Foreign militants have no role in movement: JKLF

NEW DELHI, Aug 19: The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) today said the presence of foreign militants in the State was "very dangerous" for the Kashmiris and warned the mercenaries against creating hurdles in its ‘independence movement’.

"The presence of foreign mercenaries in the State is dangerous for the Kashmiris. However, if they create obstacles in our movement for independence, the JKLF is a potent force to fight them back," JKLF leader Dr Haidar Hijazi told UNI here.

He said these mercenaries had their own agenda which would not help the "ongoing freedom movement".

"They have no nationalistic contribution in the freedom struggle," said Dr Hijazi, who is the general secretary of the JKLF led by Muzaffarabad-based Amanullah Khan.

The Kashmir-based JKLF leader was recently in the capital to participate in seminars and discussions on the Kashmir issue.

Dr Hijazi said if India and Pakistan conceded complete independence to the state, the mercenaries will have no moral right to stay in Kashmir.

He said JKLF chief Amanullah Khan had also criticised the presence of non-Kashmiri elements like the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the Jaish-e-Mohammad in the Valley.

"We do not want Kashmir to be Afghanistan or Iran," he said.

Launching a scathing attack on Pakistan, Dr Hijazi said the military regime’s refusal to allow pro-independence groups from contesting elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) had exposed Islamabad’s Kashmir policy.

"Pakistan’s claim that it helps the Kashmiris morally, politically and diplomatically in their freedom struggle stands exposed after it disallowed our leaders from contesting elections in the PoK," he said.

Dr Hijazi said the nomination forms of the JKLF leaders were rejected as they refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Pakistani constitution.

"We entered the election fray in the PoK in order to give a push to our struggle for independence," he added.

"The JKLF is not against any democratic peace process but we cannot camouflage our idealogy for the sake of petty politics," he added.

About the peace process in the troubled state, Dr Hijazi said no patriotic Kashmiri would support peace of the "graveyards" over peace with justice. He said the people are the final arbiters of their future.

Dr Hijazi said the division of the state was unacceptable to the Kashmiris as it would not only harm the secular character and the socio-cultural ethos but invite a catastrophe resulting in communal and ethnic clashes and mass migration reminiscent of 1947.

"It will also lead to the Balkanisation of the entire sub-continent," he opined.

The JKLF leader said an independent Kashmir formed on the basis of Muslim majority would become a haven for fundamentalists, which would be against the interests of the region.

About the claim of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders that they were the representatives of the people of the State, Dr Hijazi said they represent the opinion of only a faction in the Valley and could not claim to be the third party to the issue.

After attending a tea party with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf during his visit to India, the Hurriyat leaders had proved that they were toeing the line of Pakistan, he said.

"The only viable and permanent solution to the dispute is to unite the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir and make it a completely independent country which can become a bridge of friendship from the bone of contention between India and Pakistan," Dr Hijazi said.

Quoting Mr Amanullah Khan, he said the Indians were "mistaken" if they thought that time would solve the problem and that the Pakistanis were equally "mistaken" if they thought that Jammu and Kashmir would fall into their lap.

About the return of Kashmiri Pandits, Dr Hijazi said the JKLF’s movement was incomplete without their participation.

"The glory of the future of Kashmir depends in the safe return of the Kashmiri Pandits," he added.

Dr Hijazi said Mr Khan is on record as having said that "a Kashmiri Pandit was more dear to him than a Pakistani Muslim".

Lambasting those who committed the ‘communal murders’, the JKLF leader said, "such mischevious acts were committed by the communal forces in the State and those who were playing to the tunes of anti-JKLF idealogy."

"We will be happy to welcome them back in the Valley," Dr Hijazi added. (UNI)

Agencies find evidence of Laden's funding in J&K

NEW DELHI, Aug 19: Disapproving Pakistan’s claims that a freedom struggle is going on in Jammu and Kashmir, intelligence agencies in India have unearthed evidence of Afghan-based international terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden’s direct funding of militant activity in the state.

