Farooq wants PM to talk terrorism to Musharraf

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, July 13: Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today hoped that Prime Minister Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee will forcefully take up the issue of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan President General Parvez Musharraf during Agra summit.

Answering questions of media persons, after paying floral tributes to 1931 martyrs at Mazar-e-Shohda in down town here this morning, the Chief Minister said the State has been worst hit by over a decade long militancy and the people now want peace and an end to gun culture.

When asked to comment on the statement of the Minister for External Affairs at New Delhi yesterday, the Chief Minister said the position of Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India would never change. ‘Let it be clear that even after millions of talks, we will continue to be part of India’, he replied.

He dismissed the proposition of anyone from Jammu and Kashmir having any role in the summit with Pakistan, saying that the Prime Minister is representing the whole nation. He said neither he nor Hurriyat had any role in it and reiterated that he would not be bothered if APHC leaders meet General Musharraf. ‘They are welcome to go there, take a cup of tea and have money as usual’, he said.

On the outcome of the summit, Dr Farooq Abdullah, while wishing it a success, said the people must appreciate that both Prime Minister Mr. Vajpayee and President General Musharraf have many difficulties but ultimately friendship alone would be a lasting solution to problems.

When asked what he would be suggesting about the solution, the Chief Minister said that solutions are not given as these have to be evolved. The continuous process of dialogue is necessary for sorting out problems, he said, hoping that progress in the talks will eventually lead to solution. Tension between the neighbours has brought devastation in the two countries and normalization of relations is a key to progress and prosperity, he added.

Earlier, addressing a large gathering at Mazar-e-Shohda, after offering fateh and paying floral tributes to 1931 martyrs, the Chief Minister wished success to Agra summit and asked people not to get disappointed if enough breakthrough is not achieved during the first meeting between Prime Minister Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee and President General Musharraf.

The Chief Minister said the historic summit is taking off tomorrow and all eyes in the world, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir are towards it. ‘We wish the efforts to succeed as we are the worst sufferers of the situation’, he said.

Enumerating the miseries brought by gun during past 12 years, the Chief Minister said it shattered families, rendering many orphans and widows. In several cases, lone bread-earners of the families perished in mine-blasts and grenade attacks. What is the fault of those vendors, cart pullers and labourers who in a bid to earn their livelihood become targets of militant violence, he asked and referred to the killing of Mr. Nazir Ahmed Sofi at Pattan yesterday. He said that his only fault was to be a relative of a politician.

Dr Abdullah said the State is confronted with many problems and earnest endeavours are being made to steer it to the new vistas of progress and prosperity. For development, peace is imperative, he said, regretting that some elements were bent upon creating hurdles in the process of progress and development by resorting to anti-people activities.

Paying rich tributes to 1931 martyrs, the Chief Minister said it is because of their sacrifices that the people of the State got self-rule and right to take decision about their destiny. The people of the State have suffered immensely in successive tyrannical rule. The founding fathers of the freedom movement gave many sacrifices for achieving the goal of Naya Kashmir. ‘Let us work for a peaceful Jammu and Kashmir’, he said.

Earlier, Dr Abdullah and his ministerial colleagues, National Conference leaders and the people offered fateh and paid floral tributes at the Mazar-e-Shohda. A smartly attired police contingent presented salute and reversed arms as a mark of respect to the martyrs who laid down their lives in 1931.

Chairman, Legislative Council, Mr. Abdul Rashid Dar, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah, Minister for Industries and Commerce, Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal, Minister for Finance, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Education, Mr Abdul Qayum, Minister for Works, Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar, Minister for Agriculture, Choudhry Mohammad Ramzan, Minister for Forests, Peerzada Ghulam Ahmed Shah and Minister of State for Works, Mr Qamar Ali Akhoon also offered fateh and showered flowers at the grave yard.

Secretary general National Conference, Sheikh Nazir Ahmed, legislators and several leaders of National Conference besides a large number of people were also present. They offered fateh and paid floral tributes to martyrs.

