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Thursday,
December 26, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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‘Mufti hasn’t hijacked APHC agenda’ Mufti urges ultras to shun violence Cop shot dead in
Doda; IED defused Advani to chair Unified Command meeting in J&K |
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‘Mufti hasn’t hijacked APHC agenda’ Jammu, December 25 The critics of the Mufti have said by favouring the non-implementation of POTA, release of detainers and holding of unconditional talks with elected representatives and other political leaders he had “hijacked” the APHC agenda. The APHC chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, today said “the agenda being pursued by the Mufti was administrative in character whereas our agenda is political”. He said: “We are not concerned about POTA because there are stringent laws in force in the state which include the Public Safety Act, Disturbed Area Act and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. “Our agenda can never be similar to the one being followed by the Mufti,” he said adding that “our agenda for unconditional talks did not mean parleys with members of the state Assembly. We are for talks between India, Pakistan and the representatives of the people of Kashmir.” The APHC leader said; “Both Centre and the Mufti are wrong if they believe that elections and the change in government will restore peace and normalcy to the state. Peace is possible if Delhi and Islamabad address the core issue of Kashmir in the presence of the peoples’ representatives,” he said. He said once the stage for trilateral talks was set, the release of detainees could make the atmosphere for the parleys congenial. He made it clear that “I have never demanded the release of all detainees as a precondition for talks.” When told that India had made it clear that talks with Pakistan could be resumed only when it stopped aiding cross-border terrorism, the Hurriyat chief laughed and said: First find the cause of cross-border terrorism and address those factors,” adding that the jehad was being carried out by Kashmiri youths and the presence of a handful of jehadis from outside Kashmir “should not be misconstrued as Pakistan’s proxy war.” He said “let the Government of India give a serious thought to our five-point programme. If our programme is accepted you will find a definite change in the situation.” |
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Mufti urges ultras to shun violence Srinagar, December 25 Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a bridge across the Jhelum today, he said the government was keen to turn around the situation and would seek the cooperation of people for restoring peace. The Mufti said at the National Democratic Council meeting held at New Delhi recently, he told the Prime Minister that he (Mufti) alone could not restore peace with dignity and would need the nation’s support. He also demanded an employment package for the youth, especially those who did not pick up the gun. He referred to the miseries the people of Kashmir had to face and said this must end now. He listed the measures taken by the government to help the affected people under the common minimum programme and said the government was aware how consoling it was for a needy person or a disabled to get Rs 200 to Rs 300 at his doorstep. |
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Cop shot dead in Doda; IED defused Srinagar, December 25 The IED, weighing 20 kg and connected to a remote control, was detected by the security forces at Chapnari, near Banihal, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, he said. The explosive, planted by the militants last night, was defused, the spokesman said. Militants shot dead a policeman, Farooq Ahmad, at Dharam village in Doda district last night. Militants also shot at and injured a woman, Bimla Devi, at Bella village in Rajouri district. A security personnel was injured in an encounter with militants at Phagla in the Surankote area of Poonch district during the period. A Hizbul Mujahideen militant surrendered before the police at Ind village in Doda and handed over a hand grenade, the spokesman said. The security forces seized a pistol, two magazines, 2,075 rounds and Rs 10,000 from a militant hideout at Patrigali in Poonch district yesterday, he said. The valley remained incident-free except for the kidnapping of Farooq Ahmad Shah who was let off after some time. However, the kidnappers took away his car, the spokesman said. JAMMU: The brother of a Deputy Superintendent of Police and two women have been arrested for involvement in terrorist activities in the continuing swoop on Al-Badr terrorists, the police said on Wednesday. The arrests came on the basis of interrogation of five Al-Badr ultras including a Pakistani national, Azhar Hussain, and a woman, Gulzar Bibi, nabbed over the past two days. Farooq Lone, brother of a DSP in the state police, was arrested in the city last evening, Inspector-General P. L. Gupt said here on Wednesday. The two women, Shahana and Ruksana, arrested in Rajouri, were allegedly working as courier of arms and ammunition for the outfit and accompanied the terrorists to avoid detection by the security forces, the police said, adding they were paid for these tasks. Meanwhile, Zaffar Iqbal, Special Police Officer for the protection of National Conference MLC Nazir Mir, who was arrested in Rajouri yesterday, has confessed his role in several bomb blasts in the district, including the one in which Mir’s granddaughter was killed, the police said.
PTI |
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Advani to chair Unified Command meeting in J&K New Delhi, December 25 During his day-long visit to Jammu, the state’s winter capital, Mr Advani will chair a meeting of the Unified Command, official sources said here. Defence Minister George Fernandes, state Governor Girish Chandra Saxena and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed will also attend the command meeting.
PTI |
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Christmas celebrated with fervour Srinagar, December 25 “I came to know about Christianity and found that it preaches the same values as we Muslims do”, Anjum said. Basharat Ahmad, a college student, said with so much hatred around and religions being used for vested interests, it was imperative that the youth understood the similarities and differences in their beliefs in order to avoid being misled.
Prayers were held at other churches across the valley with the second largest gathering being held at Baramula. |
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