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Thursday,
November 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Mufti to
stick to liberal policy
Kashmir panel to resume talks NC flays govt for silence on autonomy |
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8 militants killed in valley Woman killed in Pak firing PDP leader released
on bail Govt decides to reduce power cuts New Director (Information)
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Mufti
to stick to liberal policy Jammu, November 6 Sources close to the Mufti have stated that the Chief Minister will stick to his liberal policy as far as his handling of the separatists in the state is concerned. Right from the day one Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has made it known that his government will screen the cases of all detainees and those detained without serious charges will be released. Yesterday he told mediapersons in Jammu that he was for the release of senior Hurriyat Conference leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and others as they had not taken the guns in their hands. He want to the extent of having freed Shaukat Bakshi of the JKLF, who was in detention on the charge of having abducted the Mufti’s daughter, Ms Rubia Sayeed, in December 1989 in Srinagar. Inside reports said as a result of the Chief Minister’s intervention that a PDP leader, Surinder Singh Fauji, was released yesterday. He had been detained under the POTA three months ago. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is said to be in favour of resolving the Kashmir turmoil through dialogue with all those belonging to different shades of opinion. “Gun is no solution to the imbroglio,” is his usual refrain. His political mentor, the late G.M. Sadiq, had also adopted liberal policy towards the separatists led by Sheikh Abdullah and his lieutenant, Mirsa Afsal Beg. These leaders and their colleagues in the Plebiscite Front had been released in 1964. The liberal policy had paid the dividends in the shape of the Sheikh getting isolated leaving no other alternative for him except to accept an offer from Indira Gandhi for entering into a dialogue which resulted in the Sheikh-Indira accord enabling the Lion of Kashmir to resume power after 22 years of political wilderness. It was a feather in the cap of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed when the JKLF faced a split with senior front leaders, including Rasikh Khan, Wajahat and Iqbal Gandroo, having revolted against the acting JKLF chief, Javed Mir. Besides, senior Hurriyat leaders have started getting nervous with the Mufti trying to woo separatists to join the national mainstream. Since the last one week the Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, has been holding series of meetings with his colleagues and presiding over seminars to convey to the people that the 23-party conglomerate is “up and kicking.” Though rebel outfits, especially Hizbul Mujahideen and the Hurriyat Conference, have declared that the revoking of POTA or release of detainees is not going to “overshadow their struggle and it will continue till the achievement of azadi,” they are panic stricken. The Hurriyat Conference leaders have described the coalition government’s common minimum programme as a “slow poison” warranting the separatists to renew their mass contact programme. These separatists have fears that the common minimum programme and a package of concessions to different sections of the people can weaken the ongoing struggle. It is out of these fears that a two-day meeting of the general council of the Hurriyat Conference has been convened in Srinagar to chalk out the future programme. Despite denial, the Hurriyat Conference finds itself in an oasis and is keen to come out of it with the support of people. Kashmir experts are of the firm opinion that the Mufti needs liberal support for his liberal policy. He needs to be given a chance and according to them, criticism from none other than the BJP chief expressing fears over the common minimum programme is unwarranted at a time when the Mufti has not yet settled down. They say that to enable the coalition government to make a dent in the separatist camp and remove, to whatever extent it was possible, peoples’ alienation, the state government needs full financial backing from the Centre. People in the troubled state no longer are prepared to live on slogans and false promises. They want better amenities of living and freedom from poverty, unemployment an electricity and drinking water crisis. If they feel their is a healthy change, they can shorten the life-span of militancy in the state. |
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Kashmir panel to resume talks New Delhi, November 6 Members of the committee will go to Srinagar on November 22 for talks with the APHC and separatist leaders. The Kashmir Committee members are also expected to meet new Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed during their visit to the state. The committee had a round of talks with the Hurriyat here on September 8. Hurriyat chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat made a visit to New Delhi last week in this connection. The Hurriyat leaders have offered to talk to Pakistan High Commission officials to facilitate a meeting between the Kashmir committees of India and Pakistan. |
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NC flays govt for silence on autonomy Srinagar, November 6 “The issue of autonomy does not figure anywhere in the common minimum programme adopted by the coalition partners despite the fact that the previous state Assembly had adopted a resolution on this,” party president and Union Minister Omar Abdullah told PTI. Dismissing reports that autonomy was only an election plank and that his party never pursued it seriously, Mr Omar said his party had raised the issue during the 1996 elections and submitted a “good and well drafted proposal” before the state Assembly which adopted a resolution to this effect. The party chief said his party was unnecessarily blamed on the issue of autonomy when the previous state government had submitted a resolution only in 2000. To a question whether he blamed the Centre for delaying action on it, Mr Omar said “we are not here for the blame game but definitely there was a delay on the part of the Centre.” Mr Omar expressed surprise that the CPM, which was a partner in the ruling alliance in the state, had also chosen to remain silent on the issue of autonomy despite the fact that they had supported the resolution. About the reasons for the poll debacle of his party, the NC President said “We are definitely analysing the situation but one thing is sure that we were not able to highlight the achievements of our government properly.” He claimed that the previous state government had been able to generate 1.5 lakh jobs in the past six years but this “fact has not reached all ears in the state.” To a question about the alleged atrocities committed by the special operations group, Mr Omar said “during my election campaign, I had promised to give a new face to this anti-militancy group while the PDP had been saying that they would disband it.”
