J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

APHC for tripartite talks to resolve Kashmir issue
Srinagar, July 12
Hurriyat Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said here today that it was up to the central government to decide on the venue and date of the next round of talks between the two sides.

Kashmiri Pandits to boycott APHC meeting
Jammu, July 12
Premier organisations of displaced Kashmiri Pandits have decided to boycott a meeting convened by the APHC leadership in Srinagar on July 19 for finding ways and means for return of the migrants to the valley.

2 senior officials held in Kashmir for corruption
Srinagar, July 12
The Jammu and Kashmir Vigilance Organisation has arrested two senior government officials for allegedly being involved in corruption, official sources said today.

Amarnath yatris stranded
Jammu, July 12
More than 3,000 Amarnath yatris were stranded at Ramban as the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was blocked to vehicular traffic at three places due to landslides and shooting stones. At about 5.25 am, 3,059 pilgrims, including 2,091 men, 648 women, 47 children and 273 sadhus left M A Stadium here for Pahalgam in 59 buses, two trucks and 70 light motor vehicles.

Security beefed up in Srinagar on eve of ‘martyrs day’
Srinagar, July 12
Security arrangements in Srinagar city, were strengthened today on the eve of the ‘martyrs day’, official sources said. Security force personnel have been deployed in strength at the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Baha-ud-din Naqshbandi as the graveyard of the martyrs of July 13, 1931 is located within its premises.

LeT militant killed in encounter
Srinagar, July 12
A Lashker-e-Toiba militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Anantnag district today, official sources said. Acting on a tip off, troops of Rashtriya Rifles laid a cordon around Panchalthan village in the Achabal area of the district this morning to flush out the hiding militants, the sources said.

Man moves court over dog bite
Srinagar, July 12
In a rare case, a man bitten by a rabid dog moved a court in Jammu and Kashmir, seeking action against the municipal authorities for failing to check the menace in the city, sources said today.

School education to be improved
Jammu, July 12
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to involve various stakeholders, teachers, parents, media, educationists and judiciary to deliberate on issues pertaining to the improvement of school education.

APHC for tripartite talks to resolve Kashmir issue
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 12
Hurriyat Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said here today that it was up to the central government to decide on the venue and date of the next round of talks between the two sides. He held that there would be no objection “if they want the talks to be held here”, as he reacted to the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s assertion here that no fresh invitation would be extended to the Hurriyat Conference.

The Mirwaiz also announced that the APHC would hold a meeting with the representatives of the migrant Kashmiri Pandits at the party headquarters here on July 19. “This is an important development…. Kashmiri Pandits are part of us”, he said adding that majority community had always favoured the return of Kashmiri Pandits back to their homes. More than 12 representatives of Kashmiri Pandits would be holding the meeting with APHC leaders here next week. The Mirwaiz said that this followed recent visit of the APHC delegation to various camps of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Udhampur, which returned here yesterday.

He was talking to reporters after paying tributes to martyrs of July 13, 1931 at the martyrs’ graveyard here this afternoon. The Mirwaiz accompanied by his colleagues, Mr Abdul Ghani Bhat and Maulvi Abbas Ansari paid tributes to the martyrs a day ahead of the traditional commemoration of the martyrs. He said that the decision to pay tributes was taken at a meeting of the senior APHC leaders at party headquarters here earlier today. The meeting paid rich tributes to the martyrs of July 13, 1931 and described them as founders of “Kashmiri’s freedom struggle”. The meeting reiterated its resolve to take forward the mission with a serious approach, which had led to the sacrifices of a large number of people over the past seven decades.

