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Wednesday,
June 18, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Expose those behind killings, J&K ASSEMBLY SESSION Gen Sinha lauds soldiers guarding LoC Wind up camps training militants, India tells Bangladesh |
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STATEHOOD FOR JAMMU 5 injured in blast near SDM’s office Govt ‘delaying’ Hurriyat men’s release 24,000 visit Gouri Kund fair Malik resumes signature drive
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Expose those behind killings, say MLAs Srinagar, June 17 Cutting across party affiliations, the ruling alliance partners of the PDP-Congress alliance government and the opposition members, mainly the National Conference, condemned killings at the hands of the security forces or “unidentified gunmen”. They also sought to expose those behind such killings. The members were participating in a discussion on the killing of former minister and National Conference leader Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, who fell to the bullets of unidentified gunmen on September 11 last year during election campaign in his home constituency of Lolab in Kupwara district. The decision to have a separate discussion on the issue was taken “relaxation of rules”, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Mr Tara Chand, said. It followed a heated debate in the House on Tuesday over the killing of the former minister, as disclosed by the Director General of the state police, Mr Gopal Sharma, at a press conference on Sunday. Except for the demand by NC member, SD Shariq to hold a CBI inquiry into the killing of Lone, that was opposed by his party colleague, Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, several other members also demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing. They also sought inquiry into the killings that had taken place since the coalition government took over. Members also expressed concern over the new global phenomenon of terrorism and said there was a need to instill security confidence among the people in general. A former minister and senior National Conference leader, Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar, however, levelled serious charges against the coalition government of shielding and protecting militants. Without identifying, Mr Sagar alleged that two former militants were working as PROs to two of the ministers in the coalition government. Mr Sagar further said a militant of Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen involved in the killing of four mourners on the occasion of his father’s death few years ago had been released and was working as PRO to a minister. About the other PRO the minister said he had been a militant of the Al-Umar Mujahideen outfit. Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari of the NC, while opposing his party colleague, Mr S.D. Shariq’s demand for CBI inquiry, said Kashmir-like situation had become a global phenomenon and there was a need to address the basic problems. He said the police and administrative system in Jammu and Kashmir was working properly and there was no need to hand over the inquiry of such incidents into the hands of the central agencies. He also referred to the killings of various political personalities ranging from Moulvi Mohammad Farooq to Abdul Ghani Lone and others and also referred to at least three attacks on him as a minister where he survived miraculously. He expressed concern over the step-motherly treatment meted out to this trouble-torn state as compared to other states of the country and stressed the need to frustrate the designs of those bent upon dividing the state on geographical basis. The CPM MLA and leader of the PDF, an 11-member forum of MLAs in the House, Mr M.Y. Tarigami, held that the introduction of the element of violence in Kashmir was in itself a tragedy. He said Kashmir was involved in two cycles of terror and counter-terror. Appreciating the role of the police, Mr Tarigami sought adequate measures to decrease the number of militants and not to increase it. Other members who participated in the 90-minute-long discussion, included Dr Mehboob Beigh and Mr Ajay Sadhotra of the NC, Mr G.M. Saroori and Mr Yogesh Sawhney of the Congress, Ms Mehbooba Mufti and Mr Ghulam Hassan Khan of the PDP and Mr Jugal Kishore of the BJP. |
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J&K ASSEMBLY SESSION Srinagar, June 17 Intervening during question hour in the Assembly, Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the state high court had admitted a PIL challenging the appointment of 125 employees in relaxation of rules. The state government was also facing a contempt of court case in the Supreme Court on the same issue. ‘’Our Chief Secretary is attending the court in the contempt case though the case pertains to the previous government which failed to implement the Supreme Court directions regarding making appointments in relaxation of rules,’’ he said. Mr Baig said all 125 employees appointed during the tenure of the previous government had also been served notices by the court. They would get an equal opportunity to defend themselves, he said. Mr Baig said the government had submitted all records to the court which would take a decision on the issue. The minister informed the House that a committee had been set up to make a list of all the officers appointed after relaxing rules. Mr Mir Suifullah of the NC criticised the government for not keeping its poll promise that one member from each family would be provided a government job. Asserting that the gun and violence are no solution to any problem, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said the people’s unflinching support alone could steer the state to ‘’peace with dignity.’’ The Mufti said after the historic Assembly elections, a perceptible change in the people’s mindset was visible. People wanted peace with honour and dignity, he said. On targeting of leaders and intellectuals by the militants, he said, ‘’Those who cannot win over others through the strength of their ideology take recourse to the gun... But they are mistaken that spilling the blood of innocents amounts to fighting for the so-called ‘’azadi’’ or the cause of people.’’ Mr Sayeed said he was against the arrest of even secessionist leaders like Yasin Malik and said they could carry out their activities within the permissible limits of the law.
