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Delhi
rules out Kashmir as a core issue COLOMBO, Aug 10: In the first high-level contact after the Agra summit, India today bluntly told Pakistan that the recent spurt in violence in Jammu and Kashmir has created "extremely negative sentiments" and it was for Islamabad to choose the kind of relationship it would like to have with New Delhi. On its part New Delhi remained committed and willing to adopt a positive approach in relations with Islamabad and "ultimately, it would be for Pakistan to choose the kind of relationship it would like to have with India," Foreign Secretary Chokila Iyer told her Pakistani counterpart Inamul Haq. During the 70-minute meeting on the sidelines of SAARC standing committee meeting here, she made it clear that India rejected Pakistan’s assertion that Jammu and Kashmir was a "core" issue or "central" to the normalisation of relations between the two countries. Iyer also told Haq that there has been a spurt of violence in J and K following the Agra summit. "These have created extremely negative sentiments both at the public and political levels." Asserting that India cannot accept that insurgency in the State, with its foreign mercenaries and generous assistance from abroad, is anything but cross-border terrorism, she said the daily killings of innocent people there cannot be glorified as ‘Jehad’ or any kind of political movement. She said observance and implementation of the Simla accord and Lahore declaration was necessary for improving bilateral relations. "Cross-border terrorism violates both these agreements as well as accepted norms of international conduct," Iyer said adding it was important for the two countries to "build trust and confidence so that a climate is created conducive to the resolution of our differences, and enable us even more effectively to confront the common challenges of poverty eradication and development. "We reject any suggestion that J and K is the `core’ issue, or `central’ to the normalisation of India-Pakistan relations," she said. Iyer said as Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh have indicated on various occasions, "we must make efforts to improve relations, build trust and confidence so that a climate is created conducive to resolution of the issue." Referring to the spurt of violence in the State after the Agra summit, she said these have created extremely negative sentiments both at the public and political level. "We cannot accept that the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, with its foreign mercenaries and generous assistance from abroad, is anything but cross-border terrorism. The daily killing of innocent men, women and children can simply not be glorified as "Jehad", or as any kind of political movement," she said. Iyer conveyed to Haq that India was proceeding with implementation of the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) announced ahead of the Agra summit and awaiting responses from Pakistan to the proposal for meeting of the DGMOs as well as the expert-level discussion on nuclear CBMs. "There should be follow up to the MoU signed by the two Foreign Secretaries at Lahore in February 1999," Iyer said. This MoU had provided for technical details of various measures to be worked out by the experts of the two sides. Pointing out that India had sought to incorporate in the joint statement at the Agra summit the structure of a future dialogue process on all issues, including nuclear and conventional CBMs, Jammu and Kashmir and terrorism; and all other issues from the composite dialogue, Iyer said "eventually, however, the quest for a joint document had to be abandoned." It was because "of what was perceived by our leadership and people as an unacceptable and untenable fixation on the Jammu and Kashmir issue, a reluctance to address cross-border terrorism, and a negative approach indicated towards Simla agreement and Lahore declaration." The Indian Foreign Secretary also raised the issues of 54 Indian Prisoners of War (PoW), early release of civilian prisoners in jails and avoidance of arrest of fishermen who inadvertently transgress. She reiterated the acceptance by the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister of invitations to visit Pakistan. Dates would be fixed subsequently. Emerging from the meeting, Iyer said: "We had a very useful exchange of views on various aspects of the bilateral relationship and the importance of continuing the dialogue process initiated by Prime Minister Vajpayee and President Musharraf at Agra." "We also discussed the impediments in the path of improvement in our relations and about the CBMs suggested by India in July before the Agra summit," she told reporters here. "Both sides," she said, "agreed that there was a need to build up the relationship. We are confident that the process would be continued." Describing the meeting as "positive" and held in a "friendly atmosphere", Haq said "we agreed that the process that began in Agra should be continued, and today’s meeting was a step in that direction." Asked if he was unhappy that dates for the visit of either Vajpayee or Singh were not decided, Haq said "the important thing is that the meeting, by itself, indicates a willingness to talk to each other. I would consider this a progress." (PTI) |
