Yatris continue day long protest
Amarnath pilgrims again lathicharged

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 9: Police again resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse the protesting Amarnath bound yatris for disrupting movement of traffic at busy Tawi bridge and Dogra Chowk this evening.

The Yatris including men, women and Sahdus continued their day long protest today also demanding the resuming of fresh registration blocked the Tawi Bridge after there was no response to their demand from the administration’s side. The traffic on this road was suspended for over half an hour as the protesting Yatris who were not more than two scores did not allow even a two wheeler to pass.

The trouble began when a motor cyclist and his pillion rider and some Maruti borne persons entered into a verbal duel with the yatris asking them to allow their vehicle to move. As the heated exchanges ensued between them the police taking the opportunity physically dragged the protesting pilgrims to side for restoring the traffic on the road.

However, the yatris showing resistance gathered again to block the road shouting slogans "Lathi Goli Khaaien Gay, Amar Nath Jaayein Gay" ( We will face bullets and sticks but go for Amarnath pilgrimage).

When the protesting yatris did not agree to lift the blockade on the repeated insistence of the police, the latter used mild lathicharge to disperse them. Some of the protesting pilgrims were dragged from the spot by the police again.

Though the demonstrators dispersed but they again assembled at Rambereshwar Chowk and blocked the road for over two hours there resulting in the suspension of traffic in the walled city. The demonstrators shouted slogans against the Government. They warned that the road blockade will only be lifted after the Government resumes the registration.

To register their protest against the Government’s what the stranded yatris termed as discriminatory move one coffin clad pilgrim laid in front of the Ranbereshwar Temple posing dead for one hour. A large number of pilgrims gathered round him shouting slogans against the administration.

Earlier over two hundred yatris including women and Sadhus held a demonstration at Vivekananda Chowk and blocked traffic there. Later they took out a peaceful procession upto Dogra Chowk.

But soon it reached near the Press Club, the police used mild canecharge to disperse them. Though the protestants dispersed for some time later reassembled near PHE Office at Company Bagh and blocked the road for half an hour.

The road blockade was lifted only after the Dy SP, Mr Bhupinder Singh assured them that he will contact the Deputy Commissioner and apprise him of the matter. But when this yielded no results , a group of yatris again reassembled at Tawi Bridge and blocked it for half an hour.

Though the yatris continued the demonstrations from 4pm till late in the evening but no body from the administration side bothered to talk to them despite the assurances of the police to the protesting pilgrims that Deputy Commissioner Jammu will soon visit the spot and discuss the issue with them.

Expressing his total displeasure over the tackling of the Amarnath pilgrimage by the State Government, Mr Khem Chand, organising secretary, VHP for J&K and Himachal Prant warned that the Jammu people will also come on roads in support of the yatris demand in case the registration was not resumed immediately.

He said the Government should not take the silence maintained by the people of the regions for granted. "They (people of Jammu) have maintained silence because they do not want to breach the peace in the City, otherwise they would have since come on roads", he added.

He said the stranded yatris have taken to streets demanding opening of registration and there is no clear cut reply from the administration.

It is a pity and shame that after opening registration for the two days the Government closed it exposing the yatris to odd situation here, he alleged.

What is the problem in sending more five vehicles when they can send 50 vehicles for duration, he said, adding, the manner in which the Government is tackling the situation indicates it intends to decrease the yatra.

He wanted to know why such curbs are on the Hindu pilgrimages and not on Muslims and demanded that the Government should allow every yatri to perform the pilgrimage.

He alleged the step taken by the Government is a straight violation of the fundamental rights of Hindus saying the advance registration procedure was cumbersome as it was totally difficult for a person from Nagpur to visit Mumbai for registration.

Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 3,677 pilgrims including 2,975 males, 557 females, 43 children and 102 Sadhus left the M A Stadium Base Camp for the Nunwan today in a cavalcade of 199 vehicles.

An official handout from Srinagar said that influx of Yatris has swelled to 44,205 with another batch of pilgrims reaching Pahalgam and Baltal from Jammu today.

It said nearly 35,700 yatris have had the darshan of Shiv Lingam at the Cave Shrine till this morning and about 30,000 have returned to their respective homes after performing the darshan till date.

A yatri Vishvanath Rao son of Rajan Shastri of Dayanand Nagar, Hyderabad aged 70 passed away due to cardiac arrest after performing darshan at Cave shrine. With this the death toll has risen to seven.