UNI |
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Gen Sinha lauds soldiers guarding LoC Jammu, June 17 The Governor expressed these feelings after he was briefed on the security scenario on the border and in the Northern Command at the 32nd Raising Day of the command in Udhampur today. Gen. Sinha laid a wreath at “Dhruva” a monument built of black granite and Kota stone bearing the names of 8965 soldiers and officers who laid down their lives, since 1947, while defending the country. On the occasion the Army Commander, Lt Gen Hari Prasad, complimented men andofficers of the command for achieving major gains the Pakistan sponsored proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. Born out of the 1971 war, the Northern Command is “unique” in many ways. It is the only command which shares its borders with China and Pakistan. It is responsible for the defence of the most inhospitable terrain of Siachen, the highest and the coldest battlefield in the world. Men and officers from the Northern Command have remained associated with the internal security of the state right from 1990 when militancy took roots in Jammu and Kashmir. It has established its security camps and pickets in all the 14 districts in Jammu and Kashmir. Before the state police was reorganised and strengthened and the number of paramilitary-forces battalions was increased the task of anti-insurgency operations lay with the soldiers and officers of the command. |
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Wind up camps training militants, India tells Bangladesh Jammu, June 17 Stating this Additional Director General BSF, A.K. Mitra, told newsmen here today that earlier also “we had informed Bangladesh Rifles about these camps but it had denied the existence of such centres.” He said that after collecting fresh documentary evidence “we have sent another report with the request that these training camps be wound up.” Mr Mitra said “we have been taking all possible measures to check infiltration of Bangla nationals into the Indian territory as their presence could endanger our security.” He, in reply to a question said that no evidence had been found on the presence of Al Qaida in training centres in Bangladesh but reports had indicated that there was a link between Kashmiri militants and the rebels being trained in Bangla camps. Referring to the fencing of the International Border in the Jammu sector Mr Mitra said of 80 the 187 km border had been fenced and “work on the project had been going on at present.” He said “if all goes well the entire International Border from Akhnoor to Kathua will be fenced by the end of 2004.” He said Pakistan was opposed to “our fencing programme and consequently its troops resorted to intermittent firing to stall the project.” But we have raised a bundh ahead of the fencing alignment so that our labourers were not hit by the Pakistani bullets,” he added. He said the main aim of fencing the IB was to check infiltration of militants and arms and narcotics smuggling. To another question Mr Mitra said that those Bangla nationals who were being arrested by the BSF while intruding into the Indian territory from across the IB usually travel to Pakistan without valid travel documents. In Pakistan the unwanted Bangladeshis are pushed into the Indian territory and this too could be a part of the plan of checking “our vigil on the border.” |
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STATEHOOD FOR JAMMU Jammu, June 17 The decision was taken at a meeting of the party leaders here today with Prof Virender Gupta, president in the chair. Through a resolution adopted in the meeting the Mukti Morcha reiterated its commitment on securing statehood status for the Jammu region.The resolution also said the morcha could launch an agitation in support of the creation of three new districts of Kishtwar, Reasi and Samba as per the Wazir Commission and for carrying out fresh census in the state. Prof Virender Gupta alleged that the census of 2001, showing 73.6 per cent population growth in the Kashmir valley against 61.7 per cent in the Jammu region, had been manipulated to benefit the valley based people. He said it was unbelievable that the population increase in the Kashmir valley, where over five lakh persons had migrated since 1990 and killings of civilians was going on everyday, could be higher than that of the Jammu region. The morcha also resolved to fight for increase in the representation of the people of Jammu in the government services especially in the Civil Secretariat. "We want 50 per cent representation in the Civil Secretariat", Prof Gupta said. Meanwhile, the morcha today succeeded in wooing back 17 leaders from the Jammu State Morcha. Prof Gupta said "We have decided to participate in all elections, whether for the Lok Sabha or the civic bodies".
OC |
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5 injured in blast near SDM’s office Srinagar, June 17 An explosive went off near the office of the Shopian SDM, about half-hour before the office opened this morning, official sources said. About five bystanders were injured in the blast, out of which the three seriously wounded, had been admitted to hospital. Militants attacked a BSF party at Sangrama Pattan in Baramula district today. The BSF retaliated but there were no reports of any casualties. The militants entered the house of Ali Mohammad Bhat, a PDP activist, at Pathripora Khiram in south Kashmir and shot dead his son late last night. The body of Zahoor Ahmad, who had been missing for the past two days, was found at Bijbehara today. The body of Mohammad Latif Badroo was found at Behgund Awantipor. The militants kidnapped Abdul Qayoom Khan last night at Pothushahi village of Lolab in Kupwara district, the sources said. A hunt had been launched to trace him. The sources said militants opened fire on a road opening party of the BSF at Sangrama on the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway early today, but none was hurt in the ensuing shootout. Meanwhile, a policeman identified as constable Sajjad Ahmad was injured when his service rifle went off accidentally at Batmaloo in central Srinagar today. A bullet from his weapon pierced his arm, the sources added.
UNI, PTI |
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Govt ‘delaying’ Hurriyat men’s release Srinagar, June 17 Hurdles were being put up to prolong the detention of separatist leaders, even as the state high court had ordered their release after the expiry of their jail terms, the Hurriyat alleged in a statement here. Referring to a recent statement by the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, that detainees released by the court would not be re-arrested, the Hurriyat accused government functionaries of contradicting their own statements and violating the sanctity of courts.
PTI |
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24,000 visit Gouri Kund fair Jammu, June 17 Celebrated annually in the name of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the mela attracts people from the states of Himachal, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Legend has it that Sudhmahadev, where the 1500-year-old trident is located in the Shiv shrine, was used to kill the demon Sudha who used to tease Parvati. District Magistrate Atul Dulloo visited the spot and reviewed the arrangements made for the pilgrims, officials said. |
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Malik resumes signature drive Srinagar, June 17 Accompanied by junior party leaders, Malik visited the office of the Anantnag Bar Association, 55 km from here and registered 3,000 signatures as pact of the campaign to seek opinion of Kashmiris about their role in any dialogue between India and Pakistan, JKLF sources said.
PTI |
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