J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

PDP leader among six killed
Srinagar, June 19
A ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants and an old-aged person were among the six persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

Relatives wail over the death of PDP leader Ghulam Rasool Bhat, who was killed by militants at Iaar Ganderbal, east of Srinagar, on Sunday. — PTI photo

Hurriyat wants militants to hold fire
Jammu, June 19
Kashmiri separatist leaders, who returned from Pakistan and the occupied Kashmir after 15 days, are said to have suggested to men who matter in Islamabad to persuade militant outfits to stop their operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ancient settlement discovered
Srinagar, June 19
Excavators have stumbled into the remains of a bustling ancient urban settlement in Anantnag district of South Kashmir with tiled pavements “stamped in colourful human and animal motifs” and inscriptions in the now-defunct Karoshti script.

78-year-old waits for reunion with PoK kin
Jammu, June 19
Wait for securing travel documents for visiting Muzaffarabad “is getting painfully long” for the 78-year-old Jagdish Raj Tandon, whose blood relations live in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

PDP leader among six killed

Srinagar, June 19
A ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants and an old-aged person were among the six persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

A large cache of arms and ammunition was also seized across the state overnight, he added.

The PDP zonal president, Ghulam Rasool Bhat, was killed by militants last evening.

The spokesman said militants entered Bhat’s house at Warlar in Ganderbal and shot at him point-blank. The 86-year-old PDP leader died on the spot, he added.

A Defence spokesman said two Pakistan-trained LeT militants were killed by the security forces in an encounter at Gujjarpati, Gund Dachna in north Kashmir’s Bandipora area last evening.

The house of one Sheeren Ahmed Mir was also damaged in the gunfight.

Meanwhile, an old-aged person was killed and several others wounded in protests triggered by arrest of three persons, including a militant, by the security forces after a search opeartion at Pattan in north Kashmir district of Baramulla today, the defence spokesman said.

He, however, denied that the old-aged person, Ghulam Mohammad Dar, was killed by the Army as alleged by the locals.

He said as the demonstration was on there was firing from the high ground. One of the bullets hit Dar in the back, he added.

“The Army has no role in the firing. The fire was opened from the high ground and hit the old-aged person in the back. The local police was with the 29 RR right through the operation,” he said.

As soon as the news of Dar’s death spread, the protestors took to the streets once again and shouted slogans against the security forces.

Official sources said the agitated crowd indulged in stone throwing on the Pattan police station. The Srinagar-Uri National Highway had been blocked, they added.

In another incident, Special Police Officer (SPO), Ghulam Hassan Bhat, was gunned down by militants near his residence at Gonawsar in south Kashmir’s Kulgam area today.

The spokesman said an LeT militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Sirajpora in Vilgam of the frontier district of Kupwara yesterday.

One AK rifle, one magazine, 10 rounds, four grenades, one wireless set and a diary were seized from him.

Hurriyat wants militants to hold fire
M.L. Kak

Jammu, June 19
Kashmiri separatist leaders, who returned from Pakistan and the occupied Kashmir after 15 days, are said to have suggested to men who matter in Islamabad to persuade militant outfits to stop their operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The need for this suggestion, according to APHC sources, arose after the United Jehad Council chief, Syed Salahauddin, refused to accept the Hurriyat leaders’ plea for joining the political mainstream. In addition, Kashmiri separatist leaders received a cold shoulder from leaders of different rebel groups. Those heading the Hizbul Momin and the Jamaitul Mujahideen refused to meet the APHC leaders.

Though Molvi Umar Farooq, Chairman, APHC, said after returning to Srinagar, that they had not discussed the ceasefire issue with rebels leaders, sources told this correspondent yesterday that the matter figured in the talks the Hurriyat leaders had with Syed Salahauddin and others.

And when the rebels rejected the idea the Pakistani authorities were requested to intervene and motivate those operating in Jammu and Kashmir to suspend the armed “struggle”. The sources said the Pakistani leaders did not make any firm commitment.

Instead they assured them that they would initiate measures for bringing about unity among the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference, one led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the other by Molvi Umar Farooq.

One report said efforts were on to motivate leaders of those constituents, that are with Geelani’s Tehrikh Hurriyat Conference, to join the APHC headed by Molvi Umar Farooq. In this connection names of Mr Nayeem Khan of the National Front, Aga Hassan, a Shia leader, and leaders of the two factions of the Peoples’ League are being mentioned who are being persuaded to join the APHC.

Under the proposed unity process efforts are on to woo the JKLF chief, Mr Mohammed Yasin Malik, and the President, Democratic Freedom Party, Mr Shabir Ahmed Shah, back to the APHC.

Senior government functionaries in Islamabad do not seem keen to cultivate Syed Ali Shah Geelani after he(Geelani) fulminated against Pakistani leaders, including Gen Pervez Musharraf, for “sidelining” the Kashmir issue by initiating the peace process with India, and by throwing the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road open for travel and trade.