Parents of PGI Superintendent murdered in Trikuta Nagar

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 8: An old couple, who were parents of PGI Medical Superintendent Dr Anil Gupta, were found murdered under mysterious circumstances in their house at Sector No. 6 in Trikuta Nagar late this evening.

Initially, police believed that double murder might have been committed for the purpose of dacoity but ‘circumstantial evidences’ gathered by police officers after two hours long inspection of the house late tonight didn’t confirm a dacoity attempt or any other reason behind the gruesome and sensational killings.

Deceased Dr Uttam Chand Gupta, about 72, a retired Professor of Ayurvedic College of Jammu and his wife Kamla Devi Gupta, about 66, were living alone in their house in Sector No. 6 of Trikuta Nagar as their two sons including Dr Anil Gupta and Rajesh Gupta, an Engineer in Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) were posted outside.

DIG Jammu-Kathua range Dr S P Vaid said throats of the couple had been slit with a sharp-edged weapon by unidentified assailants. Exact timing of the crime couldn’t be ascertained immediately but it was said to be between 1400 hours to 1900 hours.

A stunned Dr Anil Gupta told EXCELSIOR and police on his arrival in the house that he talked to his parents on mobile telephone at about 1315 hours from his car somewhere near Chandigarh and told them that he was on way to Jammu and will reach the house by 1900 hours. "By then, my parents were alright", he said.

According to police, Dr U C Gupta informed his son-in-law about the arrival of Dr Anil Gupta by this evening and sought the help of his servant for purchasing cheese from the market. The servant delivered cheese in the house at about 1400 hours and went back.

Dr Anil Gupta reached the house at about 1915 hours and found doors of the house closed. As no response came from inside after repeated running of the bell, Dr Gupta went inside from a back door only to see dead bodies of his father and mother lying in two separate but adjoining rooms.

Body of Kamala Devi Gupta had been covered with a white chadar while the body of Dr Uttam Chand Gupta was lying open. Both were in pool of blood, police said, adding bodies also had marks of injuries on face and head.

Throats of the couple had been slit with a sharp-edged weapon resulting into their death.

Besides DIG Jammu Dr S P Vaid, SSP Jammu Rashmi Ranjan Swain, SP South J L Sharma, SDPO East Sanjay Sharma and SHO Trikuta Nagar Shamsher Singh Parihar rushed to the house soon after getting a report of the crime.

Police said a ‘darat’ (weapon) was recovered from under a bed sheet of the room but it had no marks of blood, which indicated that it hadn’t been used in the offence. The weapon used in slitting the throats of couple was stated to be a sharp-edged.

According to a police officer, only one almirah of the house had been broken while all other almirahs and their safe were intact. Even most of the goods inside broken almirah were intact, they said but didn’t rule out the possibility of some costlier goods having been stolen from the almirah.

"Nothing can be said as of now when investigations were at a preliminary stage. Things would be slightly clear by late tomorrow afternoon", one of the investigating officer said. He was of the view that had dacoits struck in the house they would have definitely attempted to break other almirahs and safe of the house. No window or door of the house was found broken. Police officers remained in the house for more than two hours investigating all aspects of the crime. Dog Squads and Forensic experts were also called to the house for investigations.

Neighbours of the couple said they didn’t hear any sound from the house. Servant of couple’s son-in-law, who had gone to the house to deliver the cheese, told police that two persons (both male) were sitting in the house at that time and were inspecting first floor of the house for taking it on rent.

Besides, Dr Uttam Chand Gupta was also a regular private practitioner of Ayurvedic treatment. A number of people including some labourers from Orissa and Bihar, putting up around Trikuta Nagar, were among the patients of Dr Gupta. Majority of them knew that Gupta couple was living alone in the house as their both sons were settled outside and used to visit Jammu occasionally. Hectic investigations in the case were on till late tonight. A double murder case has been registered at Trikuta Nagar police station but no arrest has been made so far.

Meanwhile, a family member said, the couple would be cremated at 12 noon on Monday at Shastri Nagar cremation ground.

3 jawans, 2 civilians injured
5 LeT militants, 2 jawans killed in Surankot; 5 hurt

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 9: Five foreign mercenaries of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit and two army jawans were killed while three soldiers and two civilians were seriously injured in a fierce gun-fighting in Kacharwara dhok of Surankot this afternoon. Two civilians were killed while an ex-serviceman was kidnapped by the militants in other incidents in Poonch.