"Bin Laden has targeted his efforts and resources to fight India and certain other countries like the United States, Israel, Russia and those based in Europe which are perceived by him to be a direct threat to Islam," top intelligence officials told UNI.

The sources said intelligence inputs suggest that Bin Laden motivated thousands of Afghan veterans to join Islamic groups in Asia and Africa, giving a boost to the domestic and global plan of these outfits.

The 1957-born Bin Laden’s cadres are said to be drawn from a 50,000 strong pool of Afghan fanatics willing to sacrifice their lives for their religion. They are believed to be campaigning in Kashmir, Tajikistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mindanao, Chechnya, Lebanon, Algeria and Egypt.

Bin Laden alias Osama Mohammad Al Wahad alias Abu Abdallah alias Al Qaqa is wanted in India for his involvement in a number of subversive activities, especially those in Kashmir. A number of terrorists who have been arrested by various security agencies have also indicated towards the operation of the Saudi-born terrorist kingpin.

His direct involvement was also found in the recent plan to blow up the US embassies in New Delhi and Dhaka. The plan was foiled by the Delhi police after they arrested three members of his gang, including a Sudanese national.

Police are still investigating the case to reach to the bottom of the Bin Laden’s operations in India. "The case is being further investigated," Deputy Commissioner of Police (special cell of the Delhi Police) Ashok Chand says.

Police are also probing the role of a Sudanese diplomat who is said to have masterminded the plot to bomb the embassies before leaving India for his country.

Sudan was the base of Bin Laden’s operations between 1989 and 1992 before the Government had deported him.

The Saudi terrorist launched his fight against India through ‘Al Qaeda’, an organisation floated by him after his disassociation with Maktab Al Khidmat Lil-Mujahidin Al-Arab (Mak) in 1989. Mak worked closely with Pakistan, especially the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Saudi Government and the Egyptian Government.

"There are hints that Al-Qaeda’s members could have joined the Muslim community in India," the intelligence officials said.

Al-Qaeda’s links with Asian Islamic groups fighting in Kashmir, barring the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayaaf Group (ASG), developed in the mid 1990s.

Among the prominent associate organisations of Al-Qaeda which are active in Kashmir are Sipah-e-Sahaba Kashmir, Hizb-al-Islami, Harakat-ul-Mujahideen and Harakat-ul-Jehad. Besides, Hizbullah (in Lebanon), Hamas (in the occupied territories) and the Islamic Party of Turkistan are his other leading terrorist outfits.

Though Al-Qaeda has many leaders who head the constituent groups, decisions about the target selection, preparation and acquisition are taken by Bin Laden and a handful of leaders in his military committee. Al-Qaeda, it is said, has become extra careful about target selection ever since the bombing of the American embassies at Nairobi and Dar Es Salamm on August seven, 1998 which had killed at least 250 people, including a dozen US Embassy officials.

The US Air Force had in an apparent attempt to avenge the attacks on its embassies, attacked the suspected terrorist hideouts in Afghanisatan and Sudan on August 21 the same year. The then US President Bill Clinton had promised a sustained campaign against terrorism worldwide.

Al-Qaeda has its camps in Khost, Mahavia, Kabul, Jalalabad, Kunar and Kandahar and depots in Tora Bora and Liza. The Indian intelligence agency are now probing whether Bin Laden was in any way linked to the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 from Kathamandu on December 24, 1999. The aircraft after being hijacked enroute to New Delhi was taken to Kandahar.

The Taliban regime of Afghanistan, with whom Bin Laden has close operational links, had not only expressed its inability to the Indian Government in launching any offensive against the five hijackers, it in fact paved the way for their smooth passage into Pakistan.

