J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Strike marks Maqbool Bhat’s death anniversary
Srinagar, February 11
Normal life was paralysed throughout the valley and protest demonstrations were held at different places to commemorate JKLF leader Mohammad Maqbool Bhat’s death anniversary today. Bhat was hanged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail on this day in 1984.

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BJP leader flays Pak proposals
Jammu, February 11
Mr Govindacharya, a BJP stalwart, today criticised the Pakistan proposals of demilitarisation and self-rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Govindacharaya, who came here to deliver a lecture at the annual convention of the Panun Kashmir organisation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, said even an elected government at the Centre had no right to play with sovereignty of the country by toeing such ideas.

Strike marks Maqbool Bhat’s death anniversary

Srinagar, February 11
Normal life was paralysed throughout the valley and protest demonstrations were held at different places to commemorate JKLF leader Mohammad Maqbool Bhat’s death anniversary today. Bhat was hanged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail on this day in 1984.

All shops and business establishments were closed and there was thin attendance in government offices. Transport was off the roads, though official vehicles and auto-rickshaws were plying on the roads.

Protest demonstrations were held at several places here and in some areas of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, the birth place of Mohammad Maqbool Bhat. A protest demonstration was held here by the Democratic Freedom party (DFP) of separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah. A memorandum seeking the return of the mortal remains of Bhat to Kashmiris was submitted by the DFP leaders at the office of the UNMOGIP at Sonwar.

The JKLF and DFP, have been demanding the return of the mortal remains of Maqbool Bhat to Kashmiris. Bhat had been buried inside Tihar Jail on this day in 1984. — TNS

BJP leader flays Pak proposals
Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 11
Mr Govindacharya, a BJP stalwart, today criticised the Pakistan proposals of demilitarisation and self-rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Govindacharaya, who came here to deliver a lecture at the annual convention of the Panun Kashmir organisation of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, said even an elected government at the Centre had no right to play with sovereignty of the country by toeing such ideas.

He said what had to be done was to implement, in letter and spirit, the Parliament’s resolution of 1997 seeking to get the territory of J&K across the Line of Control liberated from the illegal occupation of Pakistan.

He said that the people would not tolerate any dilution of the resolution.

Dr Subramanium Swami, President of the Janta Party, who was the chief guest, also rejected the proposals of Pakistan and said that India should destroy the terrorist training camps being operated by the ISI.

He said that the President could abrogate the Article 370 providing a special status to J&K by a simple notification.

The convention adopted three resolutions pertaining to the state and also removing the sufferings of the community that was displaced from the valley 16 years ago due to terrorism.

A resolution demanded that there should be total transparency in the Centre’s engagement with Pakistan as well as with different political groups and committees in Jammu and Kashmir.

India should review the entire peace initiative that it was pursuing with Pakistan, as it had not delivered peace. In fact Pakistan had widened the ambit of its sponsorship of cross-border terrorism by extending it to different regions of the country outside Kashmir. After demographic assaults and economic and social subversion, it was now the technological infrastructure in India that had come under attack by Pakistan.

The resolution said that self-rule and selective demilitarisation were slogans through which Pakistan wanted to undermine the sovereignty and integrity of India.