Another militant was killed by army in Marmat area of Doda this evening.

Official sources here said army and Poonch police launched a joint search operation in Kacharwara dhok of Surankot tehsil at 1330 hours today after an information of militants presence was developed by local police.

Troops and police personnel identified the hideout of militants and stormed it but had to meet with stiff resistance from the hiding ultras. Three militants were eliminated within five minutes of the joint operation while two others managed to jump out of the hideout and fled away.

The fleeing militants were chased by army and police personnel and gunned down in a forest area at 1600 hours.

In the exchange of firing, two army jawans sacrificed their lives but not before eliminating five hardcore mercenaries. Three other jawans were injured and have been hospitalised. Two civilians were also trapped in exchange of firing and got injured.

Identity of killed or injured jawans and civilians couldn’t be gathered immediately.

Bodies of all five militants were recovered from the scene of encounter but hadn’t been identified so far. All of them were Pakistanis affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit.

Recovery made from their possession included four AK-56 rifles, one pistol, one rifle grenade, one UBGL, 11 UBGL grenades, 25 gms ‘hafeem’, 11 magazines and 251 rounds of AK-47 rifles, two magazines and 20 rounds of pistol.

Another foreign mercenary was gunned down by army at Bihota in Marmat area of Doda district this evening. Identity of the militant has not been established. One AK rifle and ammunition was recovered from his possession.

Meanwhile, unidentified militants last night gunned down a civilian Mohd Rafiq son of Lal Hussain after keeping him hostage for sometime in village Kasbrari of Mendhar tehsil.

Reports said Rafiq was kidnapped by the militants from his house by a group of four militants and taken to an adjoining forest area where he was shot dead. Body of the deceased was recovered from the forests this morning.

Another civilian Mushtaq Ahmed son of Nizam Din R/o Khanetar, Poonch, who had been kidnapped by the militants on the intervening night of July 1 and 2, was also found dead in Sailan forest area this morning. While kidnapping Mushtaq Ahmed, the militants had eliminated his brother Ishaq Khan and bhabi Tasveer Jan.

Body of Mushtaq Ahmed bore the marks of torture and two gun shots. Body was handed over by police to Mushtaq’s family members this afternoon after post-mortem.

Local people had protested the killing of couple Ishaq Ahmed and Tasveer Jan by the militants. Again this morning, when the body of Mushtaq Ahmed reached the house, local people held a demonstration.

A retired Havildar of army Mohd Sharief son of Haji Abdul Aziz was kidnapped by the militants from his house at village Bera near Morha Pindu in Mendhar tehsil last night.

Whereabouts of the ex-serviceman remained uncertain, reports said.

No breakthrough but police gets clues in double murder

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 9: Describing yesterday’s double murder of PGI Medical Superintendent Dr Anil Gupta’s parents in their house at Trikuta Nagar as ‘blind’, police this evening said it was still trying to get a breakthrough in the case.

‘So far, no vital clue has emerged during the investigations but a team of police officials was on the job. We hope to work out the case as early as possible", a senior police officer said.

The only information that could be gathered from the house last night was that a long sharp-edged weapon (atleast measuring one and a half feet in length) had been used in committing the crime. Blood on the weapon had been cleaned with a mattress on the bed from where the experts have worked out approximated length of the weapon.

Going by the extent of injuries, the weapon appeared to be a double edged, police said, adding exact nature of the weapon was yet to be established.

SP City (South) J L Sharma, SDPO East Sanjay Sharma and SHO Trikuta Nagar police station Shamsher Singh Parihar visited the house of deceased couple—Dr Uttam Chand Gupta and Kamla Gupta—this evening after the family was free from cremation.

Police officers thoroughly inspected the house and also obtained the view point of family members. Though police was not ruling out the possibility of a dacoity attempt leading to the killings, there appeared to be a very distinct possibility of this as the murders were committed in a most vindictive and revengeful manner.

"Dacoits would have simply tied down the old couple and escaped with cash and jewellery. But, this was not the scene in the house as some almirahs and lockers were intact. Even, no attempt had been made to break them", police said, adding that dacoits would have preferred to loot goods instead of using their time in giving a white ‘chadar’ on the dead body of Kamla Gupta.

According to doctors in Medical College, who conducted post-mortem, Kamla Gupta had less injuries as compared to Dr Uttam Chand Gupta. "The old woman might have tried to intervene in the scuffle between her husband and the killers and was killed in the process", police said referring to less injuries on the woman. Laying of ‘chadar’ on woman’s body also indicated that killers had some sort of respect for her, police said.

