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Wednesday,
January 30, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Will APHC poll plan help? Ultras raise bunkers in
Poonch NC asks India, Pak to resume
talks I-cards for border residents in J&K |
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Rs 2 lakh looted from bank
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Will APHC poll plan help? Jammu, January 29 These questions are being debated in the state since the APHC decided to set up an election commission to determine the representative character of political groups. Those who treat the announcement a gimmick argue that the APHC plan is “vague and confusing”. They, including the ruling National Conference leaders, ask under which act had the APHC decided to hold the poll? What legal and constitutional sanctity will the poll results have? Who will accept the poll verdict? Mr Ali Mohd Sagar, Minister for Public Works, while berating the APHC announcement, has said that under no law of the land there can be an election commission parallel to the one constituted by the Government of India. He disputes the constitutional authority of the APHC in constituting an election commission. He has stated that the National Conference had invited the APHC, on many occasions, to contest the assembly poll and prove its representative character. It has not agreed and “we are prepared to hold the poll under the supervision of observers nominated by the APHC.” Those who treat the Hurriyat plan an eyewash argue that it is well nigh impossible for the APHC to have 50,000 polling officers and agents, the number that usually is deployed on poll duty, to conduct the poll when Prof Abdul Gani
Bhat, Chairman, APHC, has stated that the poll would be contested on all 87 Assembly seats but not for forming the Government. However, those who believe that the Hurriyat plan is to pave the way for its participation in the Assembly poll explain that three of the seven members of the executive committee, Mr Abdul Gani Lone, Mr Mohd Yasin Malik and Malvi Abbas
Ansari, had been in favour of the APHC participating the Assembly poll. In order to prevent any split in the 23-member conglomerate it adopted a middle path. In addition to this, during their recent visit to Delhi, three Hurriyat leaders, Mr Mohd Yasin Malik, Mr Abdul Gani Lone and Syed Ali Shah
Geelani, were told by senior functionaries of the US, UK and German embassies to take part in the Assembly poll and to ward off international pressure the APHC leaders may have thought it feasible to find an escape route by favouring a poll for determining as to who are the representatives of the people of the state. But others are of the opinion that the APHC has come out with a novel plan, even if it is vague, to gauge the reaction from the people. In case it found peoples’ response favourable it may be encouraged to jump into the Assembly poll fray. When Prof Abdul Gani Bhat was asked whether his party would be able to organise the manpower for conducting the poll in the entire state, he said: “wait and watch”. He added “let the election commission, which may comprise four personalities known for their integrity, prepare the blueprint for the poll.” Asked whether it was a first step towards contesting the Assembly poll, Prof Bhat said “no, we are holding the poll to set at rest the charge that we are not the representatives of the people.” Doubts are being expressed by leading lawyers and prominent intellectuals. They question the constitutional sanctity behind the APHC exercise which would not encourage majority of people to take part in the poll. How can one expect people in occupied Kashmir to accept the APHC plan? Two things seem to be definite. One, the APHC leadership would try to establish its representative character so that in the event of tripartite talks in future, its leaders could press for its participation. Secondly, the APHC would prepare a ground for its direct or indirect participation in the next Assembly poll and avoid an embarrassment in case it boycotted the same. |
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APHC playing Pak game: BJP New Delhi, January 29 Addressing newspersons, BJP spokesperson Maya Singh termed the APHC’s decision as smacking of rebellion and said in some countries this would have been treated as “anti-national”. Indian Constitution provided for the Election Commission and any attempt to set up a parallel body would be an affront to the Constitution, Ms Maya Singh asserted, adding, “it will not be tolerated by any right thinking citizen”. The Hurriyat’s statement that the “mainstream parties” would be allowed to contest election smacked of mischief instigated by a “foreign power”, she pointed out. |
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Ultras raise bunkers in Poonch Poonch, January 29 Several “pucca” bunkers have been constructed in Kakahills, Darhal, Manjakote, Gambir, Mendhar and Behramgala areas in the sensitive Poonch-Rajouri sector since the army build up on the Indo-Pak border in the last few weeks, according to highly placed intelligence sources. The bunkers, which are strong and that can withstand mortar gunfire, have been put up for use in the event of any war, the sources told PTI here. The hideouts of the Pak-backed militants have also been fortified in the renewed building activity by militants in the Surankote-Darhal belt in the area, the sources said. “The simple aim of militants acting as per direction of the SSG unit of the Pakistan army is to completely wipe out ground support for the Army and district authorities as pre-war tactics,” they claimed. Over 3,000 tonnes of explosive and several truckloads of weaponry including rocket launchers, mortar guns, missiles and flame throwers were also believed to be dumped by the Pak army through the militants. All structures vacated by the Rashtriya Rifles troops at high altitude posts have been set on fire by the militants, the sources said, adding that these were destroyed within hours so that the CRPF personnel who were deployed in place of them cannot occupy them. The sources said as per some intercepts officers in a special cell of the Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistan army were regularly contacting the top cadres of the LeT and JeM and giving directions for their subversive activities. Militants have so far set afire 93 such structures in the last one month, they said. The ultras are also snapping road links by blasting bridges with IEDs and targeting army informers and village defence committee (VDC) officials and attacking security personnel. So far militants have snapped four road links by blowing up small bridges in the Darhal-Surankote belt and nine IEDs kept under bridge links were recovered and defused, the sources said. Similarly, militants have eliminated seven Special Police Officers (SPOs), five Army informers, nine VDC members and 14 Hindus since the buildup, the sources said.
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NC asks India, Pak to resume talks Srinagar, January 29 Addressing a day-long workers’ convention at Pahalgam in south Kashmir yesterday, state Forest Minister G.A. Shah and provincial president G.N. Shaheen appealed to India and Pakistan to resume the dialogue immediately in the interest of peace in the sub-continent. They said both countries should work together to find a lasting solution to all disputes, including the Kashmir issue. Demanding the immediate restoration of autonomy, the leaders also said steps should be taken for the reconstruction of the Babri masjid at its original place. The NC leaders came down heavily on former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad
Sayeed, alleging that he was responsible for the present situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
UNI |
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I-cards for border residents in J&K Jammu, January 29 According to Mr Masood Ahmed, Inspector-General of Police, Crime and Railways, such identity cards, affixed with photographs, have so far been issued to over 2.40 lakh border residents. Under the scheme, about 15 lakh persons living in the border villages would be issued identity cards. Cards were issued by sleuths of the crime branch after the applicant’s bona fides were verified by panches and sarpanches. These identity cards were to be issued in favour of males with 18 years of age and above. Women and kids had been exempted from the scheme but each card holder would have the names of his family members registered on the card. The idea of issuing registration certificates to permanent residents of the border villages was to segregate militants from local citizens. It was a difficult task for the security forces, especially troops, to isolate militants from local populace. The border residents would have to carry their identity cards failing which they would face action by the security forces. |
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Rs 2 lakh looted from bank Srinagar, January 29 The gunmen had struck at the Muran branch of Allaqai Dehati Bank yesterday, he said adding that a case had been registered in this connection.
PTI |
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