Al Qaeda is supported by Sudan, Iran and Afghanistan. Pakistan though does not support Bin Laden’s terrorist campaings, it does assist Al-Qaeda’s operatives working for Harakat-ul-Mujahideen in Kashmir. (UNI)

5 militants killed in Kupwara
10-month-old baby, woman gunned down in Beerwah

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Aug 19: Even as security forces have eliminated five militants in Kupwara district since last evening, militants have gunned down a woman as also a 10-month-old baby in Beerwah area of Budgam district.

Official sources told EXCELSIOR that at 2100 hours last night, a group of five militants swooped on the residence of a counter-insurgent, Abdur Rasheed Malik, at Shanglipora, in Beerwah area. A released militant of Hizbul Mujahideen, Malik has been working as a source with Rashtriya Rifles 34 Bn. Even as he was not present at his home, militants showered bullets on his family members indiscriminately. Malik’s 10-month-old daughter, Irfana, as also his brother’s wife, Ayisha, died in a pool of blood. His wife, Gulshan, and brother, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din, sustained injuries. They were rushed to hospital.

Police said that the killers were unidentified but believed to be militants of Hizbul Mujahideen. No militant outfit has claimed responsibility.

Militants and security forces traded fire at Dasan, in Beerwah area, and at Kokernag. However, there was no casualty.

Reports from north Kashmir said that troops of 11-Sikh Li eliminated an unidentified militant at Dudhi Machhil, close to LoC. Troops of RR 32 Bn and 2 Para directed intense shelling in a dense forest area in Kupwara whererom a thick concentration of militants had been reported.

Earlier, on Saturday, troops of 1/4 GR and SOG Kupwara smashed a major militant hideout in Rashanpora forest area. Four unidentified militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba got killed in the fierce encounter. Three AK-56 rifles and a long range wireless set were claimed to have been recovered from the site of encounter.

Helicopter gunships won't be used in J&K: Swami

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Aug 19: Indian security forces are under orders not to make use of helicopter gun-ships to put down militancy and terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Doda and Udhampur districts, in the given circumstances.

These orders followed the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s unwillingness to allow the revival of the earlier plan to use helicopter gun-ships to crush militancy in Doda, which is considered to be the only district in the troubled State having almost an Afghanistan-like terrain to suit the requirements of foreign mercenaries.

After Doda and three more districts in Jammu province were brought under the Disturbed Areas Act, the Prime Minister reportedly sent for his Defence Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, and told him, in unmistakable terms, that he (Mr Vajpayee) did not want the ongoing pro-active strategy in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in Doda and Udhampur districts, to include use of helicopter gun-ships.

Even as the Prime Minister continues to be under tremendous pressure from the Sangh Parivar, including hard-liners within the BJP, for massive operations against Pakistan-aided ultras in J&K, he has opposed the idea of use of helicopter gun-ships at a time when human rights organisations in and outside India seemed to have involved themselves in the troubled State more actively than at any time in the past.

About a year ago, security forces made use of helicopter gun-ships in an anti-terrorist operation in the Kashmir valley. Although some higher-ups in the Army Headquarters have referred to the "success" achieved in the operation, a section in the Vajpayee Government would like the security forces to use other means to deal with the militants and subversives in the mountainous areas in Doda and Udhampur districts.

Opponents of the proposal favouring use of helicopter gun-ships have let it be known that Pakistan will not hesitate to retaliate by equipping the terrorists with shoulder-fired missiles to shoot down Indian gun-ships. In a situation like this the possibility of collateral damage to civilians and their properties cannot be ruled out.

Taking the situation as it is, Islamabad simply wants an excuse to engineer a diplomatic and human rights offensive against India. Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee would like his Ministerial colleagues to analyse the claim made by Pak military ruler, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, that the terrorists attacking targets in Jammu and Kashmir "are freedom fighters".

The Union Minister of State for Home, Mr ID Swami, has placed himself on record by saying that the more there are successes of the counter-insurgency measures in Jammu and Kashmir, the more Pak-aided terrorists would go out in search of soft targets. "And wherever they get soft targets, they could succeed. There is no doubt about it", Mr Swami said in an interview.

