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Sunday,
June 2, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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21
militants surrender in Kupwara
Pak
directs ultras to own up attacks under fake names |
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Javid
Ahmad Mir detained
Jammu, June 1 The state Akali Dal has extended full support to any measures the government adopts for the restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir and for ending the menace of terrorism. 
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21 militants
surrender in Kupwara Srinagar, June 1 The militants, three of them top commanders of the Pakistan-based outfit, surrendered before district’s Deputy Commissioner Haq Nawaz, Superintendent of Police G.M. Dar and senior Army officers at a function organised by the Army in the frontier township, a defence spokesman said. Hectic efforts by the Army and the civil administration, waning public support, rift within Hizbul Mujahideen and the presence of foreign mercenaries and their style of operations were among various reasons for the latest surrender, he said. While 16 of the militants belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen, three were
affiliated with Tehreek-e-Jehad and two to Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit, the spokesman said. He said the surrenders would continue in Kupwara and were likely to result in isolation of the foreign militants. Among the Hizbul cadres who surrendered today were launching chief Mohammad Yousuf Wani, battalion commander Tanvir Ahmad Khan and district commander Altaf Hussain Mir and the cadres of the Kalaroos battalion of the outfit. Describing the surrender of the militants as “positive development”, the civil, police and Army authorities assured them of full cooperation to lead a normal life. Some of the militants were active in the border belt for the past 13 years, Wani disclosed at the surrender ceremony. “This is for the first time in the past 13 years that I am visiting the town,” he said. Serious differences came to the surface when Pakistan-based supreme commander of the outfit Syed Salahuddin expelled Abdul Majid Dar, former chief commander (operations) in the valley, and his two top associates last month. The expulsion of Dar sparked revolt within the outfit as a number of commanders openly criticised Salahuddin’s decision. The Hizbul Mujahideen militants, who were presented before the mediapersons at the surrender ceremony, admitted that the differences within the leadership of the outfit demoralised the rank and file of the outfit.
PTI |
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Pak directs ultras to own up attacks under fake names Jammu, June 1 This was stated by the spokesman for the Defence Ministry here yesterday. He cited the revelation made by a Pakistani terrorist during interrogation. He said the Pak terrorist had been apprehended by the Indian troops and was subjected to sustained interrogation. The Pak mercenary had told his interrogators that militants, operating in the state, had received instructions that they should operate under assumed names and whenever organisations like Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba,
Jaish-e-Mohammad or Harkatul Mujahideen carried out any major strike against the Indian forces, the claim should be made in the name of some new and known local outfit. He said during the interrogation that they had instructions not to show any involvement of the Lashkar-e-Toiba,
Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen or any other known rebel outfit which could harm the Pak interests in the international
fora. The spokesman said already the rebels and their patrons across the LoC had given new names to those outfits that stand banned by the USA, Pakistan and India. |
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Javid Ahmad
Mir detained
Srinagar, June 1 The JKLF activists were detained at Abi Guzar in the heart of Srinagar around 10.30 a.m. in the morning as they tried to march towards Residency Road violating prohibitory orders, official sources said. “No nuclear war”, “We want peace, Mr Jack Straw”, “Kashmir is a creation of Lord Mountbaton”, “Mr Jack Straw don’t call us terrorists...,” read some of the placards and banners carried by JKLF activists. Mr Straw, during his recent visit to Islamabad, had declined to make a distinction between freedom fighters and terrorists as defined by Pakistan saying one country’s freedom fighters were terrorists for the rest of the world. Prior to the demonstration, Mir said the demonstration was organised in support of the JKLF demand to avert a nuclear war in the region and find a solution to the Kashmir issue.
PTI |
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Rs 20-crore Central grant for Ladakh
Leh, June 1 Announcing the grant, Union Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar said Rs 5 crore would be spent on improving drainage and sewage facilities in Leh district. The decision was taken in a bid to promote Leh as a tourist spot, he said. The minister was attending the Sindhu Darshan festival, which was inaugurated here today by Union Home Minister L.K. Advani. The Home Minister, who launched the festival by offering
puja to the Sindhu river, released a book on the river brought out by the Union Tourism ministry. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Advani said domestic tourism in Ladakh had gone up since the ‘Sindhu Darshan’ festival was launched and hoped that similar festivals would be organised on the banks of Cauveri, Narmada and other rivers. The Sindhu function was also attended by Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Uma Bharti, Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan, Minister of State for Home I.D. Swami, Jammu and Kashmir Governor G C Saxena and Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. Mr Jagmohan announced that the Centre would initiate various programmes and extend financial grant to promote Jammu and Kashmir as a tourist hub, including the establishment of a cultural centre at a cost of Rs 3 crore. “Besides taking steps to ensure better connectivity of Leh with the rest of the country, we will also pick up large circuits in the region and develop them as tourist hubs,” Mr Jagmohan said. The culture centre will have a library, house a museum and an open-air theatre, he said adding that the financial assistance would be provided by his ministry. Mr Jagmohan said the Archaeological Survey of India had been asked to restore the Leh palace to make it a tourism attraction. He said festivals like Sindhu Darshan had increased the inflow of both domestic and international tourists. The establishment of t he Sindhu Adventure Sports Academy was also announced on the occasion.
PTI |
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Probe assets of NC MLAs: Akali Dal Jammu, June 1 The president of the state Akali Dal, Mr Jagdev Singh, told mediapersons here today that the Sikh community in the state was ready to render any sacrifice at a time when “our troops are facing new challenges across the border.” Mr Jagdev Singh urged the Centre to order a high-level inquiry into the assets built by National Conference ministers and legislators in Jammu and Kashmir during the past over five years. He said when the National Conference regained power in 1996 many NC ministers and legislators did not own even a small house. He said within five years they had “constructed palatial houses through unfair means” which called for a high-level probe. The Akali leader demanded that the pattern followed in Punjab by Capt Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, against SAD ministers and other highups be adopted in Jammu and Kashmir. He said if this was done it would help restore people’s faith in democracy which had been shaken by corruption. Mr Jagdev Singh demanded that the government should ask the management of M.C. Khalsa B.Ed College in Jammu to make public the college accounts since for the past 20 years the management had not conceded this demand while other Sikh educational institutions had been releasing the statement of their accounts. Akali Dal leaders, including Mr Manmohan Singh, Mr Sujan Singh, Mr Raghubir Singh and Mr Kanchan Singh urged the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to give some prominent Sikh leader representation in the Council of Ministers because the Sikh representative in the Cabinet had “not done anything” for the amelioration of the lot of the community. Mr Jagdev Singh said Sikh “bastis” had not received any attention from the government as a result of which these had become slums. |
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