A large number of people kept thronging to the historic Mazar-e-Shahda to offer fateh and shower flowers at the grave-yard.

Mishra's report to decide fate of new BJP chief

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 13: The fate of new Bharatiya Janata Party president in the Jammu and Kashmir is going to be decided by the Party High Command on the report of All India Party vice-president Mr Kailashpati Mishra who left for the Union capital last evening after two-day discussion with party leaders and holding series of meetings with all the groups within the party, the two MPs and the legislators here.

The visit of Mr Mishra accompanied by Party secretary and incharge J&K affairs, Mr O P Kohli has great significance as both the senior leaders were reportedly assigned by the Party president Mr Jana Krishnamurthy to resolve the organisational matters and internal bickerings within the party leadership in J&K over the issue of head of the State unit here. The eyes of all the Pradesh leaders of the Party are now set on the crucial report and the accessment drawn by Mr Mishra and Mr Kohli which is being handed over to the Party president in the Union capital today.

Both the Central leaders listened to the complaints, suggestions and other issues pertaining to the organisation from various groups and individuals. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Minister Prof Chaman Lal Gupta who represents Kathua-Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha constituency and MP Vaid Vishnu Dutt from Jammu-Poonch constituency also met Mr Mishra alongwith their supporters and presented their view point on the leadership issue in J&K separately.

The party sources said that issue of controversy aroused over the suspension of State Working Committee member-Rajiv Chuni by the party president J&K, Mr Daya Krishan Kotwal over alleged indiscipline by the member also came for discussion during meetings. The group of 28 dissident executive committee members exerting pressure on Mr Kotwal to revoke suspension order, presented their viewpoint before the senior Central leaders and termed the expulsion as unjustified.

The issue of a weak Party leadership in the State Legislative Assembly was also presented by certain groups before Mr Mishra and sought replacement of Lala Shiv Charan Gupta. Out of the eight Party MLAs in the State, six of them excluding Choudhary Chuni Lal and Prithvi Chand met Mishra in a group. It was stressed to save the party from disintegration, groupism and resolving the long pending organisational issues in the State.

The Party spokesman Prof Nirmal Singh, however, when contacted said that disciplinary action against Mr Chunni was taken by the Party president for giving certain objectionable statements to press during a press conference recently. The president, who has appointed any member has the power to take action against him/ her if he or she creates indiscipline in the Party.

Prof Singh further maintained that Mr Chunni has been removed as member State Working Committee and not from the primary membership of the Party. A show cause notice has been served on him and after a reply is received from him, the disciplinary action committee may decide about any action. It is not the only case with him alone.

When asked who are the strong contenders for the post of president of the Party in J&K, Prof Singh said, " It would be unfair to nominate any person. Every group, district units, constituents and even individuals have presented their view point on the leadership issue. It is upto the Party High Command to decide about the Party chief."

In response to yet another question, the BJP spokesman said that there is no time frame assured by the Central leaders for resolving the leadership issue or holding elections in J&K but the indications from the Union Capital suggest that Party High Command is interested to settle the issue at the earliest. It can not be said whether new face would come or the old faces would be repeated.

State vice-president of the Party Mr Chander Mohan said that majority of the party activists are in favour of elections and donot support the theory of a consensus candidate. He opined that with the coming of elected candidate, it is hoped that internal problems will be resolved and party would get strengthened. Replying to a question he said that election process is likely to be started in coming two-three weeks and if the things went smooth, the party would have new elected president within two months. The Party high command is also interested to hold elections here as early as possible and Mr Mishra has definitely drawn some conclusion from the meetings held at Circuit House Jammu on Wednesday and Thursday. The Pradesh leaders have great expectations from this crucial meeting and those in the race for the berth are keeping the fingers crossed over the outcome of the developments ahead of this meet.

'India, Pakistan should accord priority to make restraint'

HYDERABAD, July 13: On the eve of the much-hyped summit meeting between Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Gen K V Krishna Rao today said both the countries should accord priority to arrive at an agreement on nuclear restraint as it was much more important than the Kashmir imbroglio.

