, Darjeeling in 1967 and passed LL.B from Government Law College, Bombay, in 1970. He joined the Bar Council of Assam and Nagaland in 1971 and remained as Junior Government Advocate, Nagaland from 1971 to 1975. Mr Justice Sema practiced in the high court also and was appointed as Assistant Advocate General, Nagaland, in 1985. He was appointed as a Judge of the Guwahati High Court on May 24, 1989, and its acting Chief Justice on April 5, 2001. He was transferred to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court as a Judge on June 7, 2001 and appointed as its acting Chief Justice with effect from August 23,
2001. |
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1 killed, 13 hurt in IED blasts
Srinagar, September 12 Elsewhere in the valley, four persons, including two militants, were killed in separate incidents, while militants made an abortive attempt to blow up a security camp, he said. An IED planted by militants near Degree College, Sopore, in Baramula, went off when an Army convoy passed the road, wounding eight persons, including four jawans and two policemen, the spokesman said. The injured were rushed to hospital where a civilian succumbed to his wounds, he said. Earlier, militants blew up an Army vehicle, part of a convoy, at Buglowbagh in Baramula, wounding four jawans and two civilians. Two unidentified militants, including an infiltrator, were killed in separate encounters with the Army during search operations at Kandoor-Gurez in Baramula district and Meelyal in Kupwara district today, official sources said. PTI |
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Ultras torch 3 houses Jammu, September 12 In another encounter, a Special Police Officer
(SPO) was injured at Gandoh in Doda district. Militants burnt three houses in
Seri-Chauhana village of Mandi tehsil last night. PTI |
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