J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Lashkar outfit against Hizb ceasefire
Jammu, September 28
The Al Mansoorian rebel outfit has announced its opposition to the plan under which the Hizbul Mujahideen may accept suggestions from various quarters for declaring a ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir.

6 militants, Army porter among 11 killed
Srinagar, September 28
Six militants and an Army porter were among 11 persons killed while ultras attacked a security force convoy in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

Corruption issue rocks House
Srinagar, September 28
For the second consecutive day today, the state legislative Assembly witnessed noisy scenes over the admission of an adjournment motion of the opposition National Conference, seeking discussion on rampant corruption.

Pak atrocities force migrant to return
Akhnoor, September 28
Atrocities by Pakistani military and police have driven back to India Mr Shabir Hussain Shah, who had migrated to the Pakistan occupied Kashmir 27 years ago.
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Lashkar outfit against Hizb ceasefire
M.L. Kak

Jammu, September 28
The Al Mansoorian rebel outfit has announced its opposition to the plan under which the Hizbul Mujahideen may accept suggestions from various quarters for declaring a ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir.

Activists of the Al Mansoorian have expressed surprise over astute silence adopted Hizbul Mujahideen leaders over reports of ceasefire being debated in Hizb circles.

Though a ceasefire by the Hizbul Mujahideen, which continues to be a major rebel outfit in Jammu and Kashmir, can bring about a marked change in level of violence, one cannot dismiss the Al Mansoorian, a wing of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, opposition to the ceasefire as meaningless when its activists have displayed fire power by carrying out series Fidayeen attacks including the one on the Tourist Reception Centre in Srinagar on April 6.

Reliable reports said Hizbul Mujahideen leaders, including Muzaffarabad-based United Jehad Council chief, Syed Salahuddin, were being motivated not only by the Indian agencies and Kashmiri separatists but those who matter in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir for declaring a ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir.

The idea behind this exercise, according to official sources, is to allow the ongoing talks between Delhi and Islamabad and between Delhi and APHC leaders to progress without major hurdles.

When the APHC leaders, during their meeting with the India’s Prime Minister, had suggested that the government should direct the troops, operating in Jammu and Kashmir, to declare a ceasefire Mr Manmohan Singh had informed them that the government ceasefire was possible when the militants cease resorting to gun and grenade attacks and infiltration from across the border ended.

It is in this context that the Hizbul Mujahideen was being persuaded to announce a ceasefire. In fact it was in 2000 that Hizbul Mujahideen operational commander, Abdul Majid Dar, had announced a ceasefire which proved abortive because neither the Kashmiri separatists, nor the Indian agencies handled the matter tactfully with the result Syed Salahuddin opposed it hardly after 24 hours of its declaration though Dar’s announcement had his (Syed’s) backing.

Official sources said that efforts were afoot to prepare Hizbul Mujahdeen commanders to declare a ceasefire at least in the month of Ramzan. And those working for the ceasefire were confident that ceasefire by the Hizb leadership would be fully reciprocated by the Indian security forces.

Will the ongoing moves for a ceasefire fructify? Next 10 days will determine whether the guns in Kashmir fall silent or not.

6 militants, Army porter among 11 killed

Srinagar, September 28
Six militants and an Army porter were among 11 persons killed while ultras attacked a security force convoy in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today.

Official sources said security forces, on a tip-off that some militants were hiding in a house at Baghat-e-Kanipora in Badgam district cordoned off the area.

However, when the security forces began searching the area, they came under a heavy fire by the militants from a house.

The security forces retaliated and in the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed, the sources said, adding the house was also damaged in the gunfight.

In another incident, security forces killed a militant at Bemina.

A report from Jammu, quoting police sources, said security forces patrol spotted three militants of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), including a top commander in a maize field at Salwah Chowki, near Mendhar in the Poonch district last evening.

The troops, however, chased the militants and shot dead two of them, the sources said, adding Javed was also killed in the cross-firing.

Corruption issue rocks House
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 28
For the second consecutive day today, the state legislative Assembly witnessed noisy scenes over the admission of an adjournment motion of the opposition National Conference, seeking discussion on rampant corruption. This follows a recent survey, which put Jammu and Kashmir at second position after Bihar in the list of corrupt states in the country.

When the proceedings of the House began this morning, the opposition National Conference members led by Mr A. R. Rather, leader of the Opposition, sought to admit the adjournment motion. It was moved by Dr Mehboob Beigh, while another motion on the human rights violations was taken up yesterday.

Seeking to admit the motion on corruption, the National Conference members stood up and asked the Speaker, Mr Tara Chand, to admit the motion and allow the government to come out with its stand on the “rampant corruption”.

The noisy scenes continued for about 35 minutes, and the proceedings of the House started only after the Speaker gave an assurance to decide the matter tomorrow. The Speaker told the members that the motion was brought to his notice at a later stage and no time was given to consider the same under the rules of the House. Giving an assurance to the NC members to decide on the admission of the adjournment motion tomorrow, the Speaker pointed out that there were two reasons for the delay. First, the matter of corruption was not specific and secondly, it was not an issue of recent occurrence.

The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, was not allowed by the Opposition to put forth his views on the motion on corruption. His repeated attempts to put forth the government point of view failed.

Pak atrocities force migrant to return
Tribune News Service

Akhnoor, September 28
Atrocities by Pakistani military and police have driven back to India Mr Shabir Hussain Shah, who had migrated to the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) 27 years ago.

In a bid to return to his home in the Balnoi village of Poonch, Mr Shabir Shah along with his eight family members crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday. He was arrested by Army personnel and handed over to the police for further action.

He was produced before mediapersons here yesterday when he narrated the atrocities that he suffered at the hands of police personnel in PoK. He said he was hated by residents of the Jandrot village in PoK where he started living after fleeing from here in 1978. He was an employee of the state police, but then decided to migrate to PoK in the hope that he would be welcomed there.

Mr Shabir said that he was put behind the bars for three months when his maternal uncle came to his rescue and got him freed from the clutches of the police in PoK.

He later married there and now has seven children. All of them have come to this side of the LoC with him.

He said hardly any development has taken place in the PoK that was being discriminated against by the Pakistan government.

He said there were no schools in the villages of PoK and as such the children were deprived of education.