J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

4,000 ultras sneak into J&K
Jammu, May 13
While the rate of ingress from across Poonch and Rajouri Sectors has witnessed a marked upward curve during the past four months, the first batch of trained guerrillas, equipped with sophisticated weapons, have started sneaking into the Kashmir valley from across Kupwara and Uri Sectors.

Dar’s expulsion hasty: Bilal Srinagar, May 13 In yet another significant development, Srinagar district chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen has urged its supreme commander Syed Salahuddin to reconsider his decision on the expulsion of former chief of operations Abdul Majid Dar and his supporters.

Bilal Shaheen (centre), chief of operations of Hizbul Mujahideen for Srinagar district, flanked by associates, talking to a local news agency at an undisclosed location in Srinagar on Monday. — Photo Amin War.

‘Muzzafarabadis’ seek quota in govt jobs
Jammu, May 13
Refugees from Muzaffarabad have decided to use “Muzaffarabadi”as a suffix to their names in order to preserve their identity while pressing for justice from the government.

JKDFP for tripartite talks  on Kashmir
Srinagar, May 13
The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party said today that it would respond positively to any meaningful initiative, which would help resolve the Kashmir issue.

4,000 ultras sneak into J&K
M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 13
While the rate of ingress from across Poonch and Rajouri Sectors has witnessed a marked upward curve during the past four months, the first batch of trained guerrillas, equipped with sophisticated weapons, have started sneaking into the Kashmir valley from across Kupwara and Uri Sectors.

Though during the first four months of the current year more than 600 militants, including over 200 in Poonch and Rajouri districts, have been eliminated by the security forces, more than 1500 to 2,000 rebels have crossed into Jammu and Kashmir Sectors during the same period.

Border routes being impervious in north-west Kashmir, the infiltrators sneaked into the valley in a trickle during the past six months. However, as the snow has started melting bigger groups of guerrillas have started crossing into Kashmir from across Uri and Kupwara Sectors.

Official sources said reports form across the border reveal that more than 4000 to 5,000 militants have been brought across Poonch, Rajouri, Kupwara, Bandipore, and Uri Sectors for being pushed into the state.

The security agencies expect an escalation in Pakistani firing and shelling from across Kupwara and Uri Sectors so as to provide an effective fire cover to the infiltrators.

Agencies across the border are trying to send adequate man and machine power to Jammu and Kashmir so as not only to sustain violence, but create conditions making it impossible for the people and a section of separatists to take part in the Assembly elections. Also, a step-up in the rate of ingress is to create a scare among the Kashmiri separatists and militants trying to distance from foreign mercenaries.

When several senior officers belonging to the Army, the police and the BSF were asked if there could be a viable way to check the ingress, they said there was a need for building an intelligence network involving local people of border villages in collecting inputs on infiltration routes and hideouts.

They wanted the local people engaged in intelligence gathering to be given full-time employment in security agencies and other perks. An officer said that surveillance in border villages needed to be stepped up, especially in hamlets situated close to the border.

He said night patrolling by border guards should be improved and each soldier provided with a night vision device to monitor the movement of militants.

A senior police officer said on the political front Pakistan should be engaged in a prolonged dialogue and separatists operating in Kashmir, too, be involved.

Dar’s expulsion hasty: Bilal
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 13
In yet another significant development, Srinagar district chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen has urged its supreme commander Syed Salahuddin to reconsider his decision on the expulsion of former chief of operations Abdul Majid Dar and his supporters.

“Abdul Majid Dar, Zafar Abdul Fateh and Assad Yazdani have played a key role in shaping the Hizbul Mujahideen. How can we compare them with renegades like Naba Azad and Kukka Parray,” asked commander Bilal Shaheen, operations chief of Srinagar district, in an exclusive interview with a local news agency at an undisclosed location on the outskirts of Srinagar city today.

Categorically denying that the Hizbul Mujahideen stood divided due to the recent developments, Bilal Shaheen appealed to the Muzaffarabad-based supreme commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Salahuddin, on behalf of the entire district unit to “revoke the dismissal forthwith”.

Bilal Shaheen also urged the supreme commander to reconsider the expulsions of other commanders, including that of Abu Ubaid, commander Asghar and commander Abu Aamir. These commanders were expelled from the outfit last week.

Referring to the recent statement of Abdul Majid Dar, ousted chief commander of operations of the outfit, commander Bilal Shaheen said it was clear that Syed Salahuddin’s was a “hasty and improper decision.”

“The baseless charges that led to the decision to expulsions are also unacceptable,” he commented.

Dar had recently expressed anguish over his expulsion that created a chaos in the ranks of the Hizbul Mujahideen on either side of the borders. In his statement issued to another local news agency, Dar had yesterday denied that he had plans to float a political party, but reaffirmed that there was no question of giving up the armed struggle.

“I want to be unambiguous in my assertion that if there is a just political solution to the Kashmir issue we will support it. We do not believe in bloodshed for the sake of it,” he stated.

He disclosed that “some days back he had a detailed conversation with Syed Salahuddin and there was no indication that such a decision would be taken. The unfortunate part of Kashmiri politics is that if one expresses his disagreement on some issue he is labelled as an Indian agent. This stand was this time adopted by our well-wishers”, he was quoted by the news agency as saying.

In reply to a question, Bilal Shaheen told the news agency today that “militancy and politics” were inseparable. It was only because of the militancy that the “Kashmir issue” had gained significance, he said.

In this connection he referred to Dar’s assertion that the time was yet not proper for an end to militancy.

‘Muzzafarabadis’ seek quota in govt jobs
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 13
Refugees from Muzaffarabad have decided to use “Muzaffarabadi”as a suffix to their names in order to preserve their identity while pressing for justice from the government.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Pakistan refugees here today which was presided over by the president of the Muzaffarabad Displaced Community, Mr Joginder Singh Raina.

At the meeting a resolution was adopted urging the government to grant reservation for the community in government services, professional colleges and democratic institutions.

The resolution said the refugees from Muzaffarabad had to leave behind valuable immovable property at the time of partition and the government had taken no suitable step to compensate for the losses.

While expressing concern and dismay over the continued shabby treatment being meted out to the refugees in Jammu, the leaders said a committee be constituted members of which interact with the Central and the state government functionaries in this regard.

JKDFP for tripartite talks on Kashmir

Srinagar, May 13
The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) said today that it would respond positively to any meaningful initiative, which would help resolve the Kashmir issue.

However, the JKDFP believes that no election or selection, but only tripartite talks, between the parties concerned would help reach any conclusion and resolve the issue.

A spokesman of the JKDFP said here that it would soon announce a political programme for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

If India wants to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue, then initiatives for meaningful talks should be taken, the spokesman said, and added “we will definitely respond to any such initiative.”

However, the spokesman said there could be no permanent solution to the Kashmir issue until all three parties — India, Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir — sit across the table sincerely and try to make any headway.

The spokesman added that the election process would only make the issue complicated. UNI

Srinagar-Leh highway opens
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 13
The strategic 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh highway, which remains snowbound for more than six months of winter, was reopened to traffic today.

Lieut-Gen V. G. Patankar, Commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps of the Army, flagged off a convoy of 25 vehicles of the security forces at the Zojila carrying stores and supplies to Ladakh. The civilian traffic to the region would be allowed within the next couple of days, a defence spokesman said.

Talking to the visiting mediapersons at the flagging-off ceremony, General Patankar said there were 56 major and 19 minor landslides on a stretch of 42 km long of the highway.