A stage has come when the government-controlled print and electronic media have started referring to Mr Geelani as a veteran in political leaders instead of recognising him as Chairman of the Tehrik Hurriyat Conference.

Reports say that men who matter in Pakistan may not be averse to a development in which Syed Ali Shah Geelani gets isolated while all other major separatist groups came under one umbrella.

However, as long as the guns do not get silent in Kashmir Mr Geelani will remain not only relevant but a potent political force. As such the coming months may prove crucial for the separatists. Either they will continue to function under different banners or the APHC may emerge a major political force in case Mr Shabir Shah, Mr Mohd Yasin Mailk, Mr Nayeem Khan and the Peoples’ League leaders join it.

Ancient settlement discovered

Srinagar, June 19
Excavators have stumbled into the remains of a bustling ancient urban settlement in Anantnag district of South Kashmir with tiled pavements “stamped in colourful human and animal motifs” and inscriptions in the now-defunct Karoshti script.

“The remains of the civilisation spread over several hectares of land was discovered during an exploration of the area by a team of the J&K Archaeology Department,” Archives Archaeology and Museum Deputy Director Mohammad Shafi Zahid said.

He said archaeology assistants Ehsan-ul-Haq, Ghulam Rasool Teli and Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat were excavating the area when they came across “surface evidence of the civilisation”.

A 30 ftx10 ft area was first given a “trial dig” and the top layer of an “ancient settlement” was exposed after five feet.

It consisted of a tiled pavement in concentric circles with a “full-blown lotus” at the centre. “The pavement was laid out in such a wonderful sequence that it left the excavators baffled,” Zahid said.

He said its tiles were “stamped in a variety of colourful motifs of humans, animals, mystical creatures, flowers and other abstract designs... Most of the tiles are inscribed in the Karoshthi script” prevalent in civilisations of north- western India circa AD 3rd-4th century.

“The features speak of some highly advanced urban civilisation which looks to have flourished on this plateau in the ancient period,” Zahid said and claimed the human-animal motifs on the few exposed tiles were the first to be noticed at any archaeological site.

Zahid added that the government had already been informed about the “unique find”. — PTI

78-year-old waits for reunion with PoK kin
Our Correspondent

Jammu, June 19
Wait for securing travel documents for visiting Muzaffarabad “is getting painfully long” for the 78-year-old Jagdish Raj Tandon, whose blood relations live in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Mr Tandon was 20 when he along with five brothers and sisters migrated with their father to Jammu during the 1947 partition. He had lost touch with his cousins and uncles, who had not migrated and embraced Islam later, after their demise.

He came to know that children of his uncles were alive and lived in Muzaffarabad after a visitor from occupied Kashmir, Mr Khalid Hussain, who had reached Jammu by first Srinagar-bound bus on April 7, helped him trace Tandon’s relations.

Soon thereafter Mr Tandon applied for travel documents after Prime Minister of Occupied Kashmir, Sardar Sikander Hayat Khan, informed him (Tandon) that he was welcome to Muzaffarabad. He applied for travel documents for his brother, sister and son.

Mr Jagdish Raj said here today “It may take more time for my dream of visiting my birth place to realise because authorities across the border had not yet cleared the list of names sent to them for permission to travel to Muzaffarabad.”

He referred to the June 16 development when not a single passenger from Jammu and Kashmir boarded the Muzaffarabad bound bus.

A police officer said that “the Government had sent the names of 75 persons and some of them were expected to travel on June 16 but till the deadline ended the clearance was not received by the state Government in Srinagar.”

He explained that the one passenger who boarded the Muzaffarabad-bound bus was left-over of June 2 bus service.

The passenger had not been able to board the bus on June 2 and hence he was allowed to travel on June 16.”

The officer said “against this 30 persons belonging to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir had boarded the Srinagar bound bus from Muzaffarabad on June 16.”

Another senior Government functionary said that Pakistan “shirks clearance for several members of one family with the result many from Kashmir refused to travel as they wanted to visit Muzaffarabad along with the members of their families.”

He cited the example of a 75-year-old Kashmiri who had received travel documents for him, his wife and two children. When their names were included in the list that was sent across the border for clearance only the father of the family had been cleared for travel. The officer said “the old man refused to board the Muzaffarabad-bound bus.”

Mr Jagdish Raj Tandon is aware of these developments. He said “being an old man I wish to be in Muzaffarabad as early as possible so that I am able to fulfill my wish of meeting my children, even if they have embraced Islam, and hug them before my end.”

He has requested the passport authorities to expedite his case for securing travel documents and hopes that his and the names of his brother, sister and son were cleared for travel by Pakistan Government.

Mr Tandon has already purchased gifts for the children of his uncles, for his neighbours and friends in Muzaffarabad where his parents and forefathers were one of the two richest families before the partition.