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Thursday,
January 2, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Jawan killed, 271 kg RDX seized
CM for greater interaction between youth |
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Separatists want Pakistan’s
involvement in talks PoK refugees seek UN help CM’s assurance to PSU workers LAHDC Budget plan meeting
on January 9 Demonstration against sacrilege BDO
booked for graft
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Jawan killed, 271 kg RDX seized Srinagar, January 1 Security forces during a search operation discovered a terrorist hide-out at Trehgam village from where it recovered the huge cache of arms and ammunition, the spokesman said. The recoveries, include 271 kg of RDX, 71 hand grenades, 57 UBGL grenades, 24 RPGs, three AK 57 rifles, two pistols, three wireless sets, one disposable rocket launcher and several assorted magazines, he said. Besides the arms and ammunition, a packet of powder was also recovered from the hide-out but the nature of the powder could not be ascertained yet, he said. Militants struck in the downtown city killing a CRPF jawan and injuring a BSF constable. Security forces killed two militants of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba at Shopian, while a blast near a water tank disrupted water supply in north Kashmir. Official
sources said militants fired on a CRPF constable Surjeet Singh at Babdamb Khanyar in the downtown city this evening injuring him critically. Constable was shifted to hospital where he was declared brought dead. Militants also shot at and critically wounded a BSF Jawan at Nawa Kadal in the downtown city this evening. Sources said an encounter took place at Kalipora Shopian in south Kashmir district of Pulwama this morning during which two Lashkar militants, Mahmood and Abu Abdul, were killed. The encounter ensued after a search party was attacked by the militants hiding there. Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants. A blast took place near a water tank at Arampora in Baramula district disrupting water supply to a number of villages. No one was injured in the blast, sources said. Protests against security forces rocked Srinagar and Bandipora in the Kashmir valley today. People, mostly women and children, took to streets at Bohri Kadal here, demanding the release of some shopkeepers arrested by security forces. The demonstrators alleged that security forces arrested six shopkeepers from the area after a grenade blast on a Border Security Force (BSF) picket on December 30 left one jawan and two civilians injured. A report from Baramula said about 500 persons took to streets at Lawaipora Bandipora in North Kashmir in protest against the arrest and subsequent torture of a woman by security forces. The demonstrators alleged that security forces arrested Hamid Begum last night after they (forces) failed to locate her son Mohammad Shafi. The security forces tortured her before releasing her this afternoon. The woman with torture marks was admitted to hospital, the report said. POONCH: A top self-styled area commander of banned Pro Pakistani Lashkar-e-Toiba today surrendered before security forces in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, according to official sources said today. After holding
negotiations with security forces through his relatives, one LeT commander, Mustaq Ahmed, today laid down arms before security forces in order to join the national mainstream, the sources said here. Mustaq, who was active in Pak sponsored militancy for last five years, was the most wanted militant in the Poonch-Rajouri belt, they said. The ultra surrendered along with one AK rifle, 120 rounds, two grenades, four magazines and a radio set, the sources added.
PTI, UNI |
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CM for greater interaction between youth Jammu, January 1 Interacting with a group of 40 students from the Kashmir valley on their return to Jammu from “Watan ki Sair”, a trip to various parts of the country, organised by the Army as part of its strategy to inculcate the spirit of nationalism among the youth, the Chief Minister said the government was encouraging package tours to various parts of the state, particularly to the valley. He asked the organisers to arrange similar tours of students from outside the state to the valley so that they could see Kashmir and get acquainted with its cultural heritage. He also emphasised the need for participation of students in winter sports especially skiing in Gulmarg. The Chief Minister asked the organisers to maintain liaison with the state’s Resident Commissioner in Delhi for arranging such visits. This was the fourth batch of the students of the valley taken by the Army on ‘Watan ki Sair’, a plan aimed at exposing children of the remote areas to the diversity of the country’s culture and regions. |
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Separatists want Pakistan’s
involvement in talks Jammu, January 1 Mr Advani had told reporters that the Government of India was willing to hold talks with the elected representatives as suggested by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad
Sayeed. He, however, stated that talks with other political groups would be held at a later stage. He did not want to reveal his cards on any plan of initiating dialogue with the All-Party Hurriyat Conference
(APHC). To a question on APHC’s demand for allowing a Hurriyat team to visit Pakistan prior to the start of the parleys Mr Advani refused to make any comment. Despite the fact that Mr Advani appeared vague on inviting APHC leaders to talks, the separatists’ outfit in Srinagar is divided on this issue. While the hardliners, including the
