PM’s ‘Musings’ copies on demand in Pak, US

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, has triggered animated discussions in some countries, following the officially-arranged wide circulation of the two-part article penned by him during his recent stay in the back-waters of Kerala.

Some foreign missions, based in New Delhi, are reported to have been set in motion by their respective Governments after the print media in several countries, including Pakistan, the United States and Britain, covered certain points highlighted by Mr Vajpayee in his articles, particularly the ones pertaining to Kashmir and Pakistan.

Hence, all the more reason for Pakistan’s military ruler, Gen Parvez Musharraf, to call for the copies of the Indian Premier’s articles, titled "My Musings from Kumarakom". According to diplomatic sources, copies of Mr Vajpayee’s articles were also requisitioned by India-watchers in the power corridors in Washington, London and Beijing.

Gen Musharraf’s interest in carefully examining Mr Vajpayee’s views or suggestions vis-à-vis Kashmir issue obviously emanated from the fact that the Indian Premier is now a changed man. Mr Vajpayee shunned Gen Musharraf for more than a year. The situation now is not what it was then.

Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi had strong reasons as it chose to keep its channel with Islamabad open, after Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee offered to meet Gen Musharraf, albeit under certain conditions. Mr Vajpayee’s open-ended invitation for Gen Musharraf to come to India is, of course, contained in the former’s "My Musings from Kumarakom".

The essence of Mr Vajpayee’s message to Gen Musharraf is: "Show us you can rein in the Jihadis, and you are welcome here. Before Mr Vajpayee penned the two-part article, Gen Musharraf had highlighted his two strong desires, namely, to meet the Indian Prime Minister at any time and any place and to hold a serious discussion with India on the Kashmir imbroglio.

In the altered scenario, Mr Vajpayee has now let it be known that he will meet both the demands of Gen Musharraf if Pakistan is willing to put the gun down. Clearly, Mr Vajpayee has placed himself on record: "India is willing and ready to seek a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem. Towards this end, we are prepared to recommence talks with Pakistan any level, including the highest level, provided Islamabad gives sufficient proof of its preparedness to create a conducive atmosphere for a meaningful dialogue".

If "My Musings from Kumarakom" are any guide, two significant changes have been effected by the Prime Minister himself. First, he has reversed India’s year-long refusal to engage the military regime in Pakistan. Second, he has avoided making any reference to New Delhi’s anger over Gen Musharraf’s personal role in the Kargil betrayal of the Lahore peace initiative.

And as Mr Vajpayee brought to the fore his readiness to directly engage Gen Musharraf, he (Mr Vajpayee) left none in doubt about what actually he expects from the latter. One proviso from Mr Vajpayee: Gen Musharraf should crack down on the jihadi groups fomenting terrorism in India.

Meanwhile, a controversy has been kicked up in some media circles following the publication of the Prime Minister’s two-part article. According to one report, two English dailies (The Times of India and Indian Express) have protested at the way the rights of the article were distributed.

The report, in fact, has divulged that the Prime Minister’s two aides, Mr HK Dua and Mr Sudheendra Kulkarni, operated in two different directions when Mr Vajpayee’s article was distributed for publication. Mr Dua is Press Advisor to Mr Vajpayee, while Mr Kulkarni is officer on special duty (OSD).

Considered as Mr Vajpayee’s speech writer, Mr Kulkarni was with the Prime Minister during his holiday in Kumarakom. Mr Dua was reported to have drawn up a list of as many as 20 newspapers. Mr Kulkarni emailed the article to The Times of India, which did not figure on Mr Dua’s list.

Gujral, Khan threatened to sack my Gov

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: Release of militants in exchange for Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of the then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, became an issue of acrimonious exchange between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti at a press conference here today.

Mehbooba levelled charges that Abdullah’s administration had indulged in gross violation of human rights, misgovernance and never cared for the people of the State.

She was supported by Kashmir Samiti president Chamal Lal Gadoo and chairman of All India Kashmiri Samaj J N Kaul, who were also present.

However, the entire scene turned in favour of Abdullah when a reporter asked Mehbooba whether she termed release of militants in exchange for her sister as a right step.

"No, I do not support the move but what harm did it do when the State had already released 170 militants," Mehbooba said.

This angered Abdullah, who said "I prefer to go on record that I never released the 170 militants but it was the then Union Home Secretary and Intelligence Bureau who initiated this move."

