Jammu, October 2
The BJP today asked the National Conference leader, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to shun opportunistic approach on the sensitive issue of the death sentence to Mohammad Afzal Guru.

The party asked him to remember that only a few days before, he had criticised the BJP-led NDA government for releasing the dreaded terrorist, Azhar Masood, in exchange of the passengers of the hijacked plane.

Prof Hari Om, vice-president of the state BJP, regretted that despite being a sitting MP and a former chief minister, Dr Abdullah was indulging in the game of one-up-manship for petty political gains and going beyond the confines of his duties.

He asked Dr Abdullah not to make a common cause with separatists on the issue of the verdict of the Supreme Court and let the law take its own course

It was unfortunate that Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, the PDP, the National Conference and other valley-based parties were mounting pressure on the President to let the culprit of the attack on Parliament go scot free, he said.

Prof Hari Om reminded Dr Abdullah that he was the first Chief Minister in the country to implement POTA to tackle terrorism.

He sought explanation from Dr Abdullah for his “u-turn” on the issue by seeking mercy for Afzal.

The BJP leader asked Dr Abdullah not to fall in line with those who have massacred hundreds of innocent people not only in the state but elsewhere in the country.

He hoped that Dr Abdullah would isolate Mr Azad by reviewing his stand on the issue.

Meanwhile, Prof Virender Gupta, president of the Jammu Mukti Morcha (JMM), has condemned the statement of Mr Azad and leaders of his party’s coalition partner, the PDP, seeking clemency for Afzal.

Mr Gupta said such statements amounted to endorsing and supporting the terrorists and secessionists operating in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Srinagar, October 2
Protests over a Delhi court order to hang till death Mohammad Afzal Guru in Tihar Jail on October 20 continued in many parts of Kashmir today. However, the protests were by and large peaceful.

Dukhtaran-e-Millat (aughters of faith) activists, shouting slogans in support of Guru and the members of his family, gathered at the Regal Chowk here and marched towards Jehangir Chowk with placards and banners in their hands.

The peaceful procession, led by Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi, culminated at the Clock Tower here.

Violent protests had rocked the entire Kashmir valley for three consecutive days from September 27. At least 200 protesters, including women, and activists of several separatist organisations had been taken into custody by the police from different parts of the valley during the past few days.

About 150 protesters, including women, the police personnel and some mediapersons, were wounded during the three days of stone-pelting and teargasing. Six photo-journalists, including Tribune’s Amin War and Sajjad Hussain of the AFP, were wounded in clashes between the police and protesters across the city on Friday.

Prayers have also been offered in all mosques and shrines of the valley, seeking mercy for Guru.

A general strike call given by the Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference and supported by several militant organisations and the Kashmir Bar Association against the death sentence crippled normal life in the valley on Friday.

In a statement to the local mediapersons here, the Muzaffarabad-based United Jihad Council (UJC), an umbrella organisation of several militant outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir, warned of “dire consequences” in case Guru was executed. A spokesman for the UJC, Sadaqat Hussain, described Guru as a “'non-combatant”. Sinking their differences, several mainstream and separatist parties in Jammu and Kashmir have come together in seeking review of the death sentence to Guru.

Hurriyat Conference (Breakaway) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, JKLF chairman Yasin Malik, Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) president Shabir Ahmed Shah, National Front chief Nayeem Ahmed Khan, National Conference (NC) president and former Union Minister Omar Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Hurriyat Conference (moderate faction) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the Kashmir Bar Association, Democratic Liberation Party (DLP) chairman Hashim Qureshi and rival JKLF leader Javed Mir besides several militant organisations have “denounced” and protested the court order and sought presidential clemency for Guru.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Chandigarh and reportedly sought Presidential mercy for Guru, citing the public sentiment in the valley against the verdict.

At the meeting held on the margins of a conclave of Chief Ministers of Northern India on September 28, Mr Azad urged the Prime Minister to immediately intervene in the matter.

On September 26 in New Delhi, Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Kaur, while issuing the order of execution, to be carried out at 6 am at Tihar Jail here on October 20, said Afzal Guru be hanged by neck until dead.

