J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

NC, Hurriyat differ on poll under Governor’s rule
Jammu, August 8
Though the Central Government continues to be under pressure for holding the Assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir under Governor’s rule and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee having not so far said a firm “no” to the demand, several political parties, including the National Conference, the Congress, the PDP and the BJP, have started the exercise of selecting candidates.

• ID cards should not be mandatory, says Farooq

Play positive role, Shah asks EU team
Srinagar, August 8
President of J and K Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) Shabir Ahmad Shah today asked the European Union to play a positive role to avoid a possible nuclear war between India and Pakistan and initiate a meaningful dialogue among all parties on the Kashmir issue even if it (EU) was unwilling to become a mediator.

Leader of the five-member European commission delegation Michel Stenberg, of Denmark, talking to J&K Democratic Freedom Party president Shabir Ahmad Shah  during their  meeting in Srinagar on Thursday. — PTI photo

NC, Hurriyat differ on poll under Governor’s rule
Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 8
Though the Central Government continues to be under pressure for holding the Assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir under Governor’s rule and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee having not so far said a firm “no” to the demand, several political parties, including the National Conference, the Congress, the PDP and the BJP, have started the exercise of selecting candidates.

According to Mr Raman Bhalla, a senior Congress leader the party had prepared a panel of names for most of the constituencies in the state. The list will be submitted to the AICC for approval on whether the Congress planned to boycott the elections if these were not held under the Governor’s rule Mr Bhalla said “till date the decision to contest the election stands.”

However, the National Conference circles in the state have been nonplussed by the remark of the Prime Minister while talking to a Congress delegation led by Mr Manmohan Singh, a former Finance Minister, that the Centre was “persuading” Dr Abdullah to recommend the imposition of Governor’s rule.

Inside reports said that the Centre had renewed its request to Dr Abdullah following support to the demand for the imposition of the central rule by Mr Ram Jethmalani, head of the Kashmir committee, constituted to have talk with separatists.

Except for the NC no other major political party is in favour of holding the election under the Farooq regime on the plea that under the present political arrangement nobody can “ensure free and fair poll.”

But the Government of India is in a fix. It cannot adopt one yardstick for Gujarat and another for Kashmir. The poll schedule had been announced after the Centre realised that separatists were not willing to take part in the election. By fixing the poll schedule both the Center and the Chief Election Commission removed fears in the mind of the NC leadership. It is in this context that the Centre is now waiting for Dr Abdullah to reciprocate.

The separatists have made it clear to the five-member European Commission team, which visited Srinagar the other day, that they would take part in the election provided these were held under the auspices of the United Nations or the international community.

They told the team that the poll- should not be confined to the government making but for determining representative character of the participating political group so that those elected by the people could discuss with India and Pakistan modalities for the settlement of the Kashmir issue.

Those who have demanded the postponement of the election have been told that under the state Constitution there was no provision for the deferment of the poll. Yes, under Article 92 of the state Constitution the Governor could by proclamation, assume all or any functions of the state government provided the Governor was satisfied that a situation “has arisen in which the government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”

The ground realities right now, do not indicate any breakdown in the constitutional “machinery”. Hence, the imposition of the Governor’s rule without the concurrence or recommendations of the Chief Minister could amount to a violation of the state Constitution.

It is here that the Centre’s hands are tied forcing it to persuade the Chief Minister to recommend the imposition of the Governor’s rule instead of taking “any drastic step.”

Consequently, the parties which are prepared to take part in the election have started making preparations for it without giving up their demand for holding the election under Governor’s rule. And similarly the NC leaders are busy giving final touches to the list of the candidates even while opposing placing the state under central rule.

The debate is likely to continue till the Election Commission announced the poll notification. The NC leaders have made it clear that rise in the level of militancy- related violence should not be treated as the basis for poll postponement on the plea that in 1996 when the Assembly poll was ordered after more than six years the situation in the state was worse than what it is at present.

Despite preparations on all fronts the pre-poll scene has not crystalised yet as analysts expect new turns to the political process. 

ID cards should not be mandatory, says Farooq

Srinagar, August 8
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has said voters whose name figure on the electoral rolls must be given the right to cast their votes even if they do not have identity cards.

“The process (of issuing IDs) has been started now when the elections are on the head,” Dr Abdullah said addressing public meetings at Noushera and Sunderbani in Rajouri district and added that all those whose names figured on the list should be given the opportunity to vote.

Maintaining that he had requested the Election Commission to start issuing IDs five years ago, he alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner had at the time expressed its inability to start the exercise due to a shortage of funds.

Asserting that the elections would be held on time, he ruled out the possibility of Governor’s rule in the

state. “Only those who see their defeat on the wall raise such demands,” he said.

He appealed to people to exercise their mandate in large numbers to thwart Pakistan’s “sinister” design to disrupt the elections. PTI

Infiltration on the rise
Tribune News Service

Mendhar (Line of Control), August 8
The infiltration of highly motivated Pakistan-sponsored militants from across the Line of Control has now been stepped up with the intention of disrupting the coming assembly elections in the state. The number of encounters between the security forces and terrorists on the international border and the 740 km long Line of Control is on the increase.

Pakistani troops are openly engaged in pumping in terrorists from the across border. Their modus operandi is to engage the Indian security forces in cross-fire while infiltration is taking place in any sector. It is estimated by the security forces that 434 terrorists have infiltrated here this year. As many as 1,136 terrorists had infiltrated last year.

On the other hand, 485 terrorists were killed by the security forces this year against 1,001 last year. According to Lt-Gen J.B.S. Yadava, GOC of 16 Corps, Afghan terrorists (50 per cent) outnumber Pakistani fugitives (45 per cent) who are operating in the five districts of Jammu. Five per cent belong to other categories.

According to estimates, 533 foreign terrorists are operating in the Jammu region and 197 of them are in Doda district, 119 in Udhampur, 104 in Poonch, 93 in Rajouri and 21 in Kathua. Doda district touches the Chamba area of Himachal Pradesh.
Senior officers of the security forces say that in view of the inhospitable terrain, only 30 to 35 per cent infiltration is detected. Infiltration is negligible on the international border as compared to the Line of Control.

Reports indicate that nearly 1140 trained terrorists are waiting to be “launched” at 21 training camps, including the ones at Kathua, Goi, Sensa, Nukial and Kudiali. Another 475 trained terrorists are waiting at the four training camps being run by the ISI across the Akhnoor area.

There are reports that nearly 310 terrorists have recently completed training at the camp at Goi and more than 400 at Bindi. ISI detachments and terrorist training camps have also been reported at Jandrota, Kotli, Khuiratta, Mirpur, Bhimber, Samana, Sialkot and Zafarwal.

General Yadava said that any attempt to disrupt the elections by Pakistan sponsored terrorists would be foiled. He expressed satisfaction that local support to the terrorists was lacking in the Jammu region.

Play positive role, Shah asks EU team

11 women, Rights Front chief hurt in cane charge

Srinagar, August 8
Eleven women activists of the Khawateen Markaz, a constituent of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, and chairman of Human Rights Front Mohammad Ahsan Antoo today were taken into preventive custody following a demonstration staged by them here against alleged human rights violations, police sources said.