About the release of five militants in exchange for Rubaiya, he said "two Union Ministers including now the former Prime Minister I K Gujral and Arif Mohammed Khan, had come to Srinagar and threatened to sack my Government if I did not release the militants."

"I was prepared to quit but that would have sent a wrong signal to the world outside," he said. (PTI)

Fernandes fails to bring truce
Strife-torn Samata Party splits

PATNA, Jan 5: The Samata Party in Bihar split today over the question of merger with the JD(U) with the rival factions holding parallel conventions and the rebels re-electing Raghunath Jha president of the breakaway group as a last minute bid by Defence Minister George Fernandes to bring about a truce failed.

However, there was no word today on the fate of party leader Nitish Kumar’s resignation from Union Cabinet.

The official convention convened by Kumar authorised him to nominate the state president, state executive and national council members from Bihar.

The last ditch effort by Minister of State for Railways Digvijay Singh, the envoy of Fernandes, to effect a rapproachment between the warring factions led by Kumar and Jha came a cropper with six of party’s rebel Lok Sabha members going ahead with their parallel convention formally re-electing Jha as president of what they claimed the ‘real Samata’.

The rebels, though strident in their attack on Kumar’s functioning, reposed their unflinching faith in Fernandes and said they would continue to pursue the policies of the Samata Party.

All the six rebel Lok Sabha MPs—Raghunath Jha, Prabhunath Singh, Brahmanand Mandal, Manjay Lal, Mahendra Baitha and Arun Kumar, besides two MLAs Akhlaq Ahmed and Obaidullah, were present at the convention. Akhlaq Ahmed, however, attended both the meetings.

The Samata Party has 12 members in the Lok Sabha and 29 in the Bihar Assembly.

Jha’s name was proposed by Arun Kumar, MP, and supported by four MPs, beside others. Returning officer Chitranjan Gagan declaring Jha elected and claimed that at least 30 of party’s 42 district unit presidents were with Jha.

The convention also authorised Jha to nominate other office bearers of the party.

In his presidential speech, Jha held Kumar squarely responsible for the split.

"We raised two vital issues—there should be no merger of Samata with JD(U) and there should be no change in state party leadership.... We made several attempts to settle the issue but recalcitrance and arrogance of Nitish Kumar forced us to take this unpleasant step", Jha said.

He said he had gone to Kumar’s residence in Delhi on being asked by Fernandes to find an amicable solution but Nitish talked about everything except the merger. "We were on the same flight to Patna yesterday but Nitish slept all through only to enact a high political drama at Patna Airport announcing his resignation from the Union Cabinet."

"We have full faith in the leadership of Fernandes and we will explain the position to him when we meet in Delhi."

Stating that the rebels did not want to precipitate the issue, Jha said Digvijay Singh met him early this morning at the behest of Fernandes and requested him to postpone their (rebels’) convention to which he (Jha) agreed on the condition that the official convention too be deferred and Fernandes be authorised to arbitrate to avoid the split.

But Singh did not turn up again with the feedback and attended Kumar’s meeting, Jha said. (PTI)

Cautions against lowering guard
BJP backs Kashmir initiative

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: The BJP national executive today fully backed the Centre’s "bold initiative" in Kashmir but cautioned against lowering guard against Pak-based terrorist organisations asserting that India’s "fitting reply" in Kargil must remain the "benchmark today and tomorrow".

It endorsed the Government view that talks can be held with all parties and organisations in Jammu and Kashmir but it must be delinked from any dialogue with Pakistan. The question of trilateral talks does not arise.

After Home Minister L K Advani detailed the internal security scenario and the strategy adopted by the Government to "expose" Pakistan internationally on its aid to terrorism in India, the two-day national executive of the party adopted a resolution that congratulated the Government for its "bold initiative" but drew attention to "certain realities that cannot be wished away".

"Lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir is a desirable objective. To achieve this, the party will stand by the Government."

"But, at every step, the Government must exercise extreme caution and make it abundantly clear to all that the Indian people’s desire for peace should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness. The Lahore initiative was misconstrued and India gave a fitting reply. Let that remain the benchmark today and tomorrow", it said.

The resolution on peace initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir said it would strengthen the Government’s hands in its search for peace even while standing by it in fighting all anti-national, terrorist and separatist forces that are bent upon scuttling the latest initiative.

"We reiterate our firm belief that India’s territorial unity and integrity are non-negotiable. No peace can be lasting unless this is taken into account", it said.