Dr UC Gupta had serious injuries on head and face. Throats of the couple were slit by the criminals resulting into their instant death.

Meanwhile, the couple were cremated at Shastri Nagar cremation ground at 12.30 PM today. A large number of people including all leading doctors of Jammu joined the cremation and extended their condolences to Dr Anil Gupta. A number of senior police officers were also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, police have picked up a number of labourers, putting up in surrounding areas of Trikuta Nagar for questioning in the sensational double murder. Police was not ruling out the involvement of some labourers in the killing as some of them used to visit Dr U C Gupta, who was an ayurvedic practitioner.

Don't create stumbling blocks in success
of summit: Farooq

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR July 9: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today warned against creating stumbling blocks in the success of forthcoming Indo-Pak summit, saying that the peoples of the two countries have pinned many hopes with it for lasting peace in the region.

In an interview with Doordarshan, on his arrival from New Delhi after 5-week tour abroad, here this afternoon, the Chief Minister expressed optimism about good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan if the summit takes off well.

When asked about meeting of APHC with the visiting Pak President, the Chief Minister said that it would not matter. ‘They have been meeting Pak representatives’ everyday. There is hardly any need for undue attention to it, as focus on this issue will detract us from the larger objective of peace’, Dr Abdullah said and declared: ‘Intention of all of us is that of peace’.

He asserted that there is no role for parties of Jammu and Kashmir in the summit as it is being held between General Musharraf and Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee- the representatives of the two nations. Mr Vajpayee, he said, represents over a billion Indians including the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He does not represent any particular region or population alone, the Chief Minister said, asking that where is a role for Kashmiri leaders therefore.

On prospectus of the summit, Dr Abdullah said that the ‘disease’ of 54 years cannot be expected to disappear in one go, but a good start will herald a process for normalization of relations between the two countries. The mistrust between the peoples of the two nations is to be removed and propaganda eschewed, he said and hoped this would be achieved during the summit.

When asked about any change in the ground realities in the wake of trans-border terrorism, the Chief Minister said the change would appear only after General Musharraf strongly feels to stop it. A great opportunity has come in his way to stop insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. The continuing trans-border terrorism will not ease tension between India and Pakistan, he said and hoped that the Prime Minister will take it up with the visiting President,

To a question, he said the National Conference shares the perception of national parties about restoration of peace in the region. ‘Everybody is for giving a chance to peace’, he asserted.

Dr Abdullah said that he has discussed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir with the Prime Minister in New Delhi and wished him success in his ambition of heralding peace in the region.

On his arrival at Srinagar, the Chief Minister held meetings with his ministerial colleagues and senior officers.

KPs meet PM, seek compensation from Pak

NEW DELHI, July 9: Kashmiri Pandits today urged Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to demand compensation from Pakistan for the plight undergone by the community due to cross-border terrorism sponsored by Islamabad and insisted on their involvement as "a natural party" in any settlement of the Kashmir issue.

A delegation of Joint Working Council (JWC), a conglomerate of Panun Kashmir and Panun Kashmir Movement organisations of Kashmiri Pandits, during a meeting with the Prime Minister also urged him to ask Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf to allow access to Kashmiri Pandits to Sharda Peeth temple in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The nine-member delegation, which met Vajpayee to urge him to raise the issues concerning them at the coming summit, said almost the entire population of 3.5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits, a minority community of Kashmir valley, was forced out of their homes in 1990 due to terrorism sponsored by Pakistan.

"Pakistan has connived at our extirpation from our homeland. Contravening the international law, this act constitutes international crime against humanity. Therefore, the state of India reserves the right to ask for reparation from the defaulting country for the Kashmiri Pandits now living away from their homes as refugees for the last 12 years," the delegation, led by Agnishekhar, told Vajpayee.

The Prime Minister was reminded that the community had been subjected to "genocide" in 1989-90 "followed by our ethnic-religious cleansing from our 10,000-year-old place of habitation, a fact recognised by international community as well as the Government of India," Agnishekhar told reporters after the meeting.

"The purpose of forcing out the Hindu minority is to Islamise Kashmir and establish Islamic theocratic dispensation in place of secular democracy," the delegation, which also included Panun Kashmir Movement leader Ashwani Chrungoo, Daya Kishan Kaul, Ramesh Manvati and Yuvraj Raina, told Vajpayee.

