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Tuesday,
April 16, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Ultras maintain links with Pak agencies APHC divided over contesting poll Farooq opposes call for Modi’s ouster |
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4 officers injured
in encounter Panthers to
put off CM’s boycott
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Ultras maintain links with Pak agencies Jammu, April 15 A snap survey conducted by TNS has revealed that despite these steps, militants operating in the state continue to maintain their communication channels with their patrons across the LoC. The interception of a series of wireless and telephonic messages indicate that the militants are equipped with latest wireless sets and satellite phones to maintain links with agencies in Pakistan. Sleuths of different security and intelligence agencies have been given the task of intercepting these messages. The latest message intercepted by a security agency, according to a Defence Ministry spokesman, is a proof of the gadgets available with separatists. The message reads: “Though our colleagues carry out actions, we do not claim responsibility for them. This discourages our colleagues.” This message was sent by a field commander of a rebel out fit across the border. Quick was the reply: “Since our enemy (Indian Government) says that actions are carried out by us, there is no need to take responsibility.” The field commander replied: “If you permit, we may consider claiming the responsibility for our actions through the local media.” The voice from the other side of the border said: “I will announce a policy soon in which I will state what is to be done.” Earlier, an intercepted message sent soon after the terrorist strike on Raghunath temple in Jammu, said: “Do not claim responsibility for strikes on shrines and places of worship as it would force us to lose the support of the people.” Last month, a commander of the Laskhar-e-Toiba based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir had sent a message to his field commanders in Kashmir, saying: “We have to change the present situation which has been continuing for sometime. Mistakes committed by a few jehadis affect the spirit of jehad. We have to find reasons for such mistakes.” The message further said: “All colleagues should meet commanders and accept their mistakes. They should accept that they have misused funds and ill-treated civilians,” It directed them to shun such practices. A senior police officer who has been engaged in supervising anti-insurgency operations in Doda district, south Kashmir and other areas for the past 10 years, said militants had been provided with highly sophisticated wireless sets whose range was larger than the sets available with the police. He said when militancy took root in Kashmir, militants had small wireless sets of the design of walkie-talkies and their range was a few km. Over the years, Pakistani agencies have supplied them latest models of wireless sets, satellite phones and laptops. After the discontinuation of Internet facilities in the state, the laptops have become non-functional. The officer said the telephone links from Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan, including PoK, had been snapped long ago. However, whenever any agency wants to talk to a militant leader, the particular number is dialled from any area of Pakistan and PoK. Also some separatists have been successful in talking on the phone through teleconferences. Since these separatists have enough funds, they have managed to book some PCO owners outside the state through whom they carry out teleconferences. The survey has revealed that the discontinuation of STD and ISD facilities at PCOs had proved to be irksome for the common people, especially businessmen. While the 5,000 PCO and 4,000 cyber cafe owners are suffering a loss of about Rs 20 crore per month, the telecommunication circle in the state is facing a loss of over 12 lakh per day. The discontinuation of STD and ISD facilities has been in force in the state for the past three months. But it has had no impact on ISI functionaries. Police sources said the functionaries sent wireless messages to their sources directing them to be available on a particular telephone. Within half an hour, the ISI is connected with the source in any part of Jammu and Kashmir. |
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PIL on restoration of STD, ISD filed Jammu, April 15 The writ petition opposed snapping of these facilities on the plea that it had caused heavy losses to the PCO owners who had set up these establishments after taking loans from the financial institutions and after having sold their property. In the petition, the Panthers Party has stated that a large number of educated youths had bid farewell to the gun and set up PCOs and withdrawal of these facilities would be a setback to them. It said these PCO owners were functioning lawfully and their means of livelihood were snapped since December 2001 when the Government of India ordered withdrawal of the facilities. |