Afzal Guru, along with Delhi University lecturer S.A.R. Geelani and cousin Shaukat Hussain Guru were sentenced to death by a special POTA court on December 18, 2002.

The court had also sentenced Afsan Guru, wife of Shaukat Guru, to five years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 for concealing knowledge of the conspiracy. The Delhi High Court had later acquitted Geelani and Afsan Guru in the case.

The Supreme Court confirmed Afzal Guru’s death sentence on August 4, 2005, and changed the capital punishment awarded to Shaukat Guru to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. — UNI

Srinagar, October 2
The fate of Shameema from Muzaffarabad and her child Bilal is uncertain after she crossed over to this side of the LoC in Uri sector from the PoK along with her husband, Maluk Tedua, a youth from the border area of Kalaroos in Kupwara district.

Maluk Tedua, after crossing over to the PoK in September last year, got married to Shameema, who was a widow, and were “forced by the circumstances” to return to the Kashmir valley.

The couple and two-and-a-half-year-old Bilal were apprehended by security forces when they were crossing over to this side of the LoC in Uri sector yesterday.

Pahari-speaking Shameema’s first husband Mudassir had died in the October 8 earthquake last year in Muzaffarabad.

Shameema told mediapersons here this afternoon that the situation was bad there after the quake and there had been no improvement even as tall claims had been made.

She expressed her resolve to stay on and live a “peaceful life come what may” with her husband, Maluk Tedua, both in their twenties. “There was a little bit of fear of the Army along the borders,” she said, “but it was their resolve and determination that made them to cross over, before they were apprehended by the alert troops on the LoC.”

“It is safe here,” said Maluk, who had been forcibly led to the PoK by a group of militants for arms training and joining Kashmiri militants.

He had been working as a labourer with the Army near his home village in north Kashmir before having been forced to cross over to the other side of the border.

He had been kept in a training camp for three months but did not undergo any arms training. He left the camp and roamed around taking the benefit of confusion due to devastation caused by the earthquake.

A Kashmiri acquaintance arranged his marriage with Shameema, who had been living with her parents after the earthquake, but the marriage took place seven months ago without the knowledge of Shameema’s parents, they said.

Maluk Tedua was forcibly taken by militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba to the PoK, a defence spokesman said.

He said Maluk stayed at Garhi Mohajir camp for three months and later married Shameema. The child is from her first husband, Mudassir, who died in the earthquake last year.

“Maluk was under pressure from the Pakistani ISI and militant organisations to join training and be ready for crossing after the month of Ramazan. Feeling insecure, he and his wife fled from Muzaffarabad,” the spokesman added.

The militant organisations forcibly pick up Kashmiri youths from Mohajir (migrant) camps, train them and then launch them across LoC, the spokesman claimed.

Jammu, October 2 
Security forces gunned down a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant in Poonch district and apprehended two top ultras of Hurkat-ul-Jehadi (HUJI) during an encounter in Doda district while arrested six over ground workers (OGWS) of the LeT in the past 24 hours.

In Poonch, 27 Rashtriya Rifles, 153 Territorial Army and Special Operations Group launched a joint operation at Milan Nauna village in Surankote Tehsil last evening after being tipped-off about the presence of two militants in the area.

“The troops gunned down one militant while his associate managed to escape. The slain militant has been identified as Abu Saberia of LeT outfit. One AK-47 rifle with two magazines and 60 rounds were recovered from him,” sources said.

In a separate incident, the Army and the police in a joint operation at Khushal in Chatru area in Doda district captured two militants, who were identified as Noor Mohammad and Nisar Ahmed of HUJI, while two of their accomplices managed to escape. 

One AK assault rifle with one magazine and one SLR with one magazine and 10 rounds were recovered from the site.

In another incident, security forces arrested three LeT supporters from village Dhara near Suhigar in Doda district. They were identified as Zakir Hussain, Fardeen Ahmed and Noor Mohammad.

Another OGWS Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Riaz and Abdul Rashid were arrested from Buzala in Banihal tehsil of Ramban police district. They belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen. — UNI