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Who elected you? Sajjad asks Hurriyat brass
Six militants killed in J&K
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J&K to have 5 more battalions of police
100 Kashmiri Pandit families to return to valley by June-end
Militancy-hit moves court, seeks govt job
Protest disrupts traffic
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Who elected you? Sajjad asks Hurriyat brass
Srinagar, May 22 “Who has elected them (Hurriyat leaders); who has given them the right to claim that they are the true representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir? If at all they are, they need to prove it,” Mr Sajjad Ghani Lone said while addressing a rally here. The rally, held to mark the third death anniversary of his father and senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone, eventually turned out to be a show of strength for Mr Sajjad Lone as thousands of people participated in it. He welcomed the recent meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in New Delhi. Mr Sajjad Lone, however, questioned the “logic behind the Pakistan High Commission’s invitation to a few selected separatist leaders for talks with President Musharraf”. “Why did they invite a select few? The invitation should be sent to the people and not selected leaders. Even I can say I am a representative of the people of Jammu and Kashmir...What is wrong in that? But it can be objectionable if I say that I am the only representative,” he said. The People’s Conference chairman said India and Pakistan should allow the people of the state to elect their own representatives and leaders who could sit and participate in negotiations for resolving the vexed Kashmir issue. “There can be no solution to the Kashmir problem unless the true representatives of the people of the state are taken into confidence and involved in the dialogue process,” he said, adding that the issue should be resolved in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people. Mr Sajjad Lone said the sacrifices of the people of Jammu and Kashmir could not be undermined. He called for an immediate end to the violence and bloodshed in the state. “What have the killers of Abdul Ghani Lone got. Has it helped in any way?” he asked.
— UNI |
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Srinagar, May 22 Also a Hizbul Mujahideen militant was among three persons arrested in the border district of Rajouri during the period. An unidentified militant was killed in an ongoing operation at Munagam in Baramula district of North Kashmir this evening, a defence spokesman said. Acting on specific information, troops raided the village and the hiding militants opened fire on them, he said, adding that in the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed. Two foreign militants were killed in a day-long encounter with the security forces at Cheepora-Loab village in the frontier district of Kupwara last night, a police spokesman said, adding that two Ak rifles, eight magazines, 8 RPG shells, two wireless sets, two hand grenades and Rs 1,000 in Indian currency were recovered from the militants. Another foreign militant of the Al-Badr Mohammad Jameel Khan, alias Asgar, was killed in a gunbattle at Daramwari-Lolab village in the same district. Hizbul Mujahideen militant Abdul Hamid Parray was killed when the security forces returned fire after they were attacked by militants with a grenade at Shaksaz Mohalla in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district last night. Two civilians also sustained injuries in the blast and were hospitalised. — PTI
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J&K to have 5 more battalions of police
Jammu, May 22 Union Home Secretary, V.K. Duggal, gave this indication during his interaction with the senior functionaries of the Army, the BSF, the CRPF, the Police in Srinagar yesterday. When state government functionaries demanded sanction for raising additional battalions of the police Mr Duggal said “we are seriously considering sanctioning five battalions of the police.” At present police strength in the state was 70,000 personnel. In 1990, when militancy started in Jammu and Kashmir there were 30,000 police personnel. The Union Home Secretary accepted the suggestion of state government functionaries that one city or town should have one force. Once this practice is implemented the police would be assisted only by the CRPF. It was argued that under the one city, one force system confusion could be removed and responsibility fixed easily. It had also been accepted that the Army would be deployed for counter-insurgency measures in the forest belts of the upper reaches of the state and the rest of the area would be left to the police and the CRPF. It was to strengthen the border management so that the rate of ingress of militants was checked. Official sources said that Mr Duggal had detailed discussion with Governor, Mr S.K. Sinha, Chief Minister Mufti Mohd. Sayeed. He had a session with Dr Farooq Abdullah on the Golf Course where the two exchanged views on the security scenario in the state. The Union Home Secretary is said to have expressed satisfaction over the improvement in the security environment notwithstanding series of militancy related incidents in Srinagar and other areas in recent weeks. According to official sources the Union Home Secretary assured the state government functionaries that the Centre would make available whatever infrastructure was needed for further strengthening the confidence building measures with Pakistan. |
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100 Kashmiri Pandit families to return to valley by June-end
Srinagar, May 22 Another 100 families would be returning by the year-end when all 200 flats would be completed at Sheikhpora for the rehabilitation of the migrant pandits. Work is also apace on similar accommodation for the migrants at Tullamulla near Ganderbal in Srinagar district and at Mattan in south Kashmir district of Anantnag. This was disclosed by Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, after inspecting work on these flats. The work on the construction of safe houses for migrant Pandits was started in April last year and is expected to be completed by the end of this year, the minister said. The state government has received over 1300 applications from migrant families living in camps at different places in Jammu and Udhampur. According to the minister the migrant colony at Sheikhpora was coming up at a cost of Rs 20 crore out of which Rs 9.50 crore has so far been spent. He said the colony would comprise of 200 residential flats. Mr Yaseen said that the colony would have all basic facilities like shops, a children park, parking slots, an overhead water tank, a sewerage treatment plant, an electric sub division and a place of worship. The minister asked the engineers concerned to expedite the work on the project. He said the flats being constructed at Sheikhpora Budgam would be utilised for rehabilitating Kashmiri Pandits willing to return to the valley.
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Militancy-hit moves court, seeks govt job
Jammu, May 22 In his writ petition Rangial Singh of Ladder village in Kishtwar subdivision of Doda district stated that 13 youths became orphans when militants killed 14 villagers on August 3,2001. He said five victims of militancy were given letters of appointment in government departments on compassionate ground under SRO-43 of 1994 on April 19,2003, whereas claims of eight others were ignored. The petitioner alleged discrimination on the part of the Government. He said he and other victims of Ladder village had been meeting the Deputy Commissioner, Doda, regularly since the incident but “our request for giving us jobs on compassionate grounds has not been conceded so far.” He said all 13 youths deserved to be covered under the healing touch policy but instead the kin of militants who were killed in operations launched by the security forces had been rehabilitated. The court has directed the state government to furnish its reply within four weeks. In the meantime the vice-president of the state unit of the BJP, Prof. Hari Om, has accused the state government of “adopting a dual policy as far as rehabilitation of victims of militancy is concerned.” He said in Jammu yesterday that the PDP-led government had been “quick in rehabilitating militants and their kin by giving them jobs but ignored the legitimate rights of those who deserved to be brought under the healing touch policy.”
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Protest disrupts traffic
Jammu, May 22 Some unidentified persons barged into the house of Chajju Ram at Maa village in Kathua and chopped off his one leg and critically wounded his brother early today, official sources said here. The brothers were hospitalised. Over 2,000 people from different village in the Basantpur area of Kathua sat on dharna around 8 a.m., demanding arrest of the culprits, the sources said. The protesters raised anti-police and anti-administration slogans and asked the police to immediately launch an operation. Senior police officials rushed to the spot and promised to arrest the culprits at the earliest,
following which the highway was cleared around 1 p.m. — PTI |
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