The Prime Minister was also urged to ask Musharraf to allow annual Yatra to Sharda temple in PoK on the pattern of pilgrimages to Nankana Sahib and Kailash Mansarovar, Agnishekhar said.

Agnishekhar stressed that creation of separate homeland for Kashmiri Pandits with Union Territory status within the Kashmir valley was the "only permanent, realistic and viable solution in regard to our settlement in Kashmir valley."

On the settlement of the Kashmir issue, the JWC leaders said involvement of Kashmiri Pandits in the process is "inevitable, given the fact that we are the indigenous inhabitants of the Valley of Kashmir and have unfailing secular, democratic and tolerant credentials."

"We represent the free flow of Indian Constitution in Kashmir unlike Hurriyat Conference which negates it," Agnishekhar said.

"We are the natural party to the Kashmir issue and must be involved at every level of the negotiating process," Chrungoo said.

Agnishekhar said the Prime Minister assured the delegation that he would consider their views. "He gave us hope," he said when asked whether Vajpayee had made any promises on their demands.

Earlier, the Kashmiri Pandits, as part of a process to press for raising of the issues concerning them at the summit, met leaders of Samajwadi Party and CPI. (PTI)

India to discuss Gurdwara control with Pakistan

NEW DELHI, July 9: Shiromani Akali Dal secretary-general and Union Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa today said India would take up at the coming summit-meeting with Pakistan the issue of the control of the historical Gurdwaras in that country.

"External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh has said the Gurdwara control issue would be taken up with Pakistan," Mr Dhindsa told UNI after a three-hour all-party meeting here.

The Pakistani Government decided to establish the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) on April 14, 1999, stripping the SGPC of its control of Sikh shrines in Pakistan, the cradle of the faith.

Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in Pakistan commemorates the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib on the banks of the river Ravi is one of the other holiest shrines in that country.

Bibi Jagir Kaur, when she was heading the SGPC, had banned Sikh pilgrimage to Pakistan in protest against the creation of the PGPC. However, the present president of the SGPC, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, allowed resumption of religious tours to Pakistan.

Mr Dhindsa had stated last week that his party would request Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to ask President Pervez Musharraf for the dissolution of the Pakistani management of Sikh shrines and reverting their control to the SGPC.

"The SGPC has been the traditional controllers of historical Sikh shrines both in India and abroad, and Pakistan should respect its religious authority," Mr Dhindsa said.

Mr Dhindsa said his party had also called for a discussion on Indian Punjabi youths jailed in Pakistan. "I have some information that some Punjabi youths have recently been sent from Italy to Pakistan, where they are in jail now", he said.

He said his party favoured a direct bus service between Amritsar and Lahore, similar to the one between Delhi and Lahore.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, he said, had extended all support to the coming summit-meeting between Mr Vajpayee and Gen Musharraf. "We always welcome peace initiatives between India and Pakistan," he said.

Regarding the controversial "tea party" at the Pakistan High Commission, Mr Dhindsa said he had received no invitation to the party so far.

But he said he was not in favour of attending the party if it was also attended by Hurriyat leaders. (UNI)

Farooq, PoK PM favour inter-action

NEW DELHI, July 9: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and the "newly-elected Prime Minister" of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) have strongly favoured frequent interaction between the people and leaders of India and Pakistan to lessen tension in the region.

"We need more such interaction between the two people" and the leaders to usher in an era of peace and goodwill, the two leaders said in a television programme.

Dr Abdullah said "if people from across the border are allowed to come to India and see the conditions themselves, they will realise that the conditions in Kashmir are not as horrible as described by the Pakistani media."

Sardar Qayoom said "it will be a great opportunity for both people if they are allowed to meet each other and understand each other better."

This is the first time that the two leaders from opposite sides face each other since they met last time in Brussels in 1993. Both leaders fielded questions by people from many countries including India and Pakistan.

Both leaders discussed their expectations from the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit this weekend. (UNI)

Tanker seized driver held

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 9: Kud police have seized a petrol tanker and arrested its driver while unloading army quota petrol at a private outlet in Kud last night.

Tanker No. 8545 JK02P has been seized and its driver Tulsi Ram of Jandrah arrested by police.

Reports said the tanker had gone to Kishtwar with 8000 litres of petrol for army supply. It unloaded 4000 litres of petrol in Kishtwar. Remaining 4000 litres of petrol was being unloaded in Kud.