The Mirwaiz reiterated the APHC’s stand on the political nature of Kashmir issue and held that it needed a resolution with the aspiration of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. That would lead to an everlasting peace in the subcontinent and friendly relations between India and Pakistan, the Mirwaiz said. He pointed out that the Kashmir issue had entered a “delicate stage” and sought the Government of India to realise that “force and power” did not resolve the issue, which needed to be resolved amicably.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that the APHC’s stand on talks was clear as it supported dialogue with the leadership in Pok and Pakistan and with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. “Whenever India is ready with a serious approach on talks, the APHC is ready to hold talks”, Mirwaiz said in reply to a question. He said that if the Centre was serious in its approach the APHC would also come forward adding that it was Centre’s responsibility to fix a date and venue of the meeting. He reiterated his stand on talks on three basic principles of finding a permanent resolution of the Kashmir issue, outside the Constitution with a tripartite dialogue process to find out a judicious resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Kashmiri Pandits to boycott APHC meeting
M.L. Kak

Jammu, July 12
Premier organisations of displaced Kashmiri Pandits have decided to boycott a meeting convened by the APHC leadership in Srinagar on July 19 for finding ways and means for return of the migrants to the valley.

The organisations which have decided not to participate in the meeting, first of its type since the rise of militancy in the state in 1989, include Panun Kashmir, All-State Kashmiri Pandit Conference, Kashmir Solidarity Conference and Vichar Manch.

General secretary of the All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference H.L. Chatha said here today “we are not participating in the meeting. The leaders of the separatist conglomerate neither recognise the Constitution of India nor treat the state’s accession to India final.”

He said three months ago chief of Democratic Freedom Party Salim Geelani, whose group is a constituent of the APHC had come “to me for exploring the possibility of a meeting with the Hurriyat leaders.”

Mr Chatha said: “I told him that he and the conglomerate he represented should first tell us whether they accepted the state’s accession to India and the Constitution of India.” He said: “Instead of giving any direct reply he had assured me that he would meet me again with a reply but so far he has not turned up.”

The Pandit leader said “the separatists had, in the past, announced that they would welcome the migrants back to the valley provided they participated in the freedom struggle.”

He said “in such circumstances there is no scope for our interaction with the separatists because we are Indians and believe in the irrevocability of the accession.”

The Chairman of Panun Kashmir, Dr Ajay Chrungoo, said: “I and my party leaders have not been invited to the meet.”

He said “even if we are invited we will not go as the APHC leaders have expressed their opinion on various issues connecting Kashmir’s accession to India.”

Dr Chrungoo said “some of the separatists have been favouring Kashmir’s accession with Pakistan and hence there is no meeting ground between them and the Kashmiri Pandits.” He said “there can be a meeting point if the APHC leaders condemn the ongoing violence in the state and work for containing the activities of militants.”

When a senior APHC leader, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, was told by this correspondent that a number of leaders of various organisations of Kashmiri Pandits had not been invited to the July 19 meeting he said “we have not invited those Pandit leaders who take pleasure in playing politics. We have not invited those who have been shouting loud in favour of a separate homeland for displaced people.”

Prof Bhat said “we have invited people from the migrant camps, academicians, retired technocrats and businessmen.”

He said “we have invited those who pine for returning to the valley and those who have no political axe to grind. We want to make the July 19 meeting a meeting of hearts and a conclave of common people segregated by events beyond our control.”

However, Mr H.L. Chatha said that “we held a series of meetings in the migrant camps in Jammu and majority of the camp leaders were not participating the meeting.”

He said those invited to the meeting “do not represent even a small section of the community and hence we do not want to get associated with an exercise which is to prove futile.”

Reports from Jammu, Udhampur and Delhi indicated that a sizeable number of Pandits had agreed to attend the meeting. A week ago a group of pandit leaders had gone to Srinagar to have an on the spot assessment of the facilities the government would provide in the tenements being built at Sheikhpora in Budgam district for those displaced families which had given in writing that they were ready to go back to Kashmir. These migrant leaders also had met the APHC leaders in Srinagar.

2 senior officials held in Kashmir for corruption

Srinagar, July 12
The Jammu and Kashmir Vigilance Organisation has arrested two senior government officials for allegedly being involved in corruption, official sources said today.

Ghulam Rasool Magray, the Chief Inspector in the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department (CAPD), was allegedly found to be involved in a Rs 10 crore food scam.

The state Vigilance Organisation arrested Magray, in Marwah, Kishtwar. A case was been registered against him and seven more CAPD employees were also allegedly involved in the scam, the sources said.

