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Thursday,
April 25, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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APHC
‘not bound’ by Dubai meeting Hurriyat
leaders’ differences resurface PCC
ignores senior leaders Militants
kill SPO, mother in Jammu |
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Repeal
POTA, demand J&K Cong men Srinagar, April 24
BSF
jawan, girl hurt in Pak firing Border
villagers told to resume farming 700
hectares of forest destroyed in fire
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APHC ‘not bound’ by Dubai meeting Jammu, April 24 This was stated by the Chairman of the APHC, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, today. He said, “We do not know anything about the conclave. We are not taken into confidence and hence we won’t be bound by any decision taken at the Dubai meeting.” He made it clear that Mr Abdul Gani Lone and Maulvi Umar Farooq had attended the conclave in their personal capacity and not as representatives of the APHC. “At the most I can say that Mr Lone attended the meeting as Chairman of the Peoples Conference and Maulvi Umar Farooq as Chairman, Awami Action Committee,” he said, adding that they had no mandate from the Hurriyat Conference. In reply to a question, Professor Bhat said, “Individual opinion does not matter. We believe in collective decisions. “He admitted that the way the two Kashmiri leaders travelled to Dubai, attended the conference and later issued statements had “caused misgivings” in the organisation and the Executive Committee of the conglomerate was being convened shortly to sort out the issue. “We have to be together and we all will meet shortly to remove misgivings,” he said. When asked whether he endorsed the decisions taken at the conference, Professor Bhat shot back, “What decisions? We do not know what decisions have been taken.” He stated that Maulvi Umar Farooq would apprise the members of the Executive Committee of what took place at Dubai and later “We will decide on the future course of action.” He said, “We are for peace process. We are for a permanent solution of the Kashmir issue but these issues cannot be settled at sponsored conclaves.” He did not seem to attach much importance to the Dubai peace process even if it had reported support from Mr A. B. Vajpayee and Gen Pervez Musharraf. The APHC Chairman said, “We stick to our stand of boycotting any poll process. There is no question of any of us contesting the election because elections cannot resolve the Kashmir dispute.” In reply to another question, Professor Bhat said, “It may all prove a storm in the tea cup. We will sort it out and the Kashmir issue cannot be settled without the involvement of genuine representatives of the people of the undivided state.” |
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Hurriyat
leaders’ differences resurface Srinagar, April 24 Two former Chairmen Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, of the seven-member executive committee members at present here are at loggerheads with each other on the issue of “ending violence and resolving Kashmir issue politically”. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who arrived here on Monday after attending the meeting was not available for comment. The differences resurfaced with the hard-hitting remarks of the former chairman and senior leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Syed Ali Shah Geelani at a function here yesterday. Reacting to the reports about the Sharjah meeting that was attended by two top APHC leaders, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Abdul Ghani Lone, Geelani expressed his ignorance about the visit of its two leaders to Sharjah to discuss Kashmir with Sardar Abdul Qayoom Khan, Chairman of Pakistan’s National Kashmir Commission and other Kashmiri leaders like Mohammad Ayub Thakur, Nazir Geelani and Ghulam Nabi Fai. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, supporter of the armed movement, held that the fight for truth and justice shall continue. He said that the Hurriyat Conference had taken a stand on elections in 1996 and there was no question of participation in any political process that questioned the just struggle in Kashmir. He pointed out that both Abdul Ghani Lone and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had met him in New Delhi before the Sharjah meeting, “but did not mention anything about the meeting”. The former Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who returned here had stated that leaders at the meeting discussed measures to put an end to violence and resolve the matter politically. He added that in the post September 11 era, there was a general belief that violence has no role in the global scenario. Mirwaiz made it clear that the meeting was coincidental and that it would be helpful resolve the impasse between India and Pakistan. In a related development, the Pakistan-based United Jehad Council headed by Syed Salahuddin of the Hizbul Mujahideen has criticised the Dubai meeting and resolved to continue the struggle until the Kashmir issue is resolved. The process of disciplinary action may take place after the meeting of senior APHC leaders here shortly. |
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PCC ignores
