Jammu, May 19
Notwithstanding the incidents in Samba and Jaipur, all eyes in this strife-torn state are on the crucial Indo-Pak talks set to resume a day after tomorrow with the visit of Union External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The Tribune talked to a cross-section of people to find out as to what expectations they have from the dialogue process between the two countries. Social worker Dr Manzoor Ahmad Bhat from Srinagar said the people in the valley had high hopes from the talks between the two neighbours. "The people here have suffered a lot due to the tension that Kashmir issue has created between the two nations. They will only heave a sigh of relief once this vexed issue is resolved. We want the talks to succeed as it is the only hope for lasting peace in the region," he added.

Human rights activist Mir Hafezullah, who is also a representative of the Association of Disappeared Persons in Srinagar, said better Indo-Pak ties were always good for Kashmir. He opined that though the two countries had been announcing various confidence-building measures (CBMs) from time to time, they needed to focus more on Kashmir issue, as only its resolution would usher in tangible relief to the common man in the state. He said being one of the biggest democracies in the world, India must take lead in initiating dialogue on Kashmir issue, adding that it would give a lot of confidence to the people in the valley. He, however, said he was not expecting any breakthrough in the forthcoming talks. He said the only reprieve that the state's people got in the past was the ceasefire on the LoC.

Prof Kulwant Kaur from Jammu University said the resumption of dialogue process itself was a big thing in the present circumstances, as it would make clear Pakistan's commitment to the talks.

"I don't expect much to come of the talks this time and I think it will merely be a trust-building exercise," she added. She attributed her thought to the fact that in Pakistan neither the President is strong nor the government is stable. Also the elections are approaching in India. She said India would definitely be looking forward to some assurance from Pakistan in the wake of Samba and Jaipur incidents, which would surely cast a shadow on the talks.

Jammu, May 19
With the valley being claimed by them as their “bastion,” arch-rivals the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have been focusing hard on Jammu region in election year.

Hectic politicking by both the political outfits across Jammu region, particularly in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, has given ample indications of a tough fight between them during the upcoming polls.

Though the NC has better acceptability across the state compared to the PDP, the latter too is concentrating hard on Jammu region, said a NC leader.

He admitted that proposals like demilitarisation, revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), dual currency and self-rule have provided the PDP a psychological edge over the NC in the valley.

“The PDP may also garner votes from Muslims of Jammu region on these planks but non-Muslims still don’t feel comfortable with the Kashmir-centric party,” he claimed.

In the 2002 elections, the PDP won 16 seats in Kashmir valley, but fared badly in Jammu region and did not win a single seat. Another NC leader said the PDP would not be able to maintain its previous position during the upcoming elections.

Sources in the PDP also admitted that non-Muslims in Jammu region still felt PDP to be an outfit inclined towards the Kashmir valley.

To remove this misconception, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has asked senior party leaders to rope in local leaders from other communities in Jammu region, sources added.

“He has also asked party leaders to lay more emphasis on the peace process in their election rallies here in Jammu,” they said.

Asked about the NC’s prospects, a PDP leader said, “They ruled the state for nearly three decades and the fractured mandate in 2002 elections conveyed that people wanted to get rid of the NC.”

“Now five years down the lane after the coalition government took over the reigns in 2002, the NC felt insecure from the PDP,” he said.

After PDP patron and ex-chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed’s recent tour to Rajouri and Poonch districts, NC patron Dr Farooq Abdullah has embarked upon an election campaign to the twin border districts.

However, despite being a coalition partner, the Congress has also made its intentions very clear to the PDP.

Sources said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad too would kick-up the Congress campaign in the twin border districts shortly. Considered to be a stronghold of the NC, the Congress during Poonch Haveli bypolls last year gave a stunning defeat to the NC.

Jammu, May 19
Accusing the collation regime of violating the electoral exercise in Jammu and Kashmir, the state wing of the BJP has demanded that the government be dismissed and elections be conducted under the Governor’s rule.

Addressing a press conference in Jammu, BJP state president Ashok Khajuria said, “The Congress-PDP government is not just corrupt but also undemocratic. It can go to any extent to vitiate the electoral scene, mint money out of electoral exercises and use subversives and separatists, including those from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, for manipulating election results.”

He said his party has lost its confidence in the government and wanted that the coming Assembly elections be held under the Governor’s rule so that the people were able to choose as per their desire.

He said the BJP had potent reasons to believe that the Congress and the PDP would rig elections in order to retain control over the civil secretariat “so that they could fulfill their insatiable lust for power and money.”