Viewing the developments in Jammu and Kashmir after Prime Minister’s announcement of extension of ceasefire as encouraging, the resolution said the people of the State have responded to the initiative whole heartedly.

Various organisations including Hurriyat have endorsed the government’s move and offered dialogue. "There is an air of optimism in Kashmir valley which has suffered grievously for more than a decade due to the blood letting by terrorists armed, aided and trained by Pakistan."

Backing the Government, the resolution said it was true that there had been a decline in overall violence in Jammu and Kashmir largely because the people were tired of being captives in the vicious cycle of violence that terrorism generates.

"At the same time, criminal Pakistan based organisations like Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen have stepped up their activities, as is evident from attacks on army camps in Jammu and Kashmir, the daring attack on Red Fort and the open threats issued by Laskhar to continue its murderous activities including an attack on PMO.

"Government cannot afford to let down its guard against such organisations that continue to enjoy the patronage of the present regime in Islamabad", it said. (PTI)

Militant killed, cop injured in Doda
3 ultras shot dead in Poonch

Excelsior Correspondent

RAJOURI, Jan 5: Three hardcore militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit were gunned down by army at Gali Pindi in Saloonia area of Shahpur under the jurisdiction of Mandi police station in Poonch district this evening.

According to official sources, army was carrying out routine patrolling in Saloonia village on the Line of Control (LoC) when they noticed mysterious movement. Troops saw some suspects trying to escape towards a forest area from the village.

As army personnel asked the militants to surrender, they were fired upon with assault rifles and grenade launchers. Troops retaliated and an exchange of firing followed. Initially, army killed one militant while others escaped deep into a forest area.

Army soldiers strengthened their positions and chased the fleeing militants. Again an encounter ensued in which army shot dead two more militants without suffering any casualty. Two other militants were reported to have escaped during the fierce gun-battle in which both the sides used heavy fire arms.

Bodies of all three slain militants have been recovered from the scene of encounter but not identified so far. All of them were believed to be the activists of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit and Pakistanis.

From the scene of encounter, army recovered two AK-47 rifles, one Chinese missile launchers with two missiles, one 60 mm mortar, ten 60 mm mortar bombs, two magazines and 10 rounds of AK, one Chinese pistol with one magazine, 400 Pika rounds, two hand grenades, 25 anti-tank rifle grenades and Rs 55 in Pakistani currency.

Army continued searches in the area to track down the two absconding militants.

Meanwhile, DIG Rajouri—Poonch Range Mr Ram Lubaya today denied that militants have chopped off ears and nose of 4 Panchayat elections candidates in Surankote.

He said the report was checked with local authorities in Surankote and no such incident was detected.

"The new appeared to be result of a hoax and the same is regretted by newspaper.''

In another incident, troops detected posters of a militants outfit in village Bahalaya in Mandi area, which warned people against participation in the forthcoming Panchayat elections. The posters were removed by security forces and seized.

Our Jammu correspondent adds: a militant was killed and a police constable injured in an encounter at village Handla in Gandoh tehsil of Doda district early this morning.

A patrol party of police retaliated after being fired upon killing a militant on the spot and wounding another. The injured ultra and his two other associates managed their escape from the spot, official sources said, adding a police constable identified as Madan Lal was injured in the exchange of firing.

Later, re-enforcement of army and police also rushed to the spot and launched searches to apprehend the injured militant and his two associates.

Centre not serious: Hurriyat

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: Hurriyat leaders today said the Government did not seem serious about its peace initiative in Kashmir and criticised it for not issuing passports to them even though they had made their intentions very clear about visiting Pakistan for talks with militants outfits and political leaders.

"These are old tactics of Indian bureaucracy. By not giving passports, they are creating difficulties in the way of the peace process," senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone said.

They, however, welcomed Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s recent statement about going "beyond the beaten track" for solving the Kashmir problem saying such a vision was needed on the part of leaders to usher in peace.

Mr Lone told uni the Hurriyat had made its intentions very clear that it wanted to contribute to the peace process. But the Government’s delaying tactics created difficulties.

Referring to the recent reports that four Hurriyat leaders had been given passports he denied that anybody had been issued travel documents. "Such reports are leaked out by the Government and do not help peace initiatives."

He said he had opted out of the team that would be selected for going to Pakistan for talks as he had been there only recently and wanted that some other members should be sent.

Hurriyat chairman Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat while welcoming the Prime Minister’s statement said the Centre should "bend the rules" for issuing them passports.