In a chat with UNI here, Gen Rao, who was the longest serving Governor of the troubled State, said arriving at an agreement on nuclear restraint with adequate controls was of "utmost importance" in the present circumstances.

He said since India had announced that it would not use nuclear weapon first, a similar statement of restraint was also expected from Pakistan. Pakistan considered nuclear weapons as part of its strategy to deal with India. "Pakistan is sadly mistaken if it thought that it could get Kashmir by using nuclear weapons. If it did so, the retribution from India would be tremendous", he added.

Pointing out that no country had used nuclear weapons against any other country after the disastrous Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings during the second world war, the former army chief said Pakistan should realise the gravity of using nuclear weapons and come out with a statement of restraint.

Welcoming the Agra summit, Gen Rao, however, said the two sides have conflicting requirements — Pakistan harping Kashmir as the core issue and India considering the two-nation theory advocated by Islamabad as the real core problem. "Just because Kashmir has a Muslim majority, Pakistan wants all Muslim dominated areas of J&K, which was unacceptable to India," he added.

Stating that Kashmir was not the sole problem, he said there was a school of thought which felt there could not be a lasting peace between the two neighbours even if the Kashmir imbroglio was solved since Pakistan considered a ‘strong India’ a constant threat to its security and would persist in fragmenting India. ‘Even if Kashmir problem is resolved, further efforts were required so that peace is maintained. Resolving Kashmir issue alone is not going to bring peace", he averred.

Many more dialogues would be required and both the countries should set up joint working groups to go into all aspects affecting bilateral relations. In the intervening period confidence building measures should be taken up by both sides as they would help in cooling down the temperature, he maintained.

Though the LoC was peaceful now, except for odd occasions, he pointed out that violence let loose by foreign mercenaries was still continuing in Kashmir. Pakistan’s claim that it had no control over the militants could not be accepted as most of the outfits like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed were based in Pakistan.

The recent statement of Gen Musharraf that the time had not come for reining in the militants, he said showed Islamabad’s involvement in the proxy war. Apart from fomenting trouble in Kashmir for the last 10 years, Pakistan was trying to extend ISI activities to the North East and other parts of India. He expressed hope that the other activities sponsored by Pakistan would come to an end as a result of the summit.

Asked if there could be an agreement on troops pull out from Siachen Glacier, he said though a possible agreement was discussed during late Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure, it was kept on hold because one could not trust Pakistan. ‘How much can you trust Pakistan? if they re-occupy those heights’, he asked.

He said Pakistan had never implemented the past agreements reached at Karachi (1949), Tashkent (1966) and Simla (1972). ‘Though they are talking of no-war pact now it was very much there in the Tashkent and Simla Agreements,’ he pointed out.

Welcoming the Centre’s decision to set up check posts along the LoC, Gen Rao said it would facilitate easier travel and help improve people-to-people contacts.

On the demand for a plebiscite, he recalled that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had recently stated that the UN resolution on Kashmir was no longer relevant.

The former army chief said the UN resolution contained three parts — 1. Pakistan should withdraw all its forces from Pak-occupied Kashmir, 2 . India should reduce its forces and keep enough to maintain law and order and 3. hold plebiscite. Since Pakistan had not carried out the first part, the question of implementing the other two did not arise.

Besides, the people of J&K have said it in all the elections that they wanted to be with India. "If they don’t want to be with India, they could have boycotted the elections", he added. Voter turnout most of the time was around 60 per cent, he pointed out.

Gen Rao scoffed at the proposal to trifurcate the State and said the integrity of J&K, a miniature India where people belonging to different ethnicities, communities, castes and languages co-existed for years in harmony, should be maintained in the overall interest of the country. The demands for a separate State for Jammu and a Union Territory for Ladakh were out of a sense of deprivation and anger, he added.

He recalled that Sheikh Abdullah used to call it the crown of India while talking of the country’s secularism. (UNI)

Hurriyat’s bandh on Martyrs’ Day
4 militants, soldier, civilian killed

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, July 13: While as Kashmir valley today observed a partial shutdown on Martyrs’ Day, four militants, one soldier and a civilian died in different militancy-related incidents, since last evening.

