J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Amnesty package for ‘misguided’ militants
Jammu, April 30
An “unconditional dialogue” with terrorist groups for finding a sustainable solution to the problem of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir has been recommended by one of the five working groups on Kashmir, set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Parmeet kin want police to trace him
Srinagar, April 30
Protest demonstrations were organised by a large number of people mainly belonging to the Sikh community here this afternoon. They were demanding police action to know the whereabouts of a Sikh youth missing from the Jehangir Chowk area here since Thursday.

A relative of Parmeet Singh holds his picture during a protest demonstration organised in Srinagar on Monday. — Reuters photo

Houses searched for militants
Srinagar, April 30
The police and security forces launched house-to-house search operations in the Hyderpora locality, thus, restricting the movement of residents here today. The house of hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, located in the area

Gujjars get solar-powered lights
Udhampur, April 30
Due to hardships faced by the nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals, during their seasonal migration from plains to higher reaches, authorities have decided to provide solar-powered lights to them so that they could protect themselves during natural calamities.

Amnesty package for ‘misguided’ militants
S. P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 30
An “unconditional dialogue” with terrorist groups for finding a sustainable solution to the problem of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir has been recommended by one of the five working groups (WG) on Kashmir, set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The WG headed by Mohammad Hamid Ansari on “confidence-building measures across segments of the society in the state” has recommended that cases of all persons in jails should be reviewed and general amnesty given to those under trial for minor offences.

Upholding the demand of the PDP leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and certain other parties, the WG has recommended that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Disturbed Area Act and other laws made operational during terrorism, which impinge on fundamental rights of citizens and adversely affect the public, should be reviewed and revoked. Law and order matters should be dealt with through normal laws.

Referring to the issue of return of those Kashmiri youths, who went to Pakistan for being trained as terrorists, the WG has recommended that a definite package for their rehabilitation should be formulated. Those who wish to join the mainstream should be treated with dignity.

Their return to Kashmir should be within the framework of the confidence-building measures and the offer to permit return should be within a timeframe. An effective method should be adopted for proper verification of the identity of the person who returns from the other side of the border. Security forces should be ordered to keep a check on fake encounters and fake recovery of arms.

The WG has recommended that to check human rights violations a mechanism should be established in which responsibility for specific violations could be fixed and derelict official identified and proceeded against.

The WG on strengthening relations across the Line of Control (LoC), headed by M.Rasgotra, has recommended that the procedures for travel across the LoC between India and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) should be simplified and speeded up.

Seven new routes on the LoC and the international border should be opened. The WG has identified these routes as Kargil-Skardu, Jammu-Sialkot, Turtuk-Khapulu, Chhamb Jorian-Mirpur (across Munawar Tawi), Gurez-Astor-Gilgit, Titwal-Chilhan (across Neelam valley) and Jhangar (Nowshera)-Mirpur-Kotli.

The WG on economic development of J&K has recommended a special package of Rs7,947 crore should be provided to J&K. This includes transfer of the Rs 4933-crore Dul-Hasti power project in Kishtwar.

Parmeet kin want police to trace him
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 30
Protest demonstrations were organised by a large number of people mainly belonging to the Sikh community here this afternoon.

They were demanding police action to know the whereabouts of a Sikh youth missing from the Jehangir Chowk area here since Thursday.

Protesters, holding banners and black flags, blocked the traffic in front of Amirakadal Gurdwara near the Lal Chowk area here this afternoon. They sat on a dharna on the main road demanding police action to know the whereabouts of the youth, Parmeet Singh, a shopkeeper.

Parmeet Singh of the Gulshan Nagar area has been running a shop under "Raina Traders" with his younger brother at Shaheed Gunj in the heart of city here.

Before he went missing he had called up his younger brother to stay at the shop and wait for him for about half-an hour. The police has registered a case and investigations were going on.

Houses searched for militants

Srinagar, April 30
The police and security forces launched house-to-house search operations in the Hyderpora locality, thus, restricting the movement of residents here today. The house of hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, located in the area, was also searched while he was about to address a press conference at 11 am today. Journalists who were called to attend the press conference were not allowed to enter the locality.

According to a police officer deployed in the area, the searches were launched on the receipt of specific information about the presence of militants in the locality. However, not a single militant had been arrested while the search operations were continuing till afternoon.

Later, in a statement issued by the Hurriyat Conference, Geelani condemned the police and security forces’ action and described it as a deliberate attempt to prevent him from addressing the press conference and holding the supreme advisory council’s meeting.

The central government, Geelani claimed, was “frustrated due to the massive participation of people” in the APHC rally held at Eidgah on April 22. He also condemned the arrest of six APHC leaders on Thursday. These leaders were to address a press conference at a local hotel. This was ‘authoritarian and dictatorial’ approach of the government to suppress the voice of the people, he alleged and called for a general strike on May 5. — TNS

Gujjars get solar-powered lights

Udhampur, April 30
Due to hardships faced by the nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals, during their seasonal migration from plains to higher reaches, authorities have decided to provide solar-powered lights to them so that they could protect themselves during natural calamities. About 175 solar-powered lights were distributed among families of nomadic Gujjars and Bakerwals at a function organised at Udhampur today. Similar types of solar-powered lights will be provided to nomads of other district also.

Apart from facing the terrorists’ wrath in the upper reaches, this nomadic community bears the brunt of natural calamities- losing fellow beings and cattle in avalanches. In 2005 snowstorm it was Gujjars and Bakerwals, who had suffered the most. Over 300 Gujjars and Bakerwals had lost their lives while large number cattle were buried under avalanches.

This year portable veterinary clinics were also established on the routes of nomads. The government has also decided to strengthen the portable schools to impart quality education to their children. — TNS