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Tuesday,
May 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Farooq
‘indispensable’ to Centre Involve
Pak in talks: Mufti
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| Cost of
security in J&K Jammu, May 27 With the graph of security-related expenses showing an upward trend, the Central Government released Rs 2019.43 crore as additional SRE to Jammu and Kashmir between 1989 and 2001. J&K
for Ayub’s deportation
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Farooq ‘indispensable’ to Centre Jammu, May 27 Central government agencies had made a series of attempts for the formation of a third front which could challenge the Supremacy of the National Conference during the ensuing Assembly elections. In fact the Central government was interested in ensuring the participation of a big chunk of separatists and a section of the militants in the political and the poll process. All these efforts have not so far borne any fruit and in the assassination of Mr Abdul Gani Lone, the plan received a setback. While speaking at a function in Jammu University yesterday, Dr Abdullah gave vent to his bitterness when he said that “they (Central government) wanted me to provide bullet-proof cars and adequate security to the separatist leaders.” Informed sources said Dr Abdullah was peeved over the instructions from the Centre that the Inspector-General Police, Dr Ashok Bhan, should be immediately transferred as he had not acted on the central directive for strengthening the security cover to senior Hurriyat leaders, especially Mr Abdul Gani Lone. The Chief Minister reportedly said it was strange that central agencies were asking him to provide bullet proof cars and security to those leaders who had never accepted state’s accession to India as final and who were responsible for the death and destruction in Kashmir. Despite the demand for the imposition of the Governor’s rule gaining ground the Chief Minister does not find any reason to panic as he knows that once his elected government was dislodged through undemocratic means he would become a “martyr” and be able to regain whatever ground he had lost. Knowing that he had got an opportunity to be on a strong wicket the Chief Minister said in Jammu yesterday that he and his party would win power and “I am going to stay as Chief Minister in the future also.” Dr Abdullah can take the liberty of blowing hot and cold because he has realised that for the time being there was no suitable alternative to him and to his National Conference. He has, therefore, rejected the idea that
misgovernance and unfair elections were the root cause of militancy. He said militancy in Punjab was controlled by peoples cooperation, strong measures against militants and by ensuring that not a soul infiltrated into Punjab from across the border. Reports have indicated that if the Centre decide to place the state under Central rule two months before the Assembly poll it would be done with the consent of Dr Farooq Abdullah. The idea behind this exercise was to create an impression among the contesting parties and leaders that the National Conference would not be in position to rig the elections as was being feared by Dr Abdullah’s opponents. The Chief Minister may grudgingly give his nod because he seems to be confident in carrying voters along with him. |
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Involve Pak in talks: Mufti Srinagar, May 27 "If we want an everlasting solution to the Kashmir issue Pakistan has to be involved in the talks and it is also important to initiate talks with the Hurriyat and militants here to resolve the issue," the President of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (JKPDP) told reporters here. He said war was no solution to any problem. "We fought three wars in 1947, 1965 and a decisive one in 1971 with Pakistan but the problem remained unresolved. The government had to address the internal problems by initiating a dialogue with the people here." About the refusal of the Centre to resume dialogue with Pakistan, he said: "If you want a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue Pakistan has to be involved. You are already in dialogue with Pakistan which is evident from the Lahore declaration and Agra summit. You continue to have dialogue with Pakistan. We cannot shy away from talks with that country if our case is strong." Mr Mufti said there was no way other than talks. The government has to talk to the Hurriyat as well as militants to find out a solution to the internal issues and relieve the people of the difficulties and miseries they are put to. Asked what would he suggest to defuse the situation, he said: "War is no solution. You cannot compare Palestinian and Israel with India and Pakistan. Both the countries are nuclear powers and if a war breaks out it would be disastrous for the entire region." He avoided a direct answer to a question about the possibility of free and fair elections in the state but said "Election is not the only aim. Elections are no solution to the Kashmir problem. "However", he said, "may be elections will make the task easy to resolve the issue."
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Constable
shot dead in valley Srinagar, May 27 The constable, Gulzar Ahmad of Maisuma police station, later succumbed to injuries. Official sources said the militants fired upon the deceased from a very close range near the gurdwara on the historic Lal Chowk area. The constable, who received three bullet wounds in his back, was immediately rushed to SMHS hospital from where he was shifted to the medical institute at Soura in a very critical condition. However, he later succumbed to injuries. Traffic on the busy road remained suspended for about half an hour due to the incident. In militancy-related incidents, a jawan was among nine persons injured in a grenade explosion while two militants were among four killed in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours. An official spokesman said militants kidnapped and later beheaded a mason Abdul Hamid Bhat at Adebal Watoo Kulgam in South Kashmir last night. A surrendered militant, Riyaz Ahmad Dar, was shot dead by militants in his house in Harwan Sopore this morning. Official sources said militants hurled a hand grenade towards a security force patrol party at the Anantnag main bus stand. However, the grenade missed the target and exploded on the roadside, injuring eight civilians and a jawan. The security forces shot dead a militant each at Pinhid Sanga Sahib and Dachan area last night. Two AK rifles, three magazines, 25 rounds of ammunition and two hand grenades were recovered from the slain militants. Two persons, Jamal-ud-Din and Ghulam Mohammad, were injured in an IED blast at Parat Mula Morh last night. The security forces arrested a militant, Khurshid Ahmad Teli, at Amargarh Sopore last night.
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Cost of security in J&K Jammu, May 27 In addition, an amount of Rs 189.83 crore was provided during 2001-2002 for meeting the SRE. According to the figures released by a Central Government agency, an amount of Rs 507.06 crore had been released to the state government for the welfare of migrants while a sum of Rs 328.09 crore had been provided for other welfare activities. An amount of Rs 209.77 crore had been provided to the state for security-related construction works, which included upgrading of police station buildings and those housing leaders under militant threat. The Centre also bore the expenses on security during the elections and this sector cost the Centre Rs 190.86 crore. An amount of Rs 799.20 crore had been released to meet additional expenses on the modernisation of the police. The Centre has also been reimbursing the expenditure incurred on special police officers (SPOs) at the rate of Rs 20,000 per SPO per annum which includes cost of honorarium, weapons, equipment and training. At present there are over 23,200 SPOs in the state. In addition, there are 2,300
ex-servicemen working with the state police for whom the Centre has been reimbursing Rs 2,400 per person per annum. A sum of Rs 67.80 crore had been released for providing relief to border migrants and Rs 10 crore were made available from the National Defence Fund for purchasing tents for the migrants. Under the Special Debt Relief Scheme, the Centre had released Rs 296 crore to banks and financial institutions so that those who had taken loans up to Rs 60,000 would not have to repay the amount. The state government has forwarded a claim of Rs 301 crore to the Centre in respect of 33 banks and financial institutions in this regard. |
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J&K for Ayub’s deportation Srinagar, May 27 Highly-placed sources in the government here said the state would soon move the External Affairs Ministry to take up the issue of his deportation with the UK. Thakur’s alleged involvement followed the arrest of a monthly magazine Editor, Imtiaz Ahmad Bazaz, along with two of his associates last week for allegedly funding militant activities in the state, sources said. Banking transactions in the case were an evidence in itself as an amount of nearly Rs 5 lakh was transferred from Mercy Universal account in London to Bazaz’s account in New Delhi, they said. The London account is owned by Thakur. The sources said Thakur’s passport had not been renewed by the External Affairs Ministry and he was without any valid travel documents. This was the reason why Thakur could not fly to Dubai to attend the Sharjah meeting between Qayoom and Hurriyat leaders, including assassinated leader Abdul Ghani Lone and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.
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