Mr Swami has reiterated that the recent spurt in terrorist activities, particularly in Doda and Udhampur districts, is "an act of frustration and desperation on the part of the militants who have been chased vigorously as a result of the pro-active policy of the Vajpayee Government after the withdrawal of non-initiation of combative offense (NICO)". In his reply to a question, Mr Swami said that well over 500 terrorists had been eliminated or neutralised by security forces in June and July.

The security forces, Mr Swami divulged, had recovered a letter from a terrorist, who was killed in an encounter after attack on Amarnath yatris, which proclaimed: "Jub tak hum Hindustan ko barbad nahin kar detay, isko maghloob nahim kar letay, us waqat tak hum is rastay pur chaltay rahengay".

Mr Swami regretted that the most unfortunate part of the scenario was that the authorities in Pakistan had not yet realised that "nobody on earth can take Islamabad-sponsored proxy war in Kashmir as "a freedom struggle or jihad". He said that Pakistan-based terrorist outfits like the Lashkar-e-Toiba are "primarily interested in destroying and subverting India".

Teen-aged student raped; accused held

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 19: A teen-aged student of ninth class was raped in broad day-light by a miscreant at Chatta Khud near Sunjwan in Narwal area yesterday afternoon triggering tension in Sunjwan and adjoining villages. The rapist was arrested by the police this afternoon from a hideout.

A large number of people gathered in Chatta this morning and voiced concern over the shameful incident. They demanded stern action against the criminal involved in the rape.

Police sources said the rape accused Mohd Yusuf son of Din Mohammed, a resident of Chatta, Sunjwan was arrested this afternoon from a hideout and put behind the bars. People were demanding a public punishment for the notorious youth, who raped a ninth class student.

Giving details of the incident, the sources said Bandu Devi and Shikha Devi, both sisters and daughters of Om Parkash were returning to their house from their school at 1300 hours yesterday afternoon when they were intercepted by Mohd Yusuf at an isolated area in Chatta khud. Both sisters were ninth class students in Government high school Sunjwan.

Mohd Yusuf forcibly lifted Bandu Devi, who was elder to Shikha, and took her deep into the khud. Bandu’s sister raised an alarm but there was no help available in view of the area being completely isolated.

Police said another youth Mohd Gafoor alias Sonu, who was accompanying Mohd Yusuf, also tried to rescue the girl from the clutches of Yusuf but to no avail.

Yusuf took the girl into the khud and raped her. He fled away from the spot by the time girl’s family members and local people rushed to the spot. The girl, who was lying semi unconscious in the khud, had marks of torture all over her person.

A police party led by DySP East Sanjay Sharma rushed to the spot and took the girl to hospital for medical examination. Report of the medical examination was awaited but police confirmed that the girl had been raped.

Mohd Yusuf also admitted during his questioning by police that he committed rape on the girl. A case against Yusuf has been registered at Sainik Colony police post.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Chatta area as the sensational news of a day-light rape with a teen-aged student spread. A large number of people gathered in Sunjwan and shouted slogans demanding stern action against the accused.

Tension in the area was defused this afternoon after Mohd Yusuf was arrested by a police party.

Police denied that there was any communal tension in Chatta. They said people of both the communities jointly protested against the incident and demanded stern action in the shape of public punishment for the accused.

Boy injured, Mouser seized
Militant escapes from Ghagwal town

Excelsior Correspondent

KATHUA, Aug 19: A suspected militant escaped from border town of Ghagwal in Hiranagar tehsil this afternoon leaving behind his weapon and wounding a boy, who was chasing him. Security forces have been rushed to Ghagwal and surroundings to apprehend the militant.

Reports said the middle-aged militant, who appeared to be an activist of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) hired a TATA Sumo No 456 JK02H from Ghagwal town and asked the Sumo operator Siddharth son of Amar Chand, a resident of Ghagwal to take him to Amritsar.

