J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Will bus service impact Kashmir issue?
Srinagar, April 1
While hopes of reunion of the divided families have been kindled among many people in north Kashmir, those in the south look at the bus service to Muzaffarabad, beginning next week, from an economic point of view. At the same time questions are being raised whether this confidence-building measure will help in touching the “basic Kashmir issue” between the two neighbouring countries.

Muzaffarabad-bound couple get death threat
Jammu, April 1
While the two 19-seater buses meant for carrying the first batch of visitors from Kashmir to Uri for meeting their relatives in Pakistan occupied Kashmir have been placed under the security of the CRPF in Jammu, Khalid Hussain and his wife, Naseem Firdous, received a phone call yesterday in which the caller threatened to eliminate them if they travelled to Muzaffarabad.

An Indian Army officer looks at the bridge at Kaman post near the LOC as locals from occupied Kashmir work on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road.  — Tribune photo by Amin War

4 militants killed, 117 kg explosives seized
Srinagar, April 1
Security forces averted a major tragedy with the recovery of 117 kg of explosives hidden in four two-wheelers in the Sopore area of Baramula district, ahead of the beginning of a bus service to Muzaffarabad, scheduled from Thursday.

House adjourned over VAT implementation
Jammu, April 1
The J&K Assembly was adjourned today amidst noisy scenes by the opposition National Conference (NC) on the issue of the state government introducing a Bill to implement VAT. Pandemonium prevailed in the House for about 30 minutes before the Deputy Speaker, Mr Mohammad Akbar Lone, adjourned the House for the day.

Will bus service impact Kashmir issue?
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 1
While hopes of reunion of the divided families have been kindled among many people in north Kashmir, those in the south look at the bus service to Muzaffarabad, beginning next week, from an economic point of view. At the same time questions are being raised whether this confidence-building measure (CBM) will help in touching the “basic Kashmir issue” between the two neighbouring countries.

Various sections of people in Baramula and Kupwara districts of north Kashmir, are optimistic over the beginning of the bus service to Muzaffarabad via the Jhelum valley road, the traditional route of the Valley to the outside world. Gifts for the top leaders of Pakistan as well as relatives of the divided families are getting ready with the hope that the beginning goes a long way in strengthening relations and promoting trade and tourism.

“Not much enthusiasm over the beginning of the bus service is observed here”, said an advocate in Anantnag town, adding that there could be exceptions of a few divided families. The advocate could recall only two cases of divided families from the distant areas of Kulgam and Shangus in the district. There had been an affinity with the other side during early years after the Partition for many reasons like the supply of rock salt, he added. The advocate said that “old people liked it, but now they are no more and there is not much enthusiasm”. He prefers democracy and the secular culture prevailing in the state as also in the country, “that was lacking on the other side.” For M. Lateef, another resident of the area, the division by the LoC has brought only miseries for the people of the Valley as they remain cut off from their close relatives residing not so far. “Contrarily, I can easily speak to and meet my brother, who is a doctor in the US”, he added.

“It is not the question of the road opening and boosting tourism... The basic question of Kashmir is to be addressed”, said a youth, Merajuddin. The people in south Kashmir districts of Anantnag and Pulwama keep a watch over the developments even as most of them are not directly involved as divided families.

For the past two weeks, the Baramula-based Jammu and Kashmir Fruit and Vegetable Growers-cum-Dealers Association, has been waiting for permission to send Kashmiri apple gift packs to top leaders of Pakistan when the first bus plies on the Muzaffarabad road from here on April 7. It had moved an application to the state government on March 18 for sending six gift packs by the first bus, said Mr Ghulam Rasool Bhat, president of the association. The gift packs would be sent among others, to the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister. There would also be gifts for the top Indian leaders when the bus is flagged off here.

Mr Bhat has demanded the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, that passes through Baramula, to trade and that it should not be restricted to the reunion of divided families.

He told The Tribune here that the association was also for making functional the Mughal road that connected Kashmir Valley with the Jammu region through another axis from south Kashmir. “It takes truckloads of Kashmir produce four days to one week to reach the trade centres across the country”, he pointed out. Mr Bhat added that in case the Muzaffarabad road was opened for trade it would help boost the fruit industry of the Valley.

“Our produce can reach the Gulf markets within a week via the Muzaffarabad road”, he said, adding that this would help boost the trade and economy of the Valley. 

