Srinagar, November 7
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was re-elected as the chairman of the Hurriyat Conference for the next two years at the party headquarters here today ahead of the Pugwash meeting to discuss Kashmir this weekend. He was unanimously elected at a meeting of the general council and working committee of the moderate faction of the APHC held at the party office at Rajbagh.

Talking to mediapersons after the election, senior APHC leader and former chairman Abdul Ghani Bhat said a proper line of action would soon be formulated to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the APHC stood for finding a peaceful and amicable solution to the Kashmir problem and added that Umar Farooq’s participation in the Pugwash meet was part of these efforts. A team of senior Hurriyat Conference leaders is also leaving for New Delhi for holding talks with Pak officials, he said.

The meeting also observed that a delegation of the top leaders would meet Pakistan Foreign Secretary in New Delhi as part of the ongoing dialogue process on Kashmir.

Several separatist groups and leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have been invited by Pak officials for a meeting in New Delhi on November 14. They include the Chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, JKLF Chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik and Shabir Ahmad Shah of the Democratic Freedom Party.

The Mirwaiz is scheduled to attend the Pugwash conference on Kashmir at Cairo in Egypt on Saturday. The Pugwash meet on Kashmir has already been held on three occasions in Nepal, Srinagar and Pakistan during the past about two years. Several mainstream political parties and leaders from this state are also expected to attend the meeting. 

Jammu, November 7
Mr Ashok Khajuria, a member of the national executive of the BJP, is set to be declared as the new chief of the party in Jammu and Kashmir as he was the only one to file his papers for the post till the expiry of the period here today.

A formal announcement of his unopposed election will be made here tomorrow by the Returning Officer, Mr Brij Mohan Renwa. No other candidate filed his papers for the post.

Mr Khajuria is a former MLA and was previously general secretary of the party in the state.

He would replace Dr Nirmal Singh who held the post for two terms.

Mr Sanjay Joshi, general secretary of the BJP, is learnt to have paved the way for unopposed election of Mr Khajuria. Mr Joshi was rushed here by the BJP high command amidst reports of groupism in the party on the issue.

He is learnt to have met Prof Chaman Lal Gupta and other senior leaders of the party here to settle the issue. Mr Kavinder Gupta, a former Mayor of the Jammu Municipal Corporation, was also in the race for the post earlier.

Jammu, November 7
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today announced a committee of senior officers of the government would be constituted to examine problems of displaced Kashmiri Pandits and would take measures for alleviating their sufferings.

At a one-day conference of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu Mr Azad said the committee would be asked to submit its report to the government at the earliest. On the basis of the report the government will tackle problems of their return to Kashmir and improving their economic lot.

Referring to the memorandum submitted to him by Mr C.L. Bhat, general secretary of the organisation, the Chief Minister said he would take up the issue of increase in cash assistance given to the displaced people with the Centre.

The organisation’s leaders apprised the Chief Minister of the nonpayment of rent by the security forces for their houses occupied since 1990. Mr Azad assured them that the matter would be examined by the government.