A Kud police station party led by SHO Kamal Sangra seized the tanker. Investigations in the case were on.

Patnaik drops 3 Ministers

BHUBANESWAR, July 9: In a sudden and significant political development, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today dropped three prominent ministers from his Council of Ministers.

Those dropped are Works and Housing Minister Nalinikanta Mohanty who is also the working president of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Kamala Das and Minister of State for Higher Education and Rural Development Prasanta Nanda.

Das and Nanda belonged to the BJD and BJP respectively.

This is the first time that Patnaik, who is the BJD chief, had made any alteration to his 16-month-old coalition Government after coming to power in March 2000.

A cryptic statement issued by the Chief Minister’s office said Governor M M Rajendran removed the three ministers from the Council of Ministers on the advice of the Chief Minister.

The portfolios of the three ministers would now be held by the Chief Minister, it said.

No reason was given for the removal of the three ministers.

The three dropped ministers were yet to react to their removal from the ministry.

Mohanty, a veteran politician who has been elected from the Rajnagar assembly constituency for the last six times in-a-row since 1977, was a minister in the erstwhile Biju Patnaik Government between 1990-95.

Das, also a former minister in the Biju Patnaik Government, was elevated to the Cabinet status in the BJD-BJP Government. She also held the Department of Women and Child Development.

Nanda, matinee-idol turned politician, was a first time minister after being elected to the assembly on a BJP ticket. (PTI)

JKLF opposes division of J&K

NEW DELHI, July 9: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (Amanullah group) leader Haider Hijazi today warned that a division of the State in any manner would lead to bloodshed, mass-migration and communal disturbances reminiscent of the partition.

"The division of the State will invite a catastrophe for the sub-continent," Dr Hijazi, who is also the convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Quami Mushawarti Council (JKQMC), said in a statement.

Suggesting unification of the divided entity into an independent country having friendly relations with both India and Pakistan, Dr Hijazi said the move will usher in an era of peace in South Asia.

He said the independent country will have a democratic, federal and non-communal system of Government and both India and Pakistan need to guarantee non-interference in the internal and security affairs of Kashmir, which, in return, will not allow its soil to be used against any country.

In identical letters to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the JKLF leader expressed the hope that the two leaders would demonstrate statesmanship, wisdom and far-sightedness in finding a lasting solution to the 53-year-old Kashmir issue.

Dr Hijazi said the issue could neither be resolved through bilateral negotiations nor against the wishes and aspirations of the people of the troubled State.

He said a nuclear war could break out between the two countries if the Kashmir issue was not solved immediately.

Dr Hijazi had recently called the Hurriyat leaders as "parrots of Pakistan" and termed the seven members of the executive committee a "bunch of jokers". (UNI)

VHP plea to Advani

NEW DELHI, July 9: The Vishwa Hindu Parishd (VHP) today urged Home Minister L K Advani to impress upon the Jammu and Kashmir Government to let Amarnath Yatris, who have reached Jammu and wish to undertake the pilgrimage, go to the cave shrine.

Addressing a press conference, senior VHP leader Acharya Giriraj Kishore criticised the State Government for allegedly ‘ill treating’ the pilgrims. "The Amarnath Yatris are being misguided, discouraged and being told to visit other shrines in the State."

Every Hindu has a right to undertake Amarnath pilgrimage and the Government should not come in its way. It should instead make his visit smooth, the VHP vice-president said, adding that the State Government officials were not registering the pilgrims.

Acharya Kishore said denial to these people to undertake the pilgrimage was causing a lot of anger among the Hindus. (UNI)

Cops beaten-up by people

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 9: Two police jawans were attacked and mercilessly beaten-up by people in Narwal late last night. Condition of one of the police constable, who has been identified as Sher Mohd, was critical. He has been put on artificial respiratory system in KHN hospital.

Police said the constables, on night patrol duty in Narwal, objected to the late opening of a tailor shop owned by Sham Lal. Both sides had heated arguments after which Sham Lal, his wife and another person attacked the cops.

Trio used an iron pipe and stones in attacking the cops, causing serious head injuries to both.

A police party later reached the spot and shifted the injured cops—Sher Mohd and Ashok Kumar, SPO to Medical College. Sher Mohd was later referred to KHN hospital, where he was put on artificial respiratory system.

Ashok Kumar was stable.

Police have arrested Sham Lal and his wife and registered a case against them.

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