PTI |
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8 militants killed in valley Srinagar, November 6 Official sources said unidentified militants hurled a hand grenade towards security forces at a bus stand in Anantnag town of south Kashmir today around 11.30 am. The grenade missed the target and exploded on the roadside hurting 15 persons. One injured identified as Mohammad Afzal died on way to hospital. An official spokesman said militants shot dead Abdul Ahad Bhat at Badgam Chowk in central Kashmir today while Ms Rubia Mir, wounded in a blast at Rajouri yesterday, died in hospital this morning. Security forces killed two militants, including a self-styled commander of the Jamai-ul-Mujahideen at Bandipora in north Kashmir last night. Two AK rifles, six magazines and 150 cartridges were recovered from the slain militants. Two houses were also damaged in the shootout, he said. He said security forces also killed three militants in an encounter at Surankote in Poonch district of the Jammu region last night. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants. Security forces also gunned down one militant each at Behak Dari, Chaprian Nallah and Madhoon Topa in three separate encounters last night. He said some unidentified gunmen entered the house of Bilal Ahmad Dar at Kulgam last night and took away Rs 60,000. Night curfew has been relaxed in Baramula district of Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect in view of the fasting month of Ramazan, an official announcement said today. The curfew would remain in force only between 10 pm and 3.30 am, it said. Night curfew has been in force in the border district for the past few years. Militants shot dead one Abdul Ahmad Bhat at Budgam district town this afternoon. The body of a person identified as U.P. Choudhary, a resident of Jammu, was recovered by the police outside Army headquarters at Batwara in Srinagar today, the police said.
UNI, PTI |
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Woman killed in Pak firing Jammu, November 6 The woman, identified as Marian Khatoon, was killed when Pakistani troops resorted to mortar shelling in the Dargloon area in Poonch district early yesterday. Indian troops also retaliated and the exchange of fire continued intermittently for some hours, they said. Exchange of fire was also reported along the LoC in the Bhawani area of Noushera sector, Galad and Suchetgarh areas of Samba sector during the past 24-hours. However, there was no damage on the Indian side, they said. Meanwhile, Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged small arms fire at 29 Border Out Posts (BOPs) along the Line of Control (LoC) and international border overnight. Official sources said the troops exchanged fire along the international border at Old Kana Chak, New Kana Chak, Lalyal, Chinore Farm, Beli Azmat, Dera Nappu, Bhudwar, Suchet Garh, Kulian, Galar, Faqira Chak, Sangral, Mangral, Nawa Pind, Joura Farm, Korotana, Khurd, Kathmarian, Kharkhola, AMK, Gharana, Gharani, Narainpur, S H Way and Gole Patan in Jammu district. A report of firing was also recieved from Lam, Kalsian, Jhangar and Bhawani along the Line of Control (LoC) in Naushera sector of Rajouri District.
PTI, UNI |
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PDP leader released
on bail Jammu, November 6 Sources said the designated court had granted him bail in two cases registered against him under the POTA a few days back, but the police had re-arrested him the same day to complete the legal formalities. They said he was released after all formalities were complied with. He had been asked to present himself before the Investigation Officer, whenever required. The police reportedly had arrested three cross-border smugglers from Ranbir Singh Pora. During interrogation, the smugglers revealed the name of Fouji, who is allegedly an activist of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).
UNI |
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Govt decides to reduce power cuts Jammu, November 6 The power shortage will be met by drawing additional power from the northern grid and the PSEB. There will be no power curtailment between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. and 9.30 p.m. and 4.30 a.m. In the Jammu region there will be a power cut of 90 minutes thrice daily on a rotational basis. In Kashmir the cut will be in two groups. |
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New Director (Information) Jammu, November 6 Official sources said here today that Mr Narinder Singh had been posted as Administrator, Jammu Municipality. |
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