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Mercenaries serious threat: JKLF NEW DELHI, Aug 10: Condemning the recent massacres of innocent civilians in the State, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) today said the "intrusion" of foreign mercenaries into "nationalist movement" of Kashmir was a threat to the ethos of the State. "We, of course, do not welcome them but yes we regret the stand of India as to the reasons why they had been allowed to sneak into the secular fabric of the State," secretary general of JKLF Haider Hijazi told PTI here. He said the continued "indifferent attitude" shown by successive Governments at the helm of affairs in New Delhi was the root cause of entry of these foreign elements. "The JKLF, which is pioneer in launching the armed struggle as well as undertaking a non-violent political campaign for independence of Kashmir, has always maintained that entry of foreign militants was not only a threat to Kashmir but to the entire sub-continent," Hijazi, who belongs to the Ammanullah Khan faction of JKLF, said. However, Hijazi favoured a high-level impartial probe into the four massacres in the last three weeks which rocked the State. "It will not be fair on my part to malign any one before a thorough enquiry is made into the massacres," the JKLF leader said. Hijazi, who is a member of Quami Mushawarti Council, an amalgam formed as a parallel to Hurriyat Conference, admitted that the armed movement initiated by JKLF had gone haywire after the flow of foreign mercenaries. The JKLF leader said "if Pakistan and India do not check their policies immediately, the mercenary culture will spread not only to New Delhi but Islamabad will also be engulfed in the fire." Launching a tirade against the Hurriyat Conference, he charged the 23-party conglomerate with having "bargained with Pakistan all the sacrifices" made by Kashmiri people for independence. "Hurriyat Conference is nothing but an outcome of the liberation movement launched by the JKLF," Hijazi said. He said during the 12-year-long turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir, "while every second Kashmiri family had lost one of its kith and kin, the living status of Hurriyat Conference leaders had increased rapidly with all the luxuries of life." He refused to accept Yaseen Malik-led JKLF as leader in favour of independence, he said "Malik is a product of long standing policy of Pakistan to create renegades within the independence loving groups." He said JKLF, under the leadership of Ammanullah Khan, had been always aware of Pakistan’s nefarious designs and Islamabad’s critical attitude towards even the basic rights of Kashmiris. (PTI) |
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Burqa-clad LeT Fidayeen shot dead in Banihal Excelsior Correspondent UDHAMPUR, Aug 10: Army today gunned down two fidayeen including one wearing a ‘burqa’ (a lady dress) at Darpora and Gunda in Banihal tehsil of Doda district this evening while a group of three militants escaped after a fierce fighting with security forces in Chsana area of Mahore early today. Official sources said army and police got an information this morning that two fidayeen will strike on the outskirts of Banihal this evening. Security forces were put on high alert in all areas of Banihal, where the fidayeen attack was anticipated, soon after the receipt of input. Troops noticed a burqa clad person moving in Gunda village, about three kms from Banihal at 1630 hours today. The person started running in an opposite direction after seeing a patrol party of army and police. Troops became doubtful and asked the burqa clad person to stop. Instead, the fidayeen, who had taken the cover of burqa, brought out his rifle and fired on army jawans, chasing him, with a rifle. Army soldiers retaliated and gunned down the fidayeen within five minutes of the operation. Sources said the fidayeen, taking cover of burqa, was on way to target a security camp somewhere on the national highway at Banihal. The plan was foiled with timely action taken by army, they added. About one kilometer away from Gunda, another team of army and police led by Addl SP Ramban Karnail Singh intercepted a fidayeen at village Darpora. He too was on a ‘mission’ but was eliminated by securitymen before he could accomplish that. Three army jawans sustained minor injuries in Gunda operation while there was no casualty on security forces side in Darpora encounter, the sources said, adding the injured jawans have been hospitalised. Recovery made from the possession of two slain fidayeen included two AK-56 rifles, four magazines, one wireless set and three grenades. Both of them were Pakistanis and activists of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit. Their identity couldn’t be established immediately. Another encounter took place between army and militants at village Chsana in Mahore tehsil of this district at 0400 hours today. Three militants were trapped in the encounter. However, after about an hour long exchange of firing, the militants managed to escape towards a surrounding forest area and remained untraced. Troops continued a search operation to eliminate the militants till late this evening. Meanwhile, authorities today lifted day curfew from Kishtwar town following improvement in the situation. DC Doda Shailander Kumar said that initially, curfew was relaxed for two hours from 1000 hours to 12 noon but was subsequently extended till 1900 hours as the situation remained normal. Day curfew was lifted from Bhaderwah yesterday. |