"You have to break the ice. For breaking ice you have to break a rule. Peace cannot be established in vacuum. You have to go beyond rules."

Leaders of India, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir should put their heads together for ensuring peace in entire South Asian region, he added

Prof Bhat said he had been authorised by the Hurriyat Executive to select a team for going to Pakistan. However, the team could not be constituted yet because passports had not been issued to them. Prof Bhat neither confirmed nor denied reports that the Hurriyat was in indirect touch with some militant groups in Pakistan, as reported in a section of the media.

"We want to talk with anybody and everybody for resolving the Kashmir issue and ensuring lasting peace," he said.

A section of the media yesterday reported that the Hurriyat was in indirect touch with five members of the United Jehad Council in Pakistan - the Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Jaanbaz Force and Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen.

Senior Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Omar Farooq had reportedly confirmed that talks were held over phone.

Refuting the Government’s claim that Hurriyat leaders were yet to apply for passports, Lone said he and Jamat-i-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani had applied for passports on December 13, 1994.

However, while he had been recently given a country-specific passport valid for three months to enable him to attend his son’s wedding in Rawalpindi, Mr Gilani had still not been given the passport.

Whenever we tried to put in a fresh application, we were told that our applications were already pending, he said. "We had thought that the Government was serious. But it appears otherwise," he added.

Prof Bhat said they would try to get the passports while they were in Delhi but made it clear that they had not approached the Government yet and neither had the Government taken any initiative. (UNI)

‘Foreign outfits major hurdle in settlement of Kashmir issue’

ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan has dubbed foreign militant groups as a "major hurdle" in the negotiated settlement of the Kashmir issue, as several other leaders of the area urged militant outfits to support the peace process initiated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

With only ten days left for a Hurriyat Conference delegation to visit Pakistan, the leaders stressed that the conglomerate of 23 separatist outfits be supported by all sections of the Kashmiri people and militant groups.

"We must not miss an opportunity to resolve the issue by engaging ourselves in the discussions," Qayyum Khan, who heads All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, said in a statement, issued from the party’s central secretariat.

Terming Vajpayee’s peace initiative as a "bold step", Qayyum said the "non-Kashmiri militant groups are a major hurdle in the negotiated settlement of the Kashmir issue" and urged Kashmiri militant outfits not to create hindrances in the peace process.

He said the Hurriyat should not insist on permission from India for its entire executive council to travel to Pakistan.

Rather, the Hurriyat should accept even if one leader from its fold is allowed to travel to Pakistan, he said, arguing "let the process be started. Once the dialogues begin, all the relevant people will be included in due course of time." Chief of PoK Jammat-e-Islami and member of Legislative Assembly, Abdur Rashid Turrabi, said all the prominent Kashmiri leaders irrespective of their political ideologies should be allowed to meet each other before any dialogue on the issue.

He urged New Delhi to issue documents to all the Hurriyat Executive Council members to travel to Pakistan and PoK. He favoured inclusion of United Jihad Council in all the future talks on Kashmir.

Former PoK minister and opposition member in Legislative Assembly, Shah Ghulam Qadir, said all organisations should operate under the counseling of Hurriyat Conference to avoid any confusion in the peaceful settlement of Kashmir problem.

Central Information Secretary of the ruling People’s Party and member of PoK Legislative Assembly, Khwaja Farooq Ahmed welcomed the decision of Indian Government to allow Hurriyat leaders to visit Pakistan. (PTI)

Planning Commission finalises J&K plan

Excelsior Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: The annual plan for Jammu and Kashmir for this financial year was today finalised with its outlay fixed at Rs 1750 crore.

This was decided at a meeting of the State Government team with the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Mr K C Pant, here this evening. The Finance Minister, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, who headed the State team, was assisted by Chief Secretary Mr Ashok Jaitly, Principal Secretary Planning, Mr K B Pillai, Principal Secretary Finance Mr J A Khan and the Resident Commissioner, Mr Pankaj Jain.

Mr Pant was assisted by Secretary Planning Commission, Dr N C Saxena and the officers of the Union Finance Ministry.

The detailed discussions on the finalisation of the state's plan had been going on with the Planning Commission for some time without any conclusion.

Today's meeting, however, was purposeful in which, after a detailed discussion, the Planning Commission finally approved the plan for the year 2000-01. The central government has agreed to provide special assistance for meeting the plan.