Separatist amalgam, Hurriyat Conference, had called for a shutdown on occasion of the Martyrs’ Day as usual. Responding to the call, people of Kashmir valley observed a partial shutdown. Even as the impact of the strike was considerable in the capital city, only a section of the shops, business establishments and banks remained closed in five rural districts. In Srinagar as well, shops were seen open at several places and skeleton passenger services too operated smoothly. Educational institutions and Government offices remained closed due to a gazetted holiday on the Martyrs’ Day.

With all eyes focussed on the Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf’s New Delhi and Agra visit, beginning on Saturday morning, there were no signs of tension in the Valley. A few youngsters had a minor clash with Police after Friday prayers near Jamia Masjid in downtown, but it lasted for less than 10 minutes. Nobody was injured when Police used force to disperse the crowd. There was no militancy-related incident anywhere in the capital city.

Official sources in south Kashmir told EXCELSIOR that militants and security forces remained engaged in a gunbattle at Khrati Larnoo, in Kokernag area of Anantnag district. During the encounter two local militants of Hizbul Mujahideen got killled. They were identified as Bashir Ahmed Itoo alias Khalid S/o Mohammad Ahsan of Larnoo and Mohammad Iqbal Akhoon S/o Ghulam Ahmed Akhoon of Gawran. Sources said that a soldier got killed while as another sustained injuries.

Reports available from Kupwara said that troops of Rashtriya Rifles 24 Bn and SOG Handwara raided a militant hideout at Chak Doodipora, in Handwara, and killed a Pakistani cadre of Lashkar-e-Toiba in an encounter. He was identified as Saifullah alias Abu Jehad.

In Kalaroos, Machhil, troops of 8-Grenadiers eliminated another unidentified militant. He too was believed to be a Pakistani national and member of Lashkar-e-Toiba.

In Kupwara again, militants ambushed a patrol of 2-Para at Duraswani, in Lolab valley. Troops retaliated. However, militants escaped while leaving three soldiers, including a Captain, wounded.

Reports from south Kashmir added that late last night, unidentified gunmen appeared at the house of a Gujjar, namely Chandiya S/o Azeem, at Drugdan (Kulgam) and shot him dead.

Sarpanch shot in Gool

Excelsior Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, July 13: Militants gunned down a Sarpanch outside a marriage party function and attacked a Border Security Force (BSF) camp in Sangaldan in two separate incidents in this district last night.

Official reports reaching here said that Hassan Din son of Ghulam Qadir, Sarpanch of Deedam area in Gool had gone to attend a marriage function in adjoining village of Gagarsula last evening. His movement was reportedly being watched by two local militants of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.

When the Sarpanch came out of the marriage hall for returning to his house, he was fired upon by one of the militant with a pistol from point blank range. Hassan Din fell down in pool of blood and died immediately before he could be shifted to hospital.

Both the militants managed to escape after killing the Sarpanch.

Police and security forces teams rushed to the site of killing and sealed the area. A search operation was conducted by security forces but the militants remained untraced. Some local people, who were attending the marriage function rushed out of the house and claimed to have identified the militants.

People told police that both militants were locals of Gool area. Police continued searches to nab the militants. Local people today protested against the killing of Sarpanch, who had wide following in the area. They also shouted slogans against Pakistan and militants and charged them with the killing of innocent persons.

Meanwhile, unidentified militants attacked a BSF post in Sangaldan late last night. Militants opened heavy firing and lobbed grenades on the BSF post.

Security jawans retaliated from their camp.

Exchange of firing between the two sides continued for about 40 minutes in which no loss of life was reported on BSF side. Militants managed to escape.

Musharraf won't accept LoC as permanent border

DUBAI, July 13: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has ruled out accepting the Line of Control (LoC) as permanent border and said he is willing to extend his trip to India by another 48 hours if New Delhi is serious about finding a solution to the Kashmir issue.