Jamait-e-Islami, the Peoples’ League and the Muslim Conference, have stated that they would accept the offer of talks if Pakistan too was involved in the talks. However, moderate elements, including the Awami Action Committee and the JKLF, have stated that if they were granted that once the talks between them and the Government of India started a Hurriyat Conference team will be allowed to visit Pakistan or Islamabad may be involved in the negotiations at a later stage. The hardliners have made it clear that it was not possible for them to accept the offer for talks unless Pakistan was involved in the process. The Hizbul
Mujahideen, an outfit dominated by local youths, has rejected the offer even when it had not been made to this group. But two other militant groups that matter. The Lashkar-e-Toiba and the
Jash-e-Mohammad have not reacted to Mr Advani’s offer because their agenda is not only Kashmir but beyond the valley as far as extension of
pan Islamic movement was concerned. Since these two outfits were dominated by foreign mercenaries they would have cut a sorry figure had they reacted to Mr Advani’s offer or plan of holding talks with the elected representatives. They have been sent to the state for securing Kashmir’s incorporation with Pakistan with the help of the gun. Reports said that Awami Action Committee Chairman, Molvi Umar Farooq, and JKLF Chief, Mohammad Yasin Malik, are in favour of talks provided some assurance was given by the Government of India that a Hurriyat team will be given permission to visit Pakistan. The Molvi and Malik would like to brief leaders of militant outfits and Pakistan Government about the progress of bilateral talks between Delhi and Srinagar. But the Muslim Conference, led by Prof Abdul Gani
Bhat, and the Peoples’ League, headed by Sheikh Aziz Ahmed, want either Hurriyat team’s visit to Pakistan precede the talks or Islamabad being involved in the talks. The Peoples’ Conference, another constituent of the
APHC, has preferred to remain reticent because its leaders are treated as the “cat among the pigeons.” If not anything else, Mr Advani’s offer for talks with the elected representatives has seemingly put the separatist camps in discomfiture. Many among them do not want to get isolated. They do not want to miss the bus if they remain on the sidelines. But fear of militants and the agencies across the border have prompted them to adopt a cautious approach lest they should forced to close their shops. |
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PoK refugees seek UN help Jammu, January 1 The memorandum, addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, was handed over to UNMOG officials, by the protesters led by leaders of SOS, an international body for the PoK refugees. The leaders included Mr Rajiv Chuni, Mr Yashpal Gupta, Mr Sohan Singh, Mr R.K. Kohli and Mr J.L. Sharma. In the memorandum, the PoK refugee organisation urged the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, to appoint a special commissioner for attending to the problems of the victims of the 1947 genocide in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It called for immediate UN intervention in settling the claims of the refugees. The SOS leaders explained that during the past 55 years, no compensation had been given to the refugees on the movable and immovable property they left across the border at the time of their exodus in 1947-48. The memorandum said that while the Pakistan Government had settled the claims and disbursed the compensation to the refugees who had crossed to the PoK from India, they had been left “high and dry” as the Government of India waited for the case, taken by it to the UN in 1948 following the invasion on Jammu and Kashmir by the Pak tribals, to get settled in the world body. It said settlement of the refugee problem be delinked from the settlement of the Kashmir issue. Mr Rajiv Chuni said “the Kashmir case may linger for many years and we cannot wait for such a long time when two generations of our tribe had died in penury and unheard.” |
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CM’s assurance to PSU workers Jammu, January 1 Talking to a deputation of the All Public Sector Employees Joint Action Committee, which called on him this morning, the Chief Minister said the government wanted the PSUs to earn profit, and for this sincere efforts of the workers were as important as those of the management. As regards demands of PSU workers, the Chief Minister assured them that these would be examined at the appropriate level. The demands include release of pending cost of living allowances and DA
instalment. |
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LAHDC Budget plan meeting
on January 9 Jammu, January 1 “The LAHDC will hold its first general-body meeting under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister to decide on the Budget plan for development at Leh on January 9”, the sources said. This will be the first meeting on the Budget after the empowerment of the LAHDC by the Mufti government, the sources said. The Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers, besides some members of coalition parties, will be given a reception at Leh on their arrival. The PDP-led government had delegated powers to the LAHDC and also Cabinet minister status to Chief Executive Councillor Thupstan Chhwang and Deputy Minister status to executive councillors on December 30. Meanwhile, the National Conference attacked the state government for deciding on delegation of powers to the LAHDC without taking into confidence other political parties in the state.
PTI |
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Demonstration against sacrilege Jammu, January 1 Several shops in the old city remained closed. The police was criticised for not taking action in the matter. Several organisations have called for a Jammu bandh tomorrow. Security has been strengthened in the city as a precautionary measure. |
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BDO
booked for graft Srinagar, January 1 Srinagar Block Development Officer (BDO), Abdul Rashid Sofi was caught by the department while accepting the bribe from a resident of Goripora-Idgah for allotting rural development work within his jurisdiction, the sources said.
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