J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

APHC: dialogue move half-hearted
Jammu, March 8
While on the one hand the APHC leadership has deputed two senior leaders Maulvi Umar Farooq, Chairman, Awami Action Committee, and Mr Mohammad Yasin Malik, Chief of the JKLF — for interacting with diplomats and intellectuals in New Delhi on the other hand it has questioned the manner in which the Government of India’s interlocutor, Mr N.N. Vohra, has initiated the first phase of his dialogue.

600 constructions unauthorised: panel
Srinagar, March 8
The three-member committee constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir Government has identified at least 600 unauthorised constructions and encroachments in the green belt and adjacent areas of the Dal Lake area here.

Lashkar militant killed
Srinagar, March 8
A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in an encounter with Army jawans in Nagbal village of Anantnag district last night, a police spokesman said here today.

Decision on detainees inconclusive
Jammu, March 8
The Screening Committee has not been able to recommend the release of those detained under the Public Safety Act, which provides for detention for two years without trial, even after a two-day session.

Valley cut off yet again
Srinagar, March 8
The Kashmir valley was cut off from the rest of the country yet again following the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway due to landslides and washing away of the road in the Ramban area.

Hydel project labourers go on strike
Jammu, March 8
Over 4,000 workers went on indefinite strike today in protest against the termination of services of 1,400 skilled and unskilled labourers of the state-owned Bagliar hydel project in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

APHC: dialogue move half-hearted
Our Correspondent

Jammu, March 8
While on the one hand the APHC leadership has deputed two senior leaders Maulvi Umar Farooq, Chairman, Awami Action Committee, and Mr Mohammad Yasin Malik, Chief of the JKLF — for interacting with diplomats and intellectuals in New Delhi on the other hand it has questioned the manner in which the Government of India’s interlocutor, Mr N.N. Vohra, has initiated the first phase of his dialogue.

Mr Vohra spent two days in Jammu recently during which he met the Governor, Mr G.C. Saxena, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and other senior legislators, including the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah, in the Assembly.

Expressing the 23-member conglomerate’s reservation on the acceptance of an offer for talks, a senior APHC leader, Maulvi Abbas Ansari said, “We are not paid men of the Government of India as the Governor, the ministry and the legislators are with whom Mr Vohra interacted during his first visit.”

Maulvi Ansari told this correspondent, “We have not received any formal invitation for talks. “We have learnt from print and electronics media that Mr Vohra has said he was willing to meet anyone who wished to talk to him. Is it the way to initiate a meaningful dialogue ?”, he asked.

The APHC leader said, “If we receive a formal invitation in which Mr Vohra spells out the agenda and the purpose of the dialogue only then the Executive Committee will decide whether to accept the offer or not!”

He said the Kashmir issue “cannot be resolved through parleys between Mr Vohra and the senior state government functionaries. Mr Vohra has to talk to those who dispute the state’s accession to India”.

In this connection he referred to the Sheikh-Indira talks during 1974-75 period and said Ms Indira Gandhi’s emissary, G. Pasrthasarathy did not talk to the then state government functionaries but to Sheikh Abdullah who had, at that stage, questioned the validity of Kashmir’s accession to India.

He said it was in this connection that the two-member Hurriyat team comprising Mr Malik and Maulvi Umar was visiting Delhi from today to meet diplomats and intellectuals, including human rights activists like Mr Tapan Bose to apprise them of the half-hearted approach adopted by the Government of India in initiating a dialogue on Kashmir.

600 constructions unauthorised: panel
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 8
The three-member committee constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir Government has identified at least 600 unauthorised constructions and encroachments in the green belt and adjacent areas of the Dal Lake area here.

The Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, said here yesterday that action would be initiated in the matter after examining the report. The committee headed by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Mr Parvez Dewan, was constituted soon after the coalition government launched a drive against encroachments in the state after it took over in November last year.