Enroute, the militant asked Sumo operator and his associate about the location of police naka on the national highway saying he wanted to hide his weapon. The Sumo driver became suspicious of middle-aged man’s activities. They told the person that they will return to Ghagwal, hide his weapon and then drop him to Amritsar.

On returning to Ghagwal, the tactful operator took the weapon—a sophisticated Chinese Mouser and rounds—from the militant and fled to a locality. Both operator and his associate raised an alarm and informed police and local police about the presence of militant in TATA Sumo vehicle.

In the meantime, the militant, sensing that he had been trapped, fled from the spot. He took a route in the fields and reached Jatwal. He was vigorously chased by local people. A 13-year old boy Rakesh Kumar, who tried to catch hold of the ultra, was inflicted injuries by the militant with a ‘kirpan’.

Rakesh was injured and taken to hospital.

However, the militant managed to escape despite massive searches carried out by police and local people. Late in the evening, security forces were also deployed in Jatwal to nab the ultra.

A Chinese Mouser and rounds, which were taken by Sumo operator from the militant, were handed over to local police. Incident has created tension in Jatwal and Ghagwal towns.

Hiranagar MLA Prem Lal visited the house of injured Rakesh Kumar this evening.

Ripples again surface in Hurriyat

NEW DELHI, Aug 19: The mass awareness campaign launched by the Hurriyat Conference to highlight their side of story of Kashmir, has once again led to rifts within the 23-party conglomerate with "hardliners" not supporting the idea but "moderates" still going ahead.

This idea has also led to "voice of dissension" from the second rung leadership who have voiced their concern and said that the amalgam should try and stablise its roots in Jammu and Ladakh before targeting the people all over the country, Hurriyat insiders said here.

Though the Hurriyat delegation comprising former Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and senior leader Abdul Gani Lone claimed that the campaign meetings in Kolkata and Chennai were a success, the insiders said the two leaders were told clearly that they would have to prove their representative character.

The story of Hurriyat Conference about rigging in elections found no takers in Kolkata conference, held last month, where the participants highlighted the fact that the issue of electoral malpractices were very common in other states as well.

The two leaders had also to cut a sorry figure after the organisers of conference on peace in Chennai clarified that neither the Mirwaiz nor Lone had been invited to the inter-faith conference.

The two Hurriyat leaders there held a meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and later claimed that he had supported their view and had invited them to Dharamshala for talks.

This led to a big controversy with political parties from all sides criticising the Dalai Lama for his comments, which were, however, denied by the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Even the organisers of the conference had to call a press meet to deny the claims of Hurriyat Conference about any formal meeting with the Dalai Lama.

Prominent Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande said that the two leaders of the amalgam — Farooq and Lone — had not been invited to the inter-faith-meet at Chennai which was inaugurated by the Tibetan spiritual leader.

The Hurriyat leaders also made an attempt to speak to the Dalai Lama separately and indicated their interest to visit him at Dharamshala. "The spiritual leader responded in his usual way that they are welcome," she said.

She said that the spiritual leader had not extended any invitation to the Hurriyat Conference leaders as claimed by Lone and Mirwaiz.

This led to severe criticism of the two leaders from within the amalgam and they adopted a taciturn policy after being exposed by the organisers of the conference, Hurriyat insiders said.

Another statement by some moderate Hurriyat leaders that the amalgam will consider positively a fresh proposal for talks from the Centre also led to trouble as hardliners in the amalgam said the stand of "New Delhi that it was not extending any further invitation" had let down the 23-party conglomerate. (PTI)

Nepal not to be used for anti- India activities

KATHMANDU, Aug 19 : External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh today wound up his three-day visit to Nepal after getting an assurance that the Himalayan Kingdom would not be allowed to be used for anti-India activities by third countries even as New Delhi suggested changes in the Indo-Nepal trade treaty.