Mr Rather assured the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission that all efforts would be made to ensure maximisation by the State Government and contain non-plan expenditure. He emphasised that the state's effort at resource mobilization has gone beyond the target particularly in sales and excise taxes. He was hopeful that this will be further improved in coming months.

Mr Pant appreciated the efforts of the State Government and said that the Central Government is committed to provide all possible assistance to Jammu and Kashmir in view of the special circumstances and prevalent situation.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah has welcomed the finalisation of the State plan by the Planning Commission and directed the State administration to ensure fullest implementation of the annual plan in the remaining months.

"Best of luck" Hurriyat leaders

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: Hurriyat Conference today had a well wisher in their known detractor Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on their proposed visit to Pakistan slated later this month to hold talks with militant leaders.

"I wish them best of luck for their proposed visit to Pakistan," Abdullah told reporters at a press conference organised by Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia.

"I also wish them best of luck even if they do not go," the Chief Minister quipped.

Asked whether all Hurriyat leaders should be given passports to travel to Pakistan, Abdullah said "I am not going to open my mouth and put everything in jeopardy."

However, he said "why only Pakistan, they should be allowed to travel everywhere they want to so that people, whom they consider as their sympathisers, would tear off their clothes for their misdeeds in only helping to ruin Kashmir."

Asked about credibility of Hurriyat leaders, he said "they are representatives without any constituency or following." (PTI)

Troops pull-back complete: Pak

ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: Pakistan said today it had completed a partial troop pullback along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir which was aimed at easing tensions with India.

But a military spokesman declined to give the number of troops moved to garrisons from their forward positions along the LoC after India extended a unilateral ceasefire against separatist Kashmiri militants for another month.

"It has been completed," Major-General Rashid Qureshi told a news conference about the troop pullback which the army announced on December 20.

The move was one of the confidence-building steps taken by both India and Pakistan in recent weeks leading to a relative calm in the usually tense region.

The Pakistani military government’s National Security Council yesterday reviewed what it called "the general security situation in the region" with special focus on Kashmir.

A Government statement said the Council headed by military ruler General Pervez Musharraf also discussed a planned trip to Pakistan in mid-January by a delegation of the Kashmiri separatist alliance, All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) for talks with Pakistani officials and militant groups based here.

It said the Council "expressed optimism that their visit would lend impetus to a tripartite dialogue process on the issue of Kashmir". (REUTERS)

6 hostages released

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 5: Four civilians kidnapped by militants from Ari in Mandi area of Poonch district on Wednesday night were released by their captors in the wee hours today and returned to their houses this afternoon.

DIG Rajouri-Poonch Ram Lubaya said all released persons were safe and sound.

Similarly, he said, two civilians abducted by militants from Shahdhara Sharief in Rajouri, have also returned today.

Pak visit in jeopardy : Lone

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: Senior Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Ghani Lone tonight said the proposed visit of its delegation to Pakistan would be in jeopardy if the passports of all the seven executive council members were not issued.

"So far as I am concerned, not," he said when asked specifically if the trip would be on if the Government did not release travel documents to all the seven members.

"If passports are not issued to all the executive council members, how can the (Hurriyat) chairman (Abdul Ghani Bhat) nominate members who will go and who will not. That is the biggest problem," Lone told Star News.

He also ruled out any role for foreign militants in the political settlement of the Kashmir issue.

On the proposed trip to Pakistan, he said the delegation would talk to the Pakistani Government, opposition leaders as well as militant leadership.

Meanwhile, another senior Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik claimed that the Pakistan-based United Jehad Council, a conglomerate of 15 militant organisations, had not set any condition over the constitution of the delegation that would visit Pakistan on January 15.

"We are in touch with the United Jehad Council. They only want that the delegation should be decided by the Hurriyat," Malik said.

"There is no other condition from their side" on the issue, Malik said when he was asked about the insistence by some sections of the separatists that Syed Ali Shah Geelani, considered a hardliner, be included in the team. (PTI)

CM meets PM

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah tonight met Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and briefed him about the situation in the State, especially after announcement of ceasefire.

During the half-an-hour meeting, Abdullah also discussed developmental issues with the Prime Minister.

"We discussed all issues including the security related things which were important as violence by militants is continuing," Abdullah told PTI.

He also thanked Prime Minister for clearing Rs 1,750 crore plan expenditure for the State.

Prior to the meeting, the Chief Minister met Union Home Minister L K Advani and discussed with him the security scenario in the State.

He also apprised the Home Minister about building of bunkers in the State. (PTI)

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