The two other members of the committee are the Additional Commissioner here, Mr Mohammad Shafi and the Deputy Commissioner here, Mr Asgar Samoon.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, the minister said he had a meeting with hoteliers of the Boulevard area and asked them to remove unauthorised constructions and encroachments on their own within a week, otherwise the government would take action against defaulters. He said the hoteliers had assured him of their full cooperation in the beautification drive launched by the government.

The minister said the government would explore the religious and historical tourism potential in the state.

Mr Mir said the second phase of the Gulmarg-Gondola project would be completed by the end of October this year. National skiing cup would be organised at Gulmarg from March 22 to promote winter sports in the state, the minister said.

Thousands of unauthorised structures were removed in the joint demolition drive launched by the Srinagar Municipality and the Srinagar Development Authority during the past few months. A similar drive was also launched in other major towns of the valley. The minister appreciated the role of the media in creating awareness among the masses about the beautification drive. Most of the structures were voluntarily removed by the people in many parts of the city and other major towns of the valley.

In a related development, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court here early this week attached the residence-cum-office of the Director-General of Police, Mr A.K. Suri, under construction in the green belt near the Dal Lake. The DGP and the Managing Director of Police Housing Corporation, Mr Madan Lal had to appear before the Division Bench of the High Court on Thursday.

The hearing of the case has been deferred till Tuesday. The Division Bench observed that the Advocate-General had to produce records of land, allotment of funds for construction and details of expenditure. 

Lashkar militant killed

Srinagar, March 8
A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in an encounter with Army jawans in Nagbal village of Anantnag district last night, a police spokesman said here today. The militant, yet to be identified, was killed when army men opened fire in retaliation to his grenade attack in the course of search operations at Nagbal village in south Kashmir, he said adding that no jawan was injured in the incident.

Documents found in his possession revealed his association with Lashkar-e-Toiba.

A 70-year-old woman, Fatima, who was injured in a militant attack at Yaripora village of Kulgam in Anantnag recently, succumbed to her injuries last night.

A BSF jawan was seriously injured on Saturday when he stepped on a landmine planted near Chak Faqira border outpost in the Samba sector.

JAMMU: A BSF spokesman said Constable Vikram Singh had been rushed to Military Hospital at Satwari near here. PTI, UNI 

Decision on detainees inconclusive
Our Correspondent

Jammu, March 8
The Screening Committee has not been able to recommend the release of those detained under the Public Safety Act, which provides for detention for two years without trial, even after a two-day session.

According to sources, Mr Rakesh Hooja, Joint Secretary of the Minister of Home Affairs, who represents the Centre in the committee, spent two days with other committee members, including the Commissioner Home, Mr S.D. Singh, the DGP, Mr A.K. Suri, the Additional Director-General (CID), Mr Kuldeep Khuda, and senior functionaries of intelligence agencies in Jammu. The committee reviewed the cases of nearly 450 detainees.

The sources said Mr Hooja would soon be visiting Jammu to finalise the recommendations. A copy of the list of detainees had been taken by Mr Hooja to Delhi to discuss the issue with his senior colleagues in the Home Ministry.

The state government had said against whom there was no serious charge and who had overstayed in jails would be released on a priority basis.

Valley cut off yet again

Srinagar, March 8
The Kashmir valley was cut off from the rest of the country yet again following the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway due to landslides and washing away of the road in the Ramban area.

He said in case the road was reopened only stranded vehicles would be allowed to move. No vehicle was allowed from Jammu or Srinagar this morning. UNI

Hydel project labourers go on strike

Jammu, March 8
Over 4,000 workers went on indefinite strike today in protest against the termination of services of 1,400 skilled and unskilled labourers of the state-owned Bagliar hydel project in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

They are also opposing the arrest of trade union leader Javed Ahmed and the police crackdown on labourers, allegedly at the behest of the project management, the president of the Central Trade Union of Workers, Mr K.K. Bakshi, who met Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, told reporters here. The company engaged in the construction of the project had violated the agreement with the labour union, he alleged. PTI