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PDP trying to trifurcate J&K, accuses NC Poll a family feud between PDP, NC: CPM Discrimination against Jammu region alleged |
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242 poll-related killings in J&K Poll officer issues notice to 13 employees 4 Hurriyat associates may be released As Hurriyat (breakaway) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Ahmad Shah spent the third consecutive day today in house arrest, the Centre is working for the release of four Hurriyat Conference associates for waging war against the country. Plight of detainees concerns lawyers The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association has expressed concern over the plight of political detainees who have not been differentiated from ordinary criminals and are languishing in different jails within and outside the state. CM serious about Muzaffarabad road Dismissing allegations that the PDF was pulling wool on people’s eyes by talking about the re-opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said it was a serious move taken by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and officially accepted by Pakistan. Jammu, April 25 Thirty eight Bangladeshi nationals were today arrested near the international border in Jammu district while trying to exfiltrate into Pakistan. 
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PDP trying to trifurcate J&K, accuses NC
Srinagar, April 25 NC President and party candidate from the Srinagar parliamentary constituency Omar Abdullah said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress were trying to implement Delhi’s agenda to trifurcate the state. In a statement here today, he said by not putting up any candidate against the nominee of the Leh Union Territory Front (LUTF), it was clear that the alliance had supported trifurcation. This move, he said, was dangerous and was likely to have serious ramifications which would be detrimental for the unity and integrity of the state. He said this amounted to an approval of the LUTF demand by the state government. “This move is likely to create a communal divide and would be a great setback to the secular character of the state”, he added. Mr Abdullah said the National Conference had always believed in the unity and integrity of the state and would always continue to preserve the secular character of the state which was based on brotherhood, co-existence and respect for all religions and diverse ethnic identities. He urged the Chief Election Commissioner to ensure that the state government did not indulge in poll rigging. He said his party had reports about the government’s plan to indulge in booth capturing and bogus polling and the apprehensions had been conveyed to all concerned in writing today.
— UNI |
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Poll a family feud between PDP, NC: CPM Srinagar, April 25 The ongoing elections had been converted into a family feud by the National Conference and the PDP though the people were facing problems, including unemployment, scarcity of drinking water and other basic amenities, CPI (M) state secretary and candidate for Anantnag parliamentary constituency M.Y. Tarigami said. Addressing election rallies in Pampore, Barsu, Tral, Hari Parigam and Kokernag, he appealed to the people to defeat the nominees of both parties in the elections and vote for candidates who could devote their attention to solving the problems. He said he would not promise moon and stars but would like to join people in their struggle for eradication of unemployment, better drinking water, road
connectivity and tackling economic crisis facing them.
— PTI |
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Discrimination against Jammu region alleged Jammu, April 25 The issue of discrimination against the Jammu region in giving due representation has come to the fore during the current Lok Sabha elections. The state government was being also accused of discriminating against the Jammu region in other spheres too including, development and employment. Geographical area of the Jammu division is 28,919 square km while that of the Kashmir valley is 15,948 square km, but Jammu has only two Lok Sabha seats, while the valley has three. Moreover, the number of voters in Jammu is 32,00,559 against 29,93,636 of the valley. Besides, the fourth seat that falls in the Kashmir division is that of the frontier region of Ladakh that has been formed for an electorate of 1,82,677. However, the Ladakhis were striving to get separated from Kashmir by asking for a union territory status for the area. While carving out Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, a mischief has allegedly been done by
including only two districts in each of the three constituencies in the Kashmir valley, while the two constituencies of Jammu are based on three districts each. As that was not enough, the Jammu region has been given strength of 36 Assembly seats, while the number of seats in the valley was 46. Besides, four seats were in the Ladakh region. The demand for a fresh delimitation of the constituencies was being raised in Jammu from time to time to remove imbalance. However, the parties in power have so far refused to accept the demand. Doubts are being expressed whether the Mufti-led coalition government would oblige the people of Jammu by accepting the demand that has been included in its common minimum programme. However, the Congress leadership was firm that a delimitation commission would be set up to reorganise the Assembly constituencies. |
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242 poll-related killings in J&K Jammu, April 25 “The Indo-Pak border ceasefire, which came into being on November 26, 2003, is entering sixth month tomorrow without any type of violation and violence from either side along the border line in Jammu and Kashmir” top security officials told PTI here today. They said “it was going smoothly and people of border belts along the Line of Control and International Border are happy and living in total peace.” Contrary to it, as many as 242 persons, including 69 civilians, 138 militants and 35 security personnel, have been killed since March 1, 2004 after the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll in Jammu and Kashmir along with the rest of the country, they said. After the announcement of the poll, the militants stepped up terror activities and targeted, poll rallies. A total of 517 persons, including 141 civilians, 304 militants and 72 security men had been killed since January 1, they said. While 275 persons, including 72 civilians, 166 militants and 37 securitymen had been killed till March 1, only 242 persons had been killed after Mach 1.
