J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Kashmir now a trilateral affair: Hurriyat
Jammu, June 17
Kashmiri separatist leader, who returned from a fortnight-long tour of Pakistan and occupied Kashmir, do not view their tour in terms of gain and loss. “We have given new dimension to the ongoing talks between Delhi and Islamabad to the extent that the dialogue process has become a trilateral affair. That is an enough gain," said senior APHC leader, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat.

Mehbooba forms panel to tackle K-issue
Srinagar, June 17
Describing the Hurriyat leaders’ Pakistan visit as a positive step towards peace in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP president, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, here today announced the constitution of a committee to discuss various issues for the resolution of the Kashmir problem.

Militant killed in Awantipora
Srinagar, June 17
The militant responsible for yesterday’s grenade attack at Awantipora in South Kashmir, in which 15 persons, including a student and two security personnel, were wounded, was today gunned down by the troops, a defence spokesman said.

Engg seats for J&K students in M’rashtra
Jammu, June 17
The Maharashtra Government has reserved more than 1,000 seats in the engineering and other professional institutions in the state for the candidates from Jammu and Kashmir.

Lieut-Gen Dhillon takes over as GOC, 15 Corps
Srinagar, June 17
Lieut-Gen Sarabjit Singh Dhillon took over as GOC of Srinagar-based 15 Corps or Chinar Corps of the Army here today from Lieut-Gen Nirbhay Sharma.

Kashmir now a trilateral affair: Hurriyat
Our Correspondent

Jammu, June 17
Kashmiri separatist leader, who returned from a fortnight-long tour of Pakistan and occupied Kashmir, do not view their tour in terms of gain and loss. “We have given new dimension to the ongoing talks between Delhi and Islamabad to the extent that the dialogue process has become a trilateral affair. That is an enough gain," said senior APHC leader, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat.

President of the Democratic Freedom Party, Shabir Ahmed Shah, who had sent his representative on the tour, said that “ the visit of the APHC leaders and others to Pakistan is the beginning of a new process.”

He told this correspondent today “Nobody should expect instant result.” Citing a Kashmiri proverb he said “avoid expecting Bub Nethr Hami Dum (Father marry me right now) because for the settlement of the Kashmir issue a sustained dialogue was needed.”

He said after the return of the Kashmiri leaders from Pakistan' the ball was now in the court of Delhi. We have to watch how Delhi will respond to our desire for resumption of talks with the Government of India after Islamabad accepted the APHC plea that trilateral instead of bilateral talks were required to settle the problem.”

To a question APHC leader Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat said “ we exchanged ideas with leaders in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir and resumption of dialogue with us by Delhi was in the interest of India, Pakistan and people of Kashmir.”

Asked whether he and his colleagues intended to visit Pakistan again Prof. Bhat said “after holding talks with the Government of India we shall visit Islamabad and Muzaffarabad again in case the need arose.”

He denied that the separatist team on their visit to Muzaffarabad or for that matter Pakistan had violated any agreement with the Government of India. He said “after reaching Muzaffarabad it was up to Azad Kashmir Government and Islamabad to allow us or prevent us from visiting Pakistan.”

He said “if we reach Delhi, Islamabad has no right to prevent us from visiting Agra or Mumbai..”

The APHC leader said that “our visit to Pakistan has strengthened our demand for the inclusion of Kashmiris in the talks. We want the dialogue process to continue till the exercise of finding a peaceful and durable solution to the Kashmir issue reached a logical conclusion.”

When the APHC leaders had boarded the Muzaffarabad bound bus on June 2 they had indicated that they would meet leaders of militant outfits and plead with them that they should direct their activists to suspend in violence. Since the Hurriyat leaders had failed in this mission chairman, APHC, Maulvi Umar Farooq, claimed that they had not discussed the issue of ceasefire by militants.

JKLF Chief, Mohd. Yasin Mailk, does not seem to be as much elated over the visit to Pakistan as the APHC leaders seem to be. He still harbours a grouse that neither Delhi nor Islamabad had taken them (separatists) into confidence while initiating the process of peace and dialogue.

He said “both Delhi and Islamabad were talking in air and our involvement in the dialogue was imperative for finding a solution to the Kashmir issue.”

There are clear indications that the APHC leaders had endorsed grant of autonomy to Kashmir and occupied Kashmir facilitating self-governance and the same be discussed if APHC leaders meet Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh and others.

Mehbooba forms panel to tackle K-issue
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 17
Describing the Hurriyat leaders’ Pakistan visit as a positive step towards peace in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP president, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, here today announced the constitution of a committee to discuss various issues for the resolution of the Kashmir problem. The committee, to be framed within 15 days, would discuss various issues of the party’s stand on the resolution of the issue.