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Shimla, Lahore accords
can’t be replaced NEW DELHI, Aug 10: External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh today dismissed opposition charge that the Government had invited Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf under US or any third party pressure and rejected Islamabad’s attempts to confer cross-border terrorism a kind of legitimacy or status as a pre-dialogue negotiating tool. Singh made it clear in the Rajya Sabha that the Simla and Lahore agreements could not be replaced by "some understandings" reached at the Agra summit. "There will be no compromise with cross-border terrorism. There is no question of conferring cross-border terrorism a kind of legitimacy or status as a pre-dialogue negotiating tool or tactics", Singh said while intervening in a debate on the Agra summit. Once New Delhi agreed to this with Pakistan "turning the tap on and off" at its sweet will, India would be compromising its national interests, he said in a clear rejection of Islamabad terming the terrorist actions in Jammu and Kashmir as "freedom struggle". On the Congress charge that Washington knew about the dates of the summit even before India had made a formal announcement, Singh said Government or Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee did not have to prove their credentials and were not known to "not cave into any kind of foreign pressure be it from the us or any other country". Singh asserted that any challenge to India militarily would be defeated. "We do not covet an inch of Pakistani territory," he said. Dismissing Pakistan’s claim that J and K was a "territorial dispute", he said "it is a dispute over fundamentals". He said Vajpayee clearly pointed to Musharraf that the northern area including Gilgit, Hunza and Baltistan were under illegal occupation of Pakistan and that Islamabad had even given a portion of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to China. Reiterating India’s desire for continuing the peace process with Pakistan, he said it was for Islamabad to "come to terms with what sort of long term relations it wants" with this country. "The Government is clear in its mind that Pakistan continues to pursue and practice a policy of compulsive and perpetual hostility against India," Singh said. India, he said, will work for improving relations with Pakistan in the "broadest possible front" in diverse spheres. "The caravan of peace will continue," he stressed despite interruptions such as Kargil, Kandahar and the recent incidents of violence and killings. Asserting secularism was embedded in Indian nationalism, the minister said New Delhi rejected the two nation theory on the basis of which Pakistan was created. Stating that 85 to 90 per cent of people in the Kashmir valley were Muslims, Singh said that there were several areas across the country which had Muslim majority. "What am I to do ? I cannot put them in a railway rake and send them to Pakistan. I cannot do that," he said while pointing out New Delhi made no distinction on the basis of religion, caste or creed. Maintaining that India was keen to enhance people to people contacts, he regretted that Islamabad did not respond favourably to the confidence building measures including easing of visa restriction and the proposal to open the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road announced unilaterally in the run up to the summit. Islamabad had also not responded positively to the Indian Director General of Military Operations undertaking a visit to Pakistan to discuss the situation on the Line of Control, Singh said. (PTI) |
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Sacked Agarwal
withdraws support LUCKNOW, Aug 10: The BJP-led coalition Government in Uttar Pradesh today appeared to have been reduced to a minority after the sacking of Energy Minister Naresh Agarwal who withdrew support of his 19-member LCP group to the Rajnath Singh Government but his party itself seemed headed for a split. On a day of fast-moving developments, eight Ministers of LCP, who met Governor Vishnukant Shastri and pledged support to Rajnath Singh, said their Legislature Party would meet tomorrow morning to elect a new leader in place of Agarwal. In an indication that his Government may not be facing an immediate survival problem, the Chief Minister claimed that 15 to 16 LCP MLAs, who are all Ministers, have pledged support to him and he anticipated no threat to his Ministry. Agarwal, who broke from the Congress to rescue Kalyan Singh’s Government after BSP withdrew support three years ago, was sacked this morning by Rajnath Singh who accused him of violating collective responsibility of the cabinet, repeated criticism of the Government and his behaviour unbecoming of an ally. Agarwal and the Chief Minister had been having a running battle on the energy crisis in the State and what came as a last straw was the Minister’s statement this morning critical of the Government. The sacked Minister expelled three Ministers Fateh Bahadur Singh, Capt Diwakar Singh and Vivek from the party. The Ministers said they will meet tomorrow and remove Agarwal from the leadership of the party. Interestingly, the Governor, who accepted the Chief Minister’s recommendation to dismiss Agarwal, said there was no threat to