— PTI |
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Poll officer issues notice to 13 employees
Jammu, April 25 “We have issued show-cause notice to 13 officials of various departments on the complaint of assistant electoral registration officer that these employees had not joined duty from April 21 and were absent from Udhampur district,” he said here today. The officials have to submit a reply within three days, failing which action would be initiated against them he said.
— PTI |
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4 Hurriyat associates may be released
Srinagar, April 25 The decision was taken by the Centre in consultation with the state government after the Hurriyat Conference raised the issue of the release of Shabir Dar, Ghulam Mohiuddin, alias Raja Haider, G.M. Sheikh and Saifuddin Bhat in their meetings with Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani on January 22 and March 27, official sources said. The sources said during the last meeting with the Hurriyat leadership, former amalgam chairman Abdul Gani Bhat had requested for the release of these people after which the government had formulated the proposal and sent it to the Union Law Ministry. While Dar and Mohiuddin have been booked under POTA for abetting militancy, Sheikh and Bhat have been charged under Section 121, IPC (waging war against the country). The sources said either the government would withdraw all charges against the four or would not oppose their bail application. The orders for action had been passed on to the special cell of the Delhi police which had sent the matter to its prosecution branch. The release of these four also came up for discussion at a meeting chaired by Centre’s interlocutor on Kashmir N.N. Vohra earlier this week. The Centre has so far released 85 persons who had been booked under the Public Safety Act. Of them, 16 were released after the second round of talks between the Hurriyat and the Centre. Zamrooda Begum, who had been booked along with Dar on February 7 last year, would not be released, the sources said, adding that she was involved in a high profile case in which Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner J.A. Gilani was also named.
— UNI, PTI |
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Plight of detainees concerns lawyers Srinagar, April 25 Addressing a press conference here yesterday, the president of the association, Mian Abdul Qayoom presented a 30-page report compiled by a team of advocates about the condition of these detainees. The lawyers were allowed by a Division Bench of the High Court to meet the detainees lodged in various jails in Jammu and Kashmir in response to various petitions. The nine-member team visited Sub-Jail, Hiranagar, District Jail Kathua, Central Jail Kotebalwal, Jammu, Sub-Jail Jammu, District Jail, Udhampur, Central Jail, Srinagar and District Jail, Baramulla. He said during these visits between April 15 and 17 the Bar members found that a number of the detainees were living in inhuman conditions. This had led to various psychological problems in detainees, many of whom had lost their memory while languishing in jails without trials. Mr Qayoom said a number of these detainees were unable to disclose their identity when approached by the Bar members. He said even proper medical facilities were not being provided to them. The Bar chief added that a number of such prisoners were languishing in various jails outside the state and were devoid of legal assistance. He alleged that the detainees from Kashmir were lodged at distant centres to prevent them from being produced before the courts here. Mr Qayoom said over 60,000 habeas corpus cases had been lodged in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court since 1990, while over 3,000 such cases were still pending in the court. The report said 22 foreigners including Bangladeshis, Afghans and Pakistanis had been ordered by the courts to be repatriated but they were still languishing in these jails. |
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CM serious about Muzaffarabad road Srinagar, April 25 “The re-opening of the road is a serious move initiated by the Prime Minister and officially accepted by Pakistan as a result of the new peace moves within Jammu and Kashmir” the Chief Minister said in a statement. He said both countries had agreed in principle to throw open the road and allow the movement of people on either side of the Line of Control. The Chief Minister said only technicalities were to be discussed for which India and Pakistan would soon hold a meeting in Islamabad. He said basic manifesto of his party was to connect the two neighbouring countries and it would never back out from this.
— PTI |
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38 B’deshis held Jammu, April 25 Official sources said Army personnel at a forward post spotted the Bangladeshi nationals and challenged them. However, they tried to escape but were caught at Kullian village, the sources said. The arrested Bangladeshis included women and children and were being questioned. Nothing incriminating was recovered from them.
— PTI |
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