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Thursday,
November 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Cabinet
expansion next month Consensus
needed on Kashmir, says Mufti Accountability
Bill in J & K passed Search
operations in Jammu resumed More
security for religious places |
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LPG
blast in gurdwara, devotees unhurt Man
carrying arms arrested 2
securitymen killed accidentally Soften
stand, Hurriyat urges Centre
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Cabinet expansion next month Jammu, November 27 The opportunity will also be utilised by the Mufti to reshuffle the portfolios of some of his ministers who were annoyed over the allocation of “insignificant” departments to them. It is learnt that the Mufti was discussing the issue with his coalition partners. Pressure is being mounted on the Chief Minister by the coalition partners to give more representation to them in the ministry. Besides, the Congress, the Panthers Party, CPM, and about 14 Independents are supporting the PDP-led government of the Mufti. Members of the Congress and the Panthers Party have only been so far included in the PDP-led ministry. There were indications that the Mufti might expand his ministry around December 8, but before that he would meet the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, and other party leaders at Delhi in this connection. The PCC president, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, met the Mufti here yesterday and is understood to have discussed the issue with him. Many Congress legislators are in the race for a ministerial berth with a good portfolio of public dealing. The Panthers Party is also not satisfied with only one of its four MLAs having been inducted in the ministry. The formation of the ministry had created heart burning among the coalition partners earlier this month. A Congress legislator had reportedly even abused some leaders for not getting him inducted in the ministry. Many partymen were annoyed over the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, having been assigned insignificant portfolios of Industry and Transport. The Panthers Party is also not happy with its nominee, Mr Harshdev Singh, having been given the truncated portfolio of school education. Higher education has been retained by the Chief Minister. The lone member of the CPM, Mr Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who is supporting the Mufti government, will be included in the ministry only if the politburo of the party gives a nod. However, he is heading a seven-member forum of Independents some of whom might be adjusted. The Independents from Jammu are also expecting berths in the ministry. However, it will be a tight rope walk for the Mufti to select the new members of his ministerial team which is going to be a difficult task. |
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Consensus
needed on Kashmir, says Mufti Jammu, November 27 The Mufti, who was replying to the debate on the Governor’s Address in the Assembly, said the Centre and the state had a complete understanding on dealing with situation. The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, are aware of the ground realities here. The golden opportunity to find a solution to the Kashmir problem provided by the free and fair Assembly elections should not be lost. He said he was of the firm opinion that peace could be restored by winning the hearts of the people and not through bullet or repression. The government would review all cases of detentions made without trial and release all those who were arrested on non-specific charges. A durable peace can be achieved only if the Centre initiated a serious dialogue without pre-conditions with the elected members of the Assembly and other sections of society. He said our policy should be to put the militants on the defensive by addressing to the problems of those who were sustaining them. Militancy could sustain only with the help of the local people. The Mufti said the effort of the suicide squads of terrorists was to derail the peace process. The attack on the famous Raghunath temple was a conspiracy to communalise the situation in Jammu. He, however, said the attack came because of lapse of the security personnel. He said although a human touch was necessary to deal with the people, but the fight against militancy had to be continued with greater determination. The Mufti said his government enjoyed the mandate of the people and would not negate the common minimum programme. He said the NDA government during the National Conference regime had nominated Mr Arun Jaitley to hold talks for delegation of more powers to the state with a committee headed by the then Minister in the State Government, Mr Mohiuddin Shah. He said the scope for talks should be widened to create a conducive atmosphere for peace and solving the Kashmir problem instead of restricting the talks to delegation of more powers. The root cause of the current turmoil had to be identified and a solution found. He said the Assembly could pass a resolution urging the Centre to initiate talks with the elected representatives. He said he would persuade the Centre to hold a dialogue with the elected representatives of the people on various issues pertaining to the problems of the state. He linked the restoration of autonomy with the historic Indira-Sheikh Accord of 1975 and recalled that it nowhere mentioned restoration of the pre-1953 position or withdrawing the powers of the Supreme Court or the Election Commission. The Mufti appreciated the initiatives taken by the Prime Minister for restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir by deputing the Home Secretary for holding talks with various separatist groups, announcing a unilateral ceasefire in Kashmir and appointing Mr K.C. Pant for unconditional talks with the separatists and other groups. He said his government would create an atmosphere for the migrant Kashmiri Pandits gradually returning to the valley. The Chief Minister said his government was taking steps to solve the grievances of regional discrimination and provide all powers to the Hill Development Council of Ladakh. Earlier in the morning, reacting sharply to certain remaks of the BJP MLA, Mr Jugal Kishore in the House, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, reacted sharply and described the BJP as a “communal party” which do not represent the entire country. She said the language which the BJP was speaking in Gujarat would not be tolerated here. Mr Mohammad Sharif Niaz (Congress) alleged that the Centre was playing with the sentiments of the people of Jammu and Kashmir which was further alienating them. |
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Accountability Bill in J & K passed
Jammu, November 27 Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Muzaffar Hussain Beig tabled the Bill in the Upper House. It which was seconded by leader of House Abdul Qayoom (NC). The Bill has already been passed by the assembly yesterday. The House also passed a Bill to amend the Levy of Tolls Act, 1995 and another bill amending the Jammu and Kashmir Representation of Peoples Act, 1957. Both the Bills were tabled in the House by Mr
Beig. UNI |