the Rajnath Singh Government as he felt it enjoyed majority support in the Assembly. While Agarwal’s action reduced the strength of the ruling coalition to 200 in a House of 403, state BJP president Kalraj Mishra claimed the support of 204 members even after counting out the LCP’s 19. Meanwhile, the BJP-led coalition Government in Uttar Pradesh was today reduced to a minority in the State Assembly after Chief Minister Rajnath Singh sacked LCP leader and Energy Minister Naresh Agarwal who retaliated by withdrawing support of his 19-member group amidst claims and counter claims of majority. Interestingly, Governor Vishnukant Shastri, who accepted the Chief Minister’s recommendation to dismiss the Minister, said there was no threat to the Rajnath Singh Government as he felt it enjoyed majority support in the Assembly. The dramatic political developments in the State, where Assembly elections are scheduled early next year, began this morning with the Chief Minister sacking Agarwal accusing him of violating the principle of collective responsibility following a spat over the grim power situation. Agarwal, who was in Hardwar, promptly reacted saying he has withdrawn support of his group which hit the headlines in early 1998 when it broke from the Congress party to support Kalyan Singh after BSP withdrew support. The Chief Minister also claimed that his Government enjoyed majority support and that there was no question of dissolving the Assembly. The Assembly elections would be held as scheduled, he said. Agarwal told PTI from Hardwar that he had resigned from the Government and has conveyed to the Governor his party’s decision to withdraw support. He said he has also urged the Governor to summon a special session of the Assembly and ask the Chief Minister to prove majority on the floor of the House. Apart from the sacked Agarwal, all the other 18 LCP members are Ministers. The Rajnath Singh Government may now get the support of nine members of Ajit Singh-led Lok Dal, a new ally. The Governor, who met newsmen, said he had received a letter through fax from Agarwal about withdrawal of support but said this needed to be examined as to how many LCP members were with him. He said a number of LCP Ministers have informed him either through fax or by telephone that they did not approve of Agarwal’s decision. "I have to wait and see as to how many LCP Ministers supported Agarwal’s decision," he added. Shastri said "according to my estimate, the BJP enjoyed majority support in the Assembly." But he refused to go into the numbers game. Kalraj Mishra backed up his majority claim by saying apart from the 158-member BJP, the Government enjoyed the support of 13 members of Lok Janshakti, 8 Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party, 9 Lok Dal, three Janata Dal, 8 independents, one each of Samata Party and Samajwadi Janata Party and three unattached members. Maintaining that majority of the LCP members were solidly behind Rajnath Singh, Mishra said "even if the entire Loktantrik Congress Party withdraws support, the BJP coalition still enjoyed the support of 204 in the House of 403."(PTI) |
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BJP hardliners want Advani to take control of J&K From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Aug 10: A new development has taken place within the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) vis-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP’s hardliners have started clamouring for the Home Minister Mr L K Advani to take control of New Delhi’s Kashmir policy "without any interference from the Prime Minister’s Office. Significantly, the clamour has been noticed at a time when the Prime Minister Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee has dropped clear hints during his interaction with various BJP MPs, about his plan to continue the altering or altered situation in the troubled State of Jammu and Kashmir. In view of the existence of a ‘Kashmir cell’ in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Mr Vajpayee has been reported to have favoured the existing arrangement of the ‘specific’ role his secretariat has to play in relation to J&K. This notwithstanding, there is a growing clamour within the BJP for Mr Advani to guide and supervise the pro-active approach to the increased militancy and killings within Jammu and Kashmir. In a virtual admission that the pacifist policies of the Prime Minister have failed, the BJP spokesperson, Mr V K Malhotra, has asked the Government to take ‘decisive’ steps in J&K. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has gone to the extent of stating that time has come to declare war against Pakistan. The pro-Advani lobby within the BJP, in a strong shift to the Home Minister’s doctrine of ‘hot-pursuit’ and ‘pro-activism’ has asked the Government to now pursue ‘pro-active’ policies like destroying Pakistan -sponsored camps on Indian soil. The Congress, on the other hand, has, once again, come down hard on the Home Minister and asked for his resignation on moral grounds. The Congress high command has made it clear that Mr L K Advani cannot escape his constitutional and administrative responsibility for the aggravated situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Congress spokesman, Mr Jaipal Reddy, reiterated on Friday that Mr Advani as the Home Minister had been an ‘administrative disaster’. Fear