He further said, “The fear of the BJP is well-founded. It is intriguing that the election authorities in the state and in the Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi, have not acted against the Congress and the PDP, which have played havoc with the decision on the electronic photo identity cards (EPICs).”

He said, “The government has crossed all limits, which can be seen from the fact that according to an unofficial estimate, as many as 25 lakh EPICs were missing and according to official sources, the number of ‘missing EPICs is 17 lakh’.”

“Out of a total of 42 lakh EPICS, which were prepared between 2002 and 2005, only 17 lakh are available and the rest have gone missing, some of which were found with the militants in Rajouri in the Jammu region and Kupwara and Baramulla in the valley. Director general of police Kuldip Khoda has acknowledged the fact that the militants had EPICS in 2006.”

Rajouri, May 19
Former chief minister and PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has asserted that no power could hamper the Indo-Pak peace process initiated by his party. Mufti added that the confidence building measures (CBMs) being taken by both India and Pakistan would facilitate to restore lasting peace in the sub-continent.

Addressing a youth convention at the town hall area recently, Mufti said his party had carved out a new path of peace and tranquility in the region. He added that it was high time for initiating bold steps to further accelerate the on-going peace process. The PDP patron said his party was credited with ensuring an effective role for the mainstream political parties in the Kashmir resolution process.

He pointed out that reconciliatory policies being adopted by the PDP had yielded encouraging response for the solution of the Kashmir issue.

Mufti added that it was due to the historic policies of the PDP that a congenial atmosphere had been created for initiating bold steps in the sub-continent.

Assuring the youth that the PDP would carve out a main role for the younger generation in the decision-making bodies, Mufti said the youth felt neglected as they had faced numerous problems during the past two decades due to militancy in the state.

Srinagar, May 19
More than two years after her disappearance, a policewoman, who according to her parents was allegedly murdered due to her knowledge about the high-profile sex scam, has been found living a secretive but happy conjugal life in Jammu.

Putting an end to all rumours, the Crime Branch has rounded up Nilofar Khan and her husband Deepak, who is a Kashmiri Pandit, from Nagrota in Jammu.

Her disappearance had created uproar in the valley and made the police dig up unidentified graves in her search. Her family members had fanned these rumours that she had been killed by those who had something to fear from her for her knowledge about the sex scam.

Posted as a constable in the Police Lines, Srinagar, she disappeared on February 28 in 2006. Many believed the family and linked her disappearance with the sex scam, which later became a burning controversy in the state.

“Her parents said she was a key witness to the sexual shenanigans of the high-profile government officials and was eliminated by the special operations group,” said a police officer related with the probe.

As her whereabouts remained untraced for a long time, even the police began presuming her to be dead and the then investigating officer went to the court, seeking permission to perform autopsy and identification test on a body they had recovered.

Official sources said the court denied the permission but as the sex scam hit the roof and her family levelled allegations of her murder, a local court asked the cops to exhume one suspected body. The police sent her samples for DNA report.

“She was in love with a Kashmiri Pandit and her Muslim family would have never approved of it,” an official said. Also a constable in the police, Deepak eloped with Nilofar and married her. They have a kid, he said.

Meanwhile, the couple’s arrest also created a public outcry in Nagrota yesterday.

Srinagar, May 19
After two persons were electrocuted and two sisters and their brother were injured due to electric shock, residents of Uri village blocked traffic on the Baramulla-Uri road today.

The villagers staged a demonstration on the Uri-Mujaffarabad road and blocked traffic from Baramulla. They charged the electricity department for alleged criminal negligence.

Police sources said Hafiz Mughal (38) and Abdul Kareem (50) died after they switched on the lights at their houses in Bandi village. The incident occurred as a high tension wire of 11,000 volt capacity got entangled with a 220 volt wire.

While Hafiz was a worker in the local municipal committee, Abdul was a driver. “There was a cracking short circuit and both died instantly,” police sources said.

Meanwhile, two sisters, Shazia and Fauzia Bano, along with their brother Azia Mughal, were injured due to short circuit.

Angry villagers said electricity department officials were negligent and both the wires were close to each other.

An official said as a matter of precaution, a minimal distance was kept between two wires, but here it was ignored.”

Villagers lifted their blockade only after officials' assured them of appropriate action against the erring officials. The police has registered a case.

Kaksar (Kargil), May 19
There has been no report of any infiltration attempt and violation of ceasefire since 2003 in the Kargil sector and villagers feel secure and are working in fields near the Line of Control (LoC), Brigadier S.C. Rangi said today.

