J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Hurdles in the path of Geelani’s Pak visit
Establishment may deny visa to him
Jammu, January 20
Will Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads the hardliners in the Kashmiri separatist camp, be able to make it to Pakistan next month? This question has assumed significance after the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, utterance that “Elements hostile to the peace process and those who attempts to create misunderstandings on Pakistan’s stand should be strongly countered and rejected.”

‘Different’ security for Republic Day
Personnel told to ensure minimum inconvenience
to public
Srinagar, January 20
Security has been tightened across the Kashmir Valley ahead of Republic Day. While a strict vigil is on at Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the main function, and other vital installations, security personnel have been instructed against inconveniencing the public this time around.

Govt has failed to honour SC’s judgement: Bhim Singh
Jammu, January 20
Mr Bhim Singh, Chairman, Panthers Party, has convened a meeting of those who migrated from the terrorism-hit areas and those displaced from the border villages on January 28. The meeting will discuss the future course of action following the failure of the Jammu and Kashmir Government to implement the directions of the Supreme Court to treat them at par with the Kashmiri migrants.

2 Harkat men killed in gunbattle
Jammu, January 20
Two self-styled commanders of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen were killed in an encounter with the police in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir today, a senior officer said here.

Hurdles in the path of Geelani’s Pak visit
Establishment may deny visa to him
Our Correspondent

Jammu, January 20
Will Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads the hardliners in the Kashmiri separatist camp, be able to make it to Pakistan next month? This question has assumed significance after the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, utterance that “Elements hostile to the peace process and those who attempts to create misunderstandings on Pakistan’s stand should be strongly countered and rejected.” Mr Geelani has announced that he would be visiting Pakistan on the invitation of the Jamait-e-Islami to lead a “save Kashmir” rally.

His programme of visiting Pakistan is likely to face two hurdles. First, it is unlikely that the Government of India will issue valid travel documents to him. Secondly, the anger writ large on the face of the establishment in Pakistan, especially Mr Musharraf, may not help the Kashmiri separatist leader in securing a visa from Pakistan.

And that too when General Musharraf is said to have told a three-member APHC delegation, led by Maulvi Umar Farooq in Islamabad on Friday, that those hardliners and militant groups that “have openly opposed” his proposals for demilitarization, self-governance and joint management to solve the Kashmir issue should be “firmly dealt with”. Mr Geelani has already expressed his fears that the Government of India may not issue the travel documents to him. He told mediapersons in Jammu the other days that “I want to visit Pakistan but India has withheld my travel documents since 1981”. “If others are going to the USA, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Gulf, why am I being barred from taking my viewpoint beyond the boundaries of Jammu and Kashmir”?

Since the Geelani camp is being blamed for the grenade explosion at the house of the APHC chairman, Maulvi Umar Farooq in Srinagar on January 15, the attack having been condemned by General Musharraf, and for the Kashmir bandh in protest against Hurriyat leaders’ visit to Islamabad the chief of the Tehrik Hurriyat Conference seems to have lost whatever support he had in the Pakistani establishment. And he has not concealed his displeasure over the way the Government of Pakistan invited the APHC leaders to Islamabad, which indicated that those who matter across the border were getting closer to the camp headed by Maulvi Umar Farooq.

Another aspect of the stand taken by General Musharraf vis-à-vis the Geelani camp is not good news for the hardliners in Kashmir. It is an admitted fact that separatists of different hues were able to sustain their anti-India campaign in Kashmir mainly with the moral and material assistance from across the LoC. In the context of this reality supporters of Maulvi Umar Farooq, who could not resist the attempts of the Geelani camp for ensuring total response to the bandh call on January 17, demonstrated their guts by firing crackers right from downtown areas of Srinagar city to the Civil Lines area on January 18 as a mark of celebration for the entry of the APHC leaders in the territory belonging to Pakistan.

The warm welcome accorded to the three-member APHC delegation in Pakistan may help the moderates to assume added importance in the days to come provided the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, agreed to resume dialogue process with them. A senior APHC leader said today “On their return the APHC leaders wish to discuss the issues that figured between them and General Musharraf and the Prime Minister of Pakistan administered Kashmir.” One thing is certain: neither the bid to bring about reunion between the two factions of the Hurriyat conference will succeed nor the ongoing feud between the two groups is likely to decrease.

‘Different’ security for Republic Day
Personnel told to ensure minimum inconvenience to public
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 20
Security has been tightened across the Kashmir Valley ahead of Republic Day. While a strict vigil is on at Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the main function, and other vital installations, security personnel have been instructed against inconveniencing the public this time around.

Central Kashmir Range DIG Farooq Ahmad said arrangements this year were different. “Police personnel have been asked to ensure that people are not troubled during operations. During the past several days, police and security forces have been conducting surprise checks on passenger and private vehicles in and around the city. Drop gates and barricades have been erected along routes leading to vital installations and entry points to the capital city from other areas of the Valley,” he said.

Similar arrangements have been made in major towns and district headquarters, including Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Anantnag and Pulwama, the DIG added.

Fewer security personnel were being deployed over last year but more arrangements were in place, CRPF spokesperson P. Tripathi said. “We trying to ensure minimum inconvenience to residents during security checks. Ten more companies of the CRPF were being deployed, eight in Srinagar and two in Jammu,” he said.

Several separatist organisations have given a call to observe Republic Day as "black day", blaming security agencies for harassing the innocent masses and committing excesses on them ahead of the occasion.

The outfit, Save Kashmir Movement, has asked people in general, students in particular, to stay away from the celebrations. A spokesman also warned government employees against attending similar functions.

Govt has failed to honour SC’s judgement: Bhim Singh
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 20
Mr Bhim Singh, Chairman, Panthers Party, has convened a meeting of those who migrated from the terrorism-hit areas and those displaced from the border villages on January 28. The meeting will discuss the future course of action following the failure of the Jammu and Kashmir Government to implement the directions of the Supreme Court to treat them at par with the Kashmiri migrants.

A Panthers Party spokesman said here today that migrants from Doda, Ramban, Gool, Banihal, Mahore, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch, Buddhal, Nowshera and other areas of Jammu, including those living in border areas, had been invited for the meeting.

Mr Bhim Singh expressed concern over the state government’s failure to honour the Supreme Court’s judgment directing the state and Central governments to provide relief to the migrants of the Jammu areas at par with the Kashmiri migrants. The state government had admitted in the Supreme Court that no ration had been provided to these migrants since March 2004.

2 Harkat men killed in gunbattle

Jammu, January 20
Two self-styled commanders of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen were killed in an encounter with the police in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir today, a senior officer said here.

The police launched an operation in the Nalli-Dolu area in Gandoh tehsil of the district this morning and in the subsequent gunbattle killed two hardcore militants, Senior Superintendent of Police, Doda, Manohar Singh said.

The slain ultras have been identified as Noor Mohammad, divisional commander, and Mohammad Ashraf, area commander, of the outfit, he said, adding that two AK rifles along with some magazines and documents were seized from them. The encounter was still going on when the last reports came in. — PTI