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APHC divided over contesting poll Jammu, April 15 A senior Jamait-e-Islami and APHC leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has launched a campaign urging people to boycott the elections. The Democratic Freedom Party chief, Shabir Ahmed Shah, is for contesting the elections, provided these are supervised by Indian intellectuals and foreign observers. Shabir Shah is also for holding of the elections under Governor’s rule as he does not believe that these will be free and fair under the Farooq Abdullah regime. He also wants talks on Kashmir to precede the elections. The state unit of the BJP and the Peoples’ Democratic Party, headed by Mufti Mohd Sayeed, are also for holding of the elections under Governor’s rule. He has a one-point programme of seeing Dr Abdullah’s government dismissed to ensure free and fair elections. The BJP is apprehensive of the commitment of Dr Abdullah to ensure free and fair elections because according to BJP leaders, the recent Lok Sabha byelection to the Jammu seat has indicated that the National Conference government is adept in rigging. The Chief Minister has left political parties guessing with his wavering on the time schedule for the elections. Four months ago, he had hinted that he would go in for early elections and had advised political parties to get ready. He had seemed to be determined to order the elections between May and June. He had even questioned the right of the Chief Election Commissioner to fix the date for the elections. Dr Abdullah had said, while commenting on the Election Commission’s assertion that the Commission and not the Chief Minister could set the dates for the Assembly elections, that the prerogative was with the state government under the provisions of the state Constitution. However, recently, the Chief Minister had a change of mind. He said the elections would be held either in September or in the first week of October, adding that the term of the Assembly would expire on October 9. A senior APHC leader has said if Sardar Abdul Qayoom Khan, Chairman of the Committee on Kashmir Affairs, voices support to their participation in the elections, they will have to rethink on the matter as Sardar Khan’s direction will be General Musharraf’s signal. At a recent meeting of the Jamait-e-Islami in Srinagar, a senior Jamaat leader, Abdul Khaliq Panief, had supported the idea of the Hurriyat’s participation in the election, directly or indirectly, because a boycott would again help a particular party to retain power. Shabir Ahmed Shah believes that participation in the Assembly elections will give them a chance to determine “our representative character”. At the same time, he has not rejected the idea of forming the government if voted to power, saying that people in the state need to be governed by their representatives and not by leaders from other states or countries. |
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Farooq opposes call for Modi’s ouster Jammu, April 15 Dr Abdullah told newspersons here today that it was neither the TDP supremo, Chandrababu Naidu, nor any other partner to demand Mr Modi’s dismissal. “It is for the people of Gujarat to decide whether Modi should remain in office or be sacked,” he said. He said he had a series of discussions on phone with Mr Chandrababu Naidu. He had told Mr Naidu that he was opposed to the right of the Governor to dismiss Mr Modi’s government. Dr Abdullah said what had happened and was
happening in Gujarat was “unfortunate.” He urged the state government and the Centre to take suitable measures to restore peace, amity and normalcy in Gujarat. As far as NDA partners were concerned, they would stick to the NDA agenda, he asserted. Once they felt that the NDA was off its agenda, he would be the first to withdraw support, he added. Referring to the recent statement of the Prime Minister in Goa, Dr Abdullah said that he had told Mr Naidu that there had been some difference in the reports published in the different newspapers. He said, “before we react, we should have the actual transcript of the Prime Minister’s speech.” He, said if Mr Vajpayee had said what had been reported in some newspapers, it was “unfortunate.” He however, the working committee of the National Conference would meet here on Friday to discuss Gujarat, pre-Assembly situation in Jammu and Kashmir and other allied matters. In reply to a question, he said the Assembly elections would be held after the end of the summer session of the State Legislature. “There is no question of postponing the elections,” he stated. |
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4 officers injured in encounter Srinagar, April 15 The ultras attacked a joint search party of the BSF and the Special Operations Group
(SOG) of local police at Laroo-Jagir village in the Tral area in the morning, they said. The security personnel retaliated and in the exchange of firing which lasted till evening, three militants, were killed they said. Later, as senior BSF and police officers were inspecting the scene of the encounter, an IED exploded wounding 10 security personnel—two BSF Commandants, a Deputy Commandant, a DSP and six
jawans. PTI |
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Panthers to put off
CM’s boycott Jammu, April 15 The decision was taken at a working committee meeting of the party here today. The party announced that prior to the launching of the social boycott movement a three-day training camp for the party activists would be held at Sudhmahadev in Udhampur district. |
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