Marking the first high-level political contact after the royal massacre in Kathmandu, Singh reaffirmed New Delhi’s commitment to further build on friendship with Nepal.

Before leaving for New Delhi, Singh called on King Gyanendra and offered deep condolences on the palace massacre in which his brother, King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and eight others were gunned down on June 1.

The Nepalese assurance came after Singh, the first Indian dignitary to visit Nepal since the hijacking of the Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar from Kathmandu, raised New Delhi’s concerns over use of Nepalese territory for anti-Indian activities by Pakistan’s ISI and the need to address it.

Singh said ISI’s anti-India activities from the Himalayan Kingdom have been documented in a series of incidents which have taken place.

The Minister, who held wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, was given an assurance that "such activities against friendly neighbours would not be tolerated".

The trade treaty, which expires in december this year, figured in Singh’s discussions and the Minister said certain issues which came up in its operation over the past five years need to be addressed and necessary adjustments made. (PTI)

Compendium of Islamic laws released

NEW DELHI, Aug 19: A compendium of Islamic laws covering the entire gamut of Muslim Personal Law was released today by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to help the judiciary in correctly interpreting the Muslim Personal Law and thereby reducing tension in the society arising out of misinterpretation of such laws.

The book, both in Urdu and English, contains section-wise compilation of the rules of Shari’at falling into the domain of the Muslim Personal Law regarding marriage, divorce, guardianship, maintenance, inheritance and Waqf and is based on the most authentic principles of the Islamic law, AIMPLB president Qazi Mujahidul Islam Qasmi said after releasing the book "Majmua Qawaneen Islami" here.

The compendium would be of immense help to practitioners of modern law, judges, scholars and students, former Chief Justice of India Justice A M Ahmadi said while releasing the english version of the collection.

The book explains that mere pronouncement of the word ‘Talaq’ thrice by the husband does not amount to divorce. Not only this, even a wife can also divorce her husband if the nature, disposition and temperaments of the spouses do not match.

Ahmadi said the work would be found useful by all those looking for a systematic presentation of the Islamic law in English language.

"In the system of dispensation of justice in the country, judges interpret law and consequently it becomes important to evolve a mechanism to inform the judges the correct reading of Islamic laws which have been interpreted differently by different scholars of Islamic laws," he said.

Earlier, Qasmi said the Muslim Personal Law was an extremely significant and vital issue for Indian Muslims in the sense that their milli and religious existence and identity was directly related with this issue.

AIMPLB general secretary Syed Nizamuddin while explaining the need for comprehending what exactly was the Muslim Personal Law said the Muslim Personal Law Board came into existence to safeguard these laws and it was the largest representative and dignified platform for the Muslims in India. (PTI)

Pak brings Madrasas under Govt control

ISLAMABAD, Aug 19: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has promulgated an ordinance integrating over 25,000 privately-run Islamic seminaries with country’s general education system.

"The purpose of the law is to organise promotion of full-fledged, comprehensive and specialised Islamic education alongwith subjects of general education system, while maintaining their autonomous character," officials here said.

The seminaries called ‘Dini Madrasas’ will be managed by Pakistan Madrasa Education Board, whose members will be appointed by the federal Government.

Analysts see this as a move by Musharraf Government to streamline the controversial ‘Madrasas’, seen by the us and the west as the root cause of spread of Islamic extremism among children and youth.

The law will require registration, regulation, standardisation and uniformity of curricula to be followed by the ‘Madrasas.’

According to estimates, Pakistan at present has 25,000 to 35,000 big and small privately-run Islamic seminaries devoted exclusively to teach Islamic education.

A number of fundamentalist leaders of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, including its leader Mullah Omar, were students of ‘Madrasas’.

The move by the Musharraf Government to streamline the ‘Madrasas’ followed banning of Lashkar Jhangvi, a Sunni extremist organisation and Sipah-e-Muhammad, a Shia sectarian outfit. (PTI)

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