senior leaders Jammu, April 24 In the 92-member PCC, which was reconstituted by Mr Azad, all former PCC Presidents, including Mohammed Shafi Qureshi, Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, Mohammed Aslam and Mr Ayub Khan, have found place either as members of the executive committee or special invitees. The new PCC has four senior vice-presidents, 60 members of the Executive Committee, 19 special invitees and seven permanent invitees. Former PCC chief Mohammed Aslam has been appointed Senior Vice-President along with Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, Pirzada Mohammed Sayeed and Mr P. Namgyal. All party MLAs, except Mr Lal Singh, have been inducted in the Executive Committee. When a senior party leader was asked to comment on the new set-up, he said, “There is still confusion.” He said while leaders having hardly any influence had been given place in the Executive Committee as special or permanent invitees, those who matter in the organisation had been left out. He cited the case of Mr Lal Singh, MLA, Mr Ashwani Sharma and Mr Rajinder Singh who do not figure in the list. He was surprised over the way Mr Raman Bhalla had been made special invitee when he should have been appointed either secretary or general secretary for the contribution he had made in keeping the Congress flag flying. Another leader said it was surprising that the PCC chief had not nominated anybody for the post of general secretary, secretary and joint secretary. However, inside reports said that on his next visit to Jammu, in another two to three days, Mr Azad would fill the posts. One party leader said while all sections were given representation in the new PCC, there was none from the Rajput community. He said that the support of the Rajputs was needed for the Congress to enlarge its base in the Jammu region and enable it to do well in the next Assembly poll. There is fear among some senior party leaders that a number of Congress workers and leaders may quit the organisation if Mr Azad continued to adopt soft postures towards the NC. They want him to target the NC more than the BJP. |
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Militants kill SPO, mother in Jammu Srinagar, April 24 Official sources said a CRPF jawan was killed when his colleague fired at him at Rambagh camp late last night. Militants kidnapped and later killed Mohammad Iqbal at Qazigund in south Kashmir district of Anantnag last night. At least two security personnel were injured when the militants detonated a powerful IED at Cherkote in the frontier district of Kupwara early this morning. The Army unearthed a hideout and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition, including three AK rifles, seven magazines, 210 rounds and one UBGL at Sopore in Baramula district last night. JAMMU: Unidentified militants shot dead an SPO and his mother in the Jawalapur area of Kishtwar tehsil in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, the sources said here on Wednesday. A group of armed militants barged into the house of SPO, Maqsood Ahmed on Tuesday night and opened indiscriminate firing. Ahmed and his mother Jamila Begum died on the spot.
UNI, PTI |
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Repeal POTA, demand J&K Cong men Srinagar, April 24 More than 36 workers participated in the hunger strike to register party’s protest against the implementation of POTA in Jammu and Kashmir and the recent incidents of violence in Gujarat. A memorandum addressed to the President of India was also submitted to the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir. This was the first such activity of the state Congress after the All-India General Secretary of the Congress, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, took over the reigns of the state Congress. Condemning the implementation of POTA, the memorandum said that such “black laws” together with “poor governance” make dangerous combination which could only lead to anarchy and breakdown of civil order. It demanded repealing of POTA adding that the need of the hour was to seek ways for winning hearts and minds of the people. |
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BSF jawan, girl hurt in Pak firing Jammu, April 24 The sources said the Rangers opened fire at Budhwar Border Outpost (BOP) and in the subsequent cross-border firing BSF constable Rawat Milan sustained bullet wounds and had to be rushed to Military Hospital at Satwari on the outskirts of the city. The Rangers opened fire on the Nokowal outpost and the adjoining villages injuring an eight-year-old girl Ashu Devi. Ashu has been admitted to a local hospital. Five head of cattle were killed in Pakistani firing today, the sources added.
UNI |
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Border villagers told to resume farming Jammu, April 24 Stating this at a news conference here today the Inspector-General, BSF, Mr Dilip Trividi, said fencing had an impact on infiltration and arms smuggling. It had also encouraged border villagers to resume farming. He said besides fencing clay walls were being built to provide protection to the border villagers against Pakistani firing. He said that efforts were being made to enable border villagers to start farming practices, which had remained suspended for the last over a year. Mr Trividi said that reports from across the border revealed that Pakistani forces were planning to step up the level of firing on “our pickets and villages” so as to disrupt the fencing project. He said these reports had also indicated that militants were being goaded to raise the level of violence. He admitted that raising the fence in the Jammu sector was a difficult exercise as compared to Punjab where 100 km of the border was covered in a year against 40 km in this belt. In Punjab a construction company had raised the fence while in Jammu, BSF jawans and local labourers were doing the job. |
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700 hectares of forest destroyed in fire Jammu, April 24 This was the second fire of its kind after a similar fire broke out in the Shivalik Hills overlooking the Jammu city about three days ago. Hundreds of trees and bushes as well as wild animals are reported to have been killed in the fire, which accidentally broke out and spread like wildfire engulfing about 700 hectares of forest land near Chingus, the sources said. About a dozen fire tenders and dozens of firemen have been pressed into service to tame the inferno, gradually engulfing more land into its whirlwind, the sources added.
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