Addressing a press conference here this afternoon at the end of a meeting of zonal representatives of the PDP, Ms Mufti asked both India and Pakistan to contribute to “make it (Jammu and Kashmir) self-reliant”. Pointing out that political and economic issues were separate, Ms Mufti held that the two countries could contribute in various sectors like water resources, tourism and handicrafts “to make Jammu and Kashmir economically self-reliant”. She added that the youth in the state felt “frustrated” and lagged behind due to the 15-year militancy.

Ms Mufti said the party appreciated the efforts of Hurriyat leaders by taking up with Pakistan and PoK leaders various issues like ending violence in the state. “It has a good impact and its results are good,” she said while referring to the just-concluded visit of the Hurriyat Conference leaders to Pakistan and PoK. About the representative character of the APHC leaders, Ms Mufti said they “represented a section of opinion with a dissenting voice”, which made the APHC significant. The PDP president affirmed that the representative character lay with the democratically elected members through “internationally recognised” elections.

When asked about the demand of tripartite talks, the PDP president said her party was for talks and the involvement of all the three — India, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir. She said that dialogue was a “must” and added that it “may not be on one table”.

Earlier, the meeting of party leaders observed that the promising course of events had brightened the hopes and expectations about a “better future” of the party and its government. It observed that an atmosphere of hope had been generated in the subcontinent by the ongoing process of normalisation of Indo-Pak relations, progress in confidence-building measures, the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, and prospects of trade across the LoC. It looked forward to the Jhelum valley road soon turning into a full-fledged trade route, increase in the frequency of bus service, and opening of other routes, the party meeting observed. 

Militant killed in Awantipora

Srinagar, June 17
The militant responsible for yesterday’s grenade attack at Awantipora in South Kashmir, in which 15 persons, including a student and two security personnel, were wounded, was today gunned down by the troops, a defence spokesman said.

He said, acting on a tip-off that the militant who had hurled the hand grenade towards the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) patrol was hiding in the Awantipora area, the troops laid a trap and killed the militant.

Yesterday’s attack came a day after the security forces were deployed in strength along the Jammu-Srinagar-Baltal route for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage commencing on June 21.

Meanwhile, three members of Hizbul Majahideen were today arrested in connection with the car bomb blast in Pulwama, which killed 15 persons and injured several others.

The three were arrested from a militant hideout at Shamasipora-Mattan, 65 km from here, in Anantnag district, Director-General of Police (DGP) Gopal Sharma said.

The police also seized 35 kg of RDX meant for carrying out explosions in crowded places in the valley from a house, thus averting a major tragedy, he added. — UNI, PTI

Engg seats for J&K students in M’rashtra
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 17
The Maharashtra Government has reserved more than 1,000 seats in the engineering and other professional institutions in the state for the candidates from Jammu and Kashmir.

Announcing this here today, Thakur Randhir Singh, president of the state unit of the National Congress Party (NCP), said that under the new policy not only the Kashmiri migrants but students from Jammu would also be eligible to apply for the reserved seats.

He said that the students from J&K would pay a subsidised annual fee of Rs 12,000 against the normal charges which were very high. Wards of military and paramilitary personnel engaged in combating terrorism would also be benefited.

He said that the candidates desirous of seeking admission to the engineering and B.Pharma courses in Maharashtra need not go to Mumbai for filling the forms, which would now be available in Delhi where these could be submitted between July 11 and 18 in the Bharatya Vidya Peeth.

Thakur Randhir Singh said that for the first time Jammu had been designated as the centre for entrance examination for the MCA courses in Maharashtra.

He regretted that the J&K Government had not formulated any purposeful projects for utilising a grant of Rs 100 crore under the horticulture technology mission.

Lieut-Gen Dhillon takes over as GOC, 15 Corps
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 17
Lieut-Gen Sarabjit Singh Dhillon took over as GOC of Srinagar-based 15 Corps or Chinar Corps of the Army here today from Lieut-Gen Nirbhay Sharma.

Till recently Lieut-Gen Dhillon was the Commandant, IMTRAT, Bhutan, and handled various operational assignments. He is an alumini of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and was commissioned in the Grenadiers Regiment in 1968.

He was attended the Defence Service Staff Course, Wellington, Senior and Higher Command Courses at Army War College, Mhow, as also the National Defence College, New Delhi. A veteran of the 1971 war, Lieut-Gen Dhillon has commanded Dagger Division at Baramula in North Kashmir.