Magray was ordered forcible retirement for his alleged involvement in corruption. The Vigilance Organisation also arrested Mohammad Ramzan Nadaf, an Executive Engineer, after sleuths raided his house at Qamarwari near here on Saturday. Some gold ornaments and incriminating documents were also seized from his house.

The Vigilance raided Nadaf’s house after an inquiry revealed he had amassed wealth disproportionate to his known source of income. — UNI

Amarnath yatris stranded

Jammu, July 12
More than 3,000 Amarnath yatris were stranded at Ramban as the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was blocked to vehicular traffic at three places due to landslides and shooting stones.

At about 5.25 am, 3,059 pilgrims, including 2,091 men, 648 women, 47 children and 273 sadhus left M A Stadium here for Pahalgam in 59 buses, two trucks and 70 light motor vehicles.

The weather was clear when the pilgrims left Jammu. However, when they were nearing ramban, heavy rains started lashing the area and its upper reaches.

Superintendent of Police (Ramban-Banihal) Gareeb Dass told UNI that landslides occurred at Seri, Kela Morh and Panthial at about 12 noon, due to the rains, all the pilgrims were stranded near Ramban.

He said though the work of clearing the landslides at Seri and Kela Morh was in progress, it was getting delayed at Panthial due to shooting stones.

Dass said all arrangements had been made for the safety of pilgrims and additional deployment of the police had been made along the highway.

Due to landslides and shooting stones on the highway, the yatra was earlier suspended for two days on July 7 and 8.

Apart from Kashmir, the deluge has also cut off the militancy infested Atholi village in Kishtwar from the rest of the state. — UNI

Security beefed up in Srinagar on eve of ‘martyrs day’

Srinagar, July 12
Security arrangements in Srinagar city, were strengthened today on the eve of the ‘martyrs day’, official sources said.

Security force personnel have been deployed in strength at the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Baha-ud-din Naqshbandi as the graveyard of the martyrs of July 13, 1931 is located within its premises.

Troops have also taken positions in all the nearby houses and have sanitised roads and bylanes leading to the graveyard.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, his Cabinet colleagues, Peoples Democratic Party leaders, National Conference President Omar Abdullah, state Congress chief Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed and other political leaders will visit the graveyard tomorrow to pay tributes to the martyrs and offer prayers there.

However, the moderate Hurriyat leaders — Chairman Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Maulana Abbas Ansari and Javed Mir — visited the graveyard today to offer prayers.

The Hurriyat and other separatist organisations have given a call for complete shutdown tomorrow. — UNI

LeT militant killed in encounter

Srinagar, July 12
A Lashker-e-Toiba militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Anantnag district today, official sources said.

Acting on a tip off, troops of Rashtriya Rifles laid a cordon around Panchalthan village in the Achabal area of the district this morning to flush out the hiding militants, the sources said.

The militants opened fire and in the ensuing gunbattle an LeT militant was killed, the sources said adding the deceased was believed to be a Pakistani national.

Some arms and ammunition were seized, the sources said. — PTI

Jammu: In the third attack in Surankote in as many days, a man was killed in a grenade blast in the Sattu Mohalla area of the town in Poonch district today.

Police sources said militants hurled a grenade at Sattu Mohalla area of Surankote town and a pedestrian was killed in the explosion.

The dead was identified as Shoukat Hussain. — UNI

Man moves court over dog bite

Srinagar, July 12
In a rare case, a man bitten by a rabid dog moved a court in Jammu and Kashmir, seeking action against the municipal authorities for failing to check the menace in the city, sources said today.

They said 52-year-old Aziz Ahmed of downtown city filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against the Srinagar Municipal Council Commissioner after he was bitten by the rabid dog here yesterday.

Ahmed, in his PIL, said several reminders to the Municipal Council to check the dog menace in the city had “fallen on deaf ears”.

In the past one week, more than 50 cases of dog bite had been reported from various parts of the summer capital, the sources said. — UNI

School education to be improved
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 12
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to involve various stakeholders, teachers, parents, media, educationists and judiciary to deliberate on issues pertaining to the improvement of school education.

This was stated by Mr M.M. Bhat, Secretary, Education, while inaugurating a seminar that was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), here today.