over the escalation of militant activities in J&K since the failure of the Agra summit has come true with increased killings. The scenario has raised high level of concern in the entire political spectrum in the country. That the militants and terrorists are now targeting Jammu and indulging in systematic killing of one community explains the larger designs that they have unveiled at hand. Communal divide and its repercussion across the country seems to be the new game plan that the militants, particularly the one belonging to the dreaded outfit, Lashkar-e-Toiba, are now trying to enact. Of concern is the fact that the villages, which are near the border, have no security cover nor the presence of military and paramilitary forces which makes them the most vulnerable target for the militants, according to ‘assessment’ notes prepared by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) barely a couple of days before several innocent people were killed when suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba jihadis opened fire on passengers at Jammu railway station the other day. According to Kashmir-watchers, declaring four more districts in Jammu region ‘disturbed’ and giving more powers to the troops, will not cut much ice if the Government does not put its act together to defeat the nefarious designs of Pakistan sponsored terrorists, bring about reinforcement of security agencies at vulnerable spots and also insist on the need for close monitoring of the areas along with the J&K Government. |
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13 Senior KAS Officers transferred Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Aug. 10: The State Government ordered transfers of 13 Senior KAS Officers. Mr G M Mir, Special Secretary, Revenue Department has been posted as Special Secretary Works vice Mr Naeem Akhtar. Naeem Akhtar has been posted as Special Secretary, Revenue. Mr Gouhar Ahmed Special Secretary, Works Department has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Agriculture Production Department. Mr Jeet Lal Gupta Special Secretary, Home has been posted as Special Secretary, Forests in place of Mr Farooq Ahmed. Farooq Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Forests has been posted as Additional Secretary Social Welfare. Mr D K Vaid, Joint Director Information, Jammu has been posted as Additional Secretary Works. Mr Pervez Khatib has been recalled from the J&K Forests Corporation and posted as Secretary State Municipal Finance Commission. Mr Mohd Amin Hamdani, Deputy Secretary Science and Technology has been posted as Deputy Secretary Works. Mr PK Verma, Deputy Secretary Ladakh Affairs has been posted as Deputy Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Department. Mr I A Zargar, Deputy Labour Commissioner, Jammu has been posted as Registrar, Government College of Engineering Jammu. Mr Mohammed Yaqoob Zargar, Registrar Engineering College Jammu has been posted as Deputy Labour Commissioner, Jammu. Mr A K Fotedar, Under Secretary, Home has been posted as Instructor, Secretariat Training Classes. Mrs Babila Rakhwar, Under Secretary PDD, has been posted as Administrative Officer SSRB, Jammu. |
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Centre responsible for turmoil: NC SRINAGAR, Aug 10: The ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir has blamed the Centre for the present turmoil in the State saying it was "reaping the harvest of 1953 when a democratically elected Government headed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah was dismissed under a deep-rooted conspiracy undemocratically". "It was from August 9, 1953 that the State Constitution was muzzled and Article 370, guaranteeing special status to J and K, murdered and rights of the people violated’’, NC general secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad said at a meeting convened to observe the day here yesterday. About greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir under the Indian Constitution, Sheikh Nazir said "we are not begging before New Delhi for autonomy. It is not out of doles the Centre has to grant it but it is the constitutional right of the people of the State’’. The meeting was presided over by Kashmir provisional president and MLC, G N Shaheen, Minister for Agriculture, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Works Minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar, former ministers, legislators and district presidents of the party. (PTI) |
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Cong leader supports demand for self-determination NEW DELHI, Aug 10: The right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is the only way out of the long-standing problem, provided that the future entity is secular and political in nature, several participants at a conference on "J and K - the way out" suggested here today. Congress leader Vasant Sathe said India and Pakistan should "let the people of the State decide their future". "We have to accept that no people can be supressed at gunpoint for too long. Kashmiri people are different from rest of India - their culture is different, their language is different," Sathe said adding "aspirations of people of Jammu and Ladakh should also be taken into consideration". Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front general secretary Haider Hijazi claimed "India and Pakistan have no moral, legal or constitutional right to occupy the State". He said India and Pakistan are de facto parties to the Kashmir dispute, but Kashmiris are the principal party and the dispute cannot be solved without taking into consideration their aspirations". Eminent lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani said "Kashmir is an integral part of India -legally as well as constitutionally. But is Jammu and Kashmir part of India politically and morally?" he went on to suggest plebiscite but said Pakistan should withdraw troops from PoK before that. Senior Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Gani Lone said the "first blunder" by the Centre after independence was to put conditions to Maharaja Hari Singh’s decision to accede to India which was followed by destroying autonomous character of the State in 1964". "Why are Kashmiris paying the price for the blunders committed by Indian leadership?" Lone asked. M P Jaiswal, a BJP MP, said he supported talks between India and Pakistan on all issues including Kashmir and added "peace and Pandits should return to Kashmir". "Then only can we believe that what is going on in the State does not have communal undertones," Jaiswal said. Sathe also said "India and Pakistan should first agree whether they want an open plebiscite or one as per UN resolutions. Then they should agree that, in case of an open plebiscite, whether they are willing to put a third ballot for independence of the State," Sathe said. "We have to accept that no people can be supressed at gunpoint for too long. Kashmiri people are different from rest of India - their culture is different, their language is different," Sathe said adding "aspirations of people of Jammu and Ladakh should also be taken into consideration". On the issue of rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits’ in the Valley, Lone said "Hurriyat Conference is helpless in this matter". "Even if we take steps for rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, the Centre and State Governments will not like it as they fear that Hurriyat will take the credit," Lone said. "People of the State have been reduced to untouchables. We had hopes from the Government at the Centre that they have nationalist outlook, that they might do a favour to people of India by solving Kashmir problem" but the hopes had been belied. On the recent massacres of Hindus in the State, Lone said it was well-understood that "we will not get any mileage from such acts". (PTI) |
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SRINAGAR, Aug 10: Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah today said declaring of Jammu division as disturbed area would lead to more killings rather than help restore peace in the State. "What is needed is to lift draconian laws from Kashmir valley. Instead, the Government brought Jammu division under the ambit of disturbed areas act under a conspiracy to drive a wedge between Hindus and Muslims," he said. This would lead to more killings rather than help restore peace, Shah said in a statement here. Reiterating that Kashmir issue could be resolved through peaceful means, he said in this connection he intended to visit Pakistan to mobilise public opinion for peaceful resolution of the issue. "I have applied for travel documents,", he said, adding if these were provided he would visit Pakistan. (PTI) |
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Hurriyat assails Disturbed Act SRINAGAR, Aug 10 : The Hurriyat Conference today attacked the State Government’s decision to declare Jammu region and Kashmir as " disturbed" saying it was aimed at "crushing" the aspirations of the people for "freedom." Addressing a Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said the State Government’s decision to declare all districts in Jammu and Kashmir valley as disturbed area was "intended to crush the urges and aspirations of the people of the State for freedom. " We condemn the Government for its anti-people policies and State terrorism", he said. Referring to his and another senior Hurriyat leader, Abdul Gani Lone’s recent visit to Kolkatta and Chennai to attend seminars and international conferences on Kashmir, Mirwaiz said " we explained to the Indian masses that Kashmir is not an internal issue of India. Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed issue and needs settlement as per the wishes and aspiration of the people of the State". The Mirwaiz condemned the recent incident of acid throwing on women not wearing "burqa" in Srinagar, and said "this type of inhuman and immoral acts at this crucual juncture can be a part of a conspiracy against the ongoing movement" of the Hurriyat. (PTI) |
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Friendship banner presented to PM NEW DELHI, Aug 10: "Friendship for peace". This was the slogan Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today wrote after signing a kilometre long banner containing signatures of over one lakh children for promotion of friendship between India and Pakistan. The signature campaign was carried out by the Hyderabad-based Country Club (India) Limited and the banner was presented to the Prime Minister by the organisers led by Congress MP Renuka Chaudhury. Former Miss World Yukta Mukhey and Club chairman Y Rajeev Reddy were also present at the function. (PTI) |
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