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Search operations in Jammu resumed Jammu, November 27 A senior police officer told The Tribune that these cordon and search operations were being carried out in a measured way in limited areas so that “no inconvenience is caused to the civilians.” He said this exercise had been initiated to prevent the activists of Lashkar-i-Toiba and Jash-e-Mohammad to carve out bases in the summer capital. “We have to keep the rebels on the run,” the police officer said. He stated that another measure taken was to clear all pavements of vendors. On several occasions militants would take shelter behind these vendors and their rehris and open fire on the security personnel. The police has suggested to the government to introduce this exercise in Jammu city where all pavements have been occupied by vendors and a major portion of the city roads have been converted, though illegally, into car parks preventing easy mobility of security vehicles during any emergency. During the past three weeks activists of Lashkar-i-Toiba and Jash-e-Mohammad have been trying to establish hideouts in Srinagar and other towns, but in the absence of overground support, they have been playing safe lest they should either be arrested or eliminated. Wireless and radio messages intercepted by the security agencies have revealed that the agencies across the border have engaged professional guides and border smugglers for smuggling into Jammu and Kashmir large consignments of weapons and explosives. One security agency recently intercepted a bus from which large quantities of arms and ammunition had been recovered from the outskirts of Srinagar district. Preliminary investigations had indicated that the consignment was meant to be delivered to the activists of Jash-e-Mohammad. A part of the ammunition recovered from series of search operations in recent days revealed that the Pakistani agencies were sending into Jammu and Kashmir special combat material for the Fidayeen which could facilitate their task of storming into heavily guarded government instalations. Police sources said despite the fact that militants operating in Jammu and Kashmir had sufficient stocks of weapons and explosives, the Pak agencies were concentrating on smuggling into the state bigger consignments of grenades, IEDs and other high grade explosives. The militants, especially the foreign mercenaries, have also been directed to bank on the use of explosives, including grenades, IEDs and land mines, which could on one hand ensure their (militants’) survival and on the other cause bigger damage to the security grid in the state than can be achieved by entering into direct encounters with the security forces. |
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More security for religious places Jammu, November 26 Senior officers of the police and the intelligence agencies carried out a detailed drill for identifying temples, shrines and mosques for the purpose. These meetings were presided over by the Director General Police, Mr A.K. Suri. Mr Suri directed the field officers to deploy additional companies of security forces in and around every important temple and mosque. Every security personnel should be equipped with sophisticated weapons and bullet-proof headgear and jackets to meet any eventuality. A plan was being formulated to erect bunkers in front of important religious places where entry of pilgrims and devotees should be subjected to frisking. A decision has been taken to increase the number of mobile police patrol. In addition to this round-the-clock patrolling has been ordered in sensitive areas. So far the government had identified more than 25 temples, mosques and shrines of saints where additional security guards have been deployed. Checking of vehicles has been made mandatory. The police in mufti have been deployed to keep a watch on hotels and restaurants. Their owners have been directed to maintain a record of tourists. These steps were being taken following reports that militants may storm some more religious places. |
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LPG blast in gurdwara, devotees unhurt Kathunangal, November 27 Mr Raghbir Singh, personal assistant to the SGPC chief, who rushed to the spot said the langar hall had been sealed and an explanation sought from Bharat Petroleum regarding the leakage. The Kathunangal police has registered a complaint on behalf of Mr Darshan Singh, accountant of the gurdwara. An employee of the SGPC, Mr Savinder Singh, risking his life put a wet cloth on the burning cylinder and stopped the fire from spreading. |
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Man carrying arms arrested Srinagar, November 27 The man identified as Abdul Rashid Najar, was carrying a bag which had two AK rifles, eight magazines, 350 rounds of ammunition, besides a letter pad of the outfit officials sources said. Najar, who was immediately whisked away and interrogated, said he was working at the bus stop as a labourer and was handed over the bag by two persons who promised to give him Rs 1,000 for delivering it at a certain place, the sources said. BSF immediately sealed the bus stand area and launched a search to nab the two persons, believed to be Jaish-e-Mohammad militants, who had given the arms consignment to Najar. Sources said the arms could have been for a suicide squad of the outfit planning an attack. Meanwhile, the BSF achieved yet another success when they seized a large cache of arms and ammunition from a bus at the Batmaloo general bus stand here today. Official sources said the BSF on a tip off searched a bus, coming from Sopore, at the Batmaloo bus stand and seized two AK rifles, eight magazines, 345 rounds, three grenades and some warm clothes. One suspected person was also taken into custody. The BSF on November 24, had seized a large cache of arms and ammunition, including about 63 kg deadly RDX and other explosives, 10 rockets, 10 anti-tank rockets and 18 anti-tank at Shikargah Tral village in Pulwama district. The Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Hizb-ul Mujahideen had planned to jointly target VIPs and security force convoys on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway besides other vital installations in south Kashmir.
PTI, UNI |
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2 securitymen killed accidentally Srinagar, November 27 Constable Rood Singh of 82 Battalion of the CRPF was killed when his gun went off while he was on duty at the SPS museum at Lal Mandi in Civil Lines area here this morning. An Army jawan of 28 Artillery Unit was also killed in a similar incident last night inside the Army camp at Kacherbatri in Baramula district of north Kashmir, the police said.
PTI |
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Soften stand, Hurriyat urges Centre Srinagar, November 27 "Kashmir is a disputed territory and this reality has been accepted by the entire world. It is better for India to leave its hardened stand and take steps to resolve the issue through tripartite talks," senior executive member of Hurriyat Conference Abbass Ansari said at a public meeting at Mirgund-Pattan in Baramula district of north Kashmir. Ansari, who is also president of the Ithad-ul-Muslimeen Moulvi, said neither the change of government in the state nor the economic packages announced by it could "deviate" the people from the "freedom struggle". In an identical statement, Vice-Chairman of the JKLF and Hurriyat leader Javid Ahmad Mir said "peace can be achieved only if the Kashmir issue is resolved through talks between the concerned parties in accordance with its historical background".
PTI |
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