Muzaffarabad-bound couple get death threat
Tribune Reporters

Jammu, April 1
While the two 19-seater buses meant for carrying the first batch of visitors from Kashmir to Uri for meeting their relatives in Pakistan occupied Kashmir have been placed under the security of the CRPF in Jammu, Khalid Hussain and his wife, Naseem Firdous, received a phone call yesterday in which the caller threatened to eliminate them if they travelled to Muzaffarabad.

Hussain and his wife are among the 30 visitors booked for travelling on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, which is set to be opened from April 7.

Hussain (60), who is a Punjabi fiction and short store writer, told mediapersons here today: “I received a call on my cell phone. The caller refused to disclose his identity. He threatened me if I dared to travel to Muzaffarabad.”

He said: “After recording the phone number (4444845613) of the caller I informed the police. The call was from the UK.”

In reply to a question, Naseem Firdous said: “We want to meet our relatives whom we have never met. We have decided to go despite threat.”

Hussain, who has written on the need for promoting India-Pakistan friendship, said: “I am not a politician. I have no political agenda while travelling to Mirpur. I want to meet my cousins.”

“I Persuaded the caller to convince me on the need for deferring my visit to Mirpur. I have therefore, decided to go. Life and death are in the hands of God,” Hussain said.

He said: “Some vested interests in India and Pakistan are trying to derail the peace process because the 15-year-long turmoil in Kashmir have enabled them to make fortunes.”

“We are grateful to the Pakistani and Indian governments for having agreed to open the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road which will facilitate interaction and reunion between the divided families,” he added.

Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said today that the government would not be cowed down by the terrorists’ threats of targeting the bus.

The Mufti, who was making a statement in the Assembly following threats of various terrorists organisations of targeting the bus, asserted that adequate security measures had been taken and there would be no laxity.

He said he talked to the Prime Minister on this issue this morning and assured him that those who have threatened and intending passengers would not be allowed to come in the way. He also warned those who wanted to derail the peace process by issuing such threats.

He said the list of 29 passengers who would board the inaugural bus service was perhaps leaked from Pakistan or PoK and not by the state authorities. 

4 militants killed, 117 kg explosives seized
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 1
Security forces averted a major tragedy with the recovery of 117 kg of explosives hidden in four two-wheelers in the Sopore area of Baramula district, ahead of the beginning of a bus service to Muzaffarabad, scheduled from Thursday.

Four persons have been apprehended in this connection and further investigations are on, according to a senior BSF officer.

The explosives-laden scooters were found at different places between Arampora and Haygam.

Elsewhere, at least four militants were killed in separate incidents and a large quantity of arms and ammunition seized in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces near Shopian in Pulwama district yesterday, the police here said.

A house and a cowshed where the militants were hiding got damaged in the exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces.

Three AK rifles were seized from the site of the encounter.

A militant was killed and two others, a civilian and a jawan, were injured in an encounter between the militants and the security forces at Sonabrari in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district.

One AK rifle, three magazines, and three hand grenades were seized from the site of the encounter.

One suspected militant was apprehended in the Arnas area of Udhampur district in the Jammu region. One hand grenade, four AK rounds and one antenna of a wireless set were seized from him.

An upper ground worker of the Hizbul Mujahideen was held by the security forces during searches at Kandi in Kupwara district.

JAMMU: In a major haul, the Army seized 45 kg of RDX and other explosive material from a hideout of terrorists in the Belhi village of Doda district on Friday.

A spokesman for the Army said that during a search of the hideout, as many as 10 hand grenades, 24 IED remote controls and 222 detonators were seized.

The explosives were a hidden in a bunker constructed by the terrorists.

House adjourned over VAT implementation
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 1
The J&K Assembly was adjourned today amidst noisy scenes by the opposition National Conference (NC) on the issue of the state government introducing a Bill to implement VAT. Pandemonium prevailed in the House for about 30 minutes before the Deputy Speaker, Mr Mohammad Akbar Lone, adjourned the House for the day.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Abul Rahim Rather, pointed out that the government had implemented VAT with effect from today without the permission of the legislature. This was in violation of the Rule 64 of the Rules and Procedures of the Business of the House.

He said the Bill should have been published in an extraordinary gazette of the government before introducing it in the House. The draft Bill was typed and not in printed form.

The NC members said the government promulgated an ordinance in this regard shortly before the budget session of the legislature began.

Noisy scenes were witnessed also during question hour when in reply to a question of Mr Saifullah (NC), the Health Minister, Mrs Suman Bhagat, tabled a list of persons who have been nominated for paramedical training courses.

The Chief Minister intervened and informed the House that 100 such nominations had been cancelled and an inquiry ordered into the matter.