“There was absolutely no infiltration attempt from the other side of the border to enter our territory in the Kargil sector, Brigadier Rangi told UNI during a function held at Kaksar.

He said there had been no violation of the ceasefire in the sector, which hit the headlines across the globe in 1999, when Pakistani intruders had occupied almost all heights.

Brigadier Rangi said people living in Kargil town and other areas near the border were the worst-hit during, before and after the 1999 Kargil war.

“They had to migrate to safer places because of shelling from the Pakistani side, which also claimed several lives, destroyed livestock and property in these villages,” he added.

Brigadier Rangi said Kargil was bombarded once every month before the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

He said people were now relieved and had no apprehension of being hit by Pakistani shells. “They are doing their normal farming in the fields near the border. The Army is now trying to help these affected people in self-employment, women empowerment and training in different trades,” he added.

Brigadier Rangi said the Army had built a mini-hydel project, a school and would organise other social activities for the affected people. — UNI

Srinagar, May 19
The All-party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has accepted Pakistan’s invitation for talks on the Kashmir issue scheduled for next month. This is the first step by the newly constituted coalition government in Pakistan to resolve the long-pending issue.

The APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the external affairs ministry of Pakistan had extended its invitation to the party. He also welcomed the new Pakistan government’s stance on the Kashmir issue as realistic and hailed Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s reported statement on the resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the aspirations of the people of the state.

The APHC chairman was addressing a seminar here today in connection with the week-long observance of the 18th death anniversary of his father, Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and the sixth anniversary of former Hurriyat leader, Abdul Ghani Lone.

Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq was killed by unidentified gunmen at his residence on May 21, 1990, while Abdul Ghani Lone fell to the bullets of unidentified gunmen at Eidgah on May 21, 2002.

The APHC has chalked out a week-long programme to conclude on May 21 to pay tributes to its leaders and others at Eidgah.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the APHC was committed to the resolution of the Kashmir issue and there were many suggestions from different quarters. “We do not reject any suggestion. But we shall talk on principles based on the study of these suggestions, before taking any final decision”, Mirwaiz said. He added that in view of the present scenario, there was need to find ways on the basis of different suggestions. “We work on our own agenda based on merit and wisdom, and not on hired agenda”, Mirwaiz asserted.

He said the APHC had a vision and was open to criticism and appreciation but wanted to do something to boost the process of dialogue.

In a covert reference to the hardline leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz said there was need to get united. “Let us unite to go ahead towards the resolution of the Kashmir issue. We can not live separately. Let us shape our future”, Mirwaiz commented.

Srinagar, May 19
The opposition National Conference (NC) has sought a probe into the allegations made by senior PDP leader and finance minister Tariq Hameed Karra on the working of the state Vigilance Organisation.

Replying to media queries after a public meeting in north Kashmir yesterday, the NC patron and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Aazad should probe to ascertain the facts about the assertions made by Karra against the Vigilance Organisation.

Farooq said PDP leader and finance minister Tariq Hameed Karra had last week blamed the Vigilance Organisation of resorting to premeditated moves to sabotage development works in the Kashmir valley.

Leader of the Opposition NC in state Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, had asked Karra to step down and prove that his assertion that the Vigilance Organisation had hindered development works in Kashmir were true.

“If the allegations are true they (PDP leaders) have no right to remain in the Cabinet and should quit the ministry”, Rather said yesterday.

He said if finance minister and his colleagues did not resign it would amount to the belief that the statement was a mere election stunt. Rather said Karra and his colleague should quit the coalition government for having spoken about the religious and regional imbalance in the state.

Rather said the Vigilance Organisation was directly under the control of the Chief Minister and the allegations levelled by Karra, who was one of the ministers in the coalition government, was an attack on the Chief Minister, who was expected to clear his position over the allegations.

The former finance minister was addressing a public gathering at Zagipora Chrawani village in Charar-e-Sharief of Budgam district.

Expressing concern over the recent statements regarding the forceful participation of Kashmiri girls in cultural programmes, Rather said government was ignoring such acts and acting as a mute spectator. He said reports of such forceful participation of Kashmiri girls had disturbed the spiritual and common masses in Kashmir.

Referring to unemployment in the state, the NC leader said, “Educated youth were indulging in drug addiction in a state of frustration,” he said. He asked the people to come out openly and expose the government’s failure which was resorted to hollow slogans to garner votes.