"LoC is the problem. What is the freedom struggle going on about. It is about the LoC. It is the problem not the solution. How can the problem be the solution," Musharraf, who will be leaving for India tomorrow for a three day visit to hold talks with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, said in an interview to Gulf news published today.

"Now who in Pakistan will ever accept this (LoC)? nobody in Pakistan can accept this and expect to stay in power... I think it will be very unrealistic for any Indian leader to expect any leader of Pakistan to go and accept the permanence of the LoC," he said.

He, however, stressed that respecting the LoC was entirely a different matter.

Stating that Kashmir was the "core issue" to be solved, Musharraf said he was willing to extend the trip to India by another 48 hours if Delhi is serious about finding a solution.

He said Pakistan was looking towards a step by step solution to the issue.

Justifying the invitation to Hurriyat for talks with him in New Delhi, Musharraf said it had been sent because "we feel the Kashmiris, the Hurriyat Conference ought to be taken along."

"Right from the beginning I have said and I am of this view even now that there are three parties to the Kashmir dispute — the Indians, the Pakistanis and the Kashmiris and we believe the Kashmiris’ representative is Hurriyat Conference," he said.

He said he has always maintained that to begin with India and Pakistan should talk without "Kashmiri representatives but any time in the future they have to be included in the process of the dialogue if there is to be progress."

Musharraf denied that Army in Pakistan was blocking any move towards peace. "It is the people of Pakistan who will not allow anything to happen between India and Pakistan unless the main conflict is resolved," he said.

In reply to a question, he said if the talks failed it did not mean that the two countries would be close to a nuclear confrontation. "I would not like it to be said that if there is a failure now in Agra, we are closing SIC to a nuclear holocaust, nothing of the sort." (PTI)

Threshold of new opportunity: India

NEW DELHI, July 13 : On the eve of the Indo-Pak Summit, India today said the two countries stood on the threshold of a "new opportunity" and New Delhi was looking forward to the future with a "great deal of hope".

"We stand on the threshold (Dehliat) of a new opportunity," an External Affairs Ministry spokesperson told reporters when asked about the mood in the Government ahead of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other Indian leaders.

India, she said, has approached the Summit with "hope and expectations" that "something positive" would come out of the dialogue process.

Asked whether the two sides proposed to issue a joint declaration at the end of the Summit, she said a final decision on this was yet to be taken.

"We approach the Summit with a great deal of hope and expectations that we will come out of this process with something positive," the spokesperson said.

Agreeing with a questioner that this could be a "historic turning point", she said "there is no shortage of our sincerity and firmness of our conviction."

Asked about Musharraf’s comments suggesting that Simla and Lahore Peace Accords had become irrelevant because these did not address the Kashmir issue, she said "there is no dearth of willingness on India’s part to address this issue".

Asserting there could not be a "narrow focus" in bilateral relations, she hoped Islamabad would avoid narrow cliche-ridden approach.

New Delhi, she said, hoped efforts would be made to develop a future architecture of dialogue and peace.

Asked to amplify on Vajpayee’s comments that he would take "bold and innovative" measures, she said the recent Confidence Building Measures reflected an "inherent boldness" to take the relations forward.

On Musharraf’s reported remarks that he was willing to extend his stay in India by two days if New Delhi was sincere in resolving the Kashmir issue, she said no official communication had been received in this regard.(PTI)

Forget bitterness, says Imam

NEW DELHI, July 13: Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid Mufti Mohammad Mukarram Ahmad today appealed to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf to forget the bitter past and take concrete decisions in the larger interest of the two countries at the Agra summit.

Addressing a gathering before Friday prayers at the mosque, Dr Ahmad welcomed the summit and hoped it would add a golden chapter in the history of India and Pakistan. He said that absence of peace and a cold war not only caused colossal losses to life and property but also jeopardised the means of progress and prosperity.

The Shahi Imam said that the sentiments of Kashmiris should be taken into account at the summit.

"Both India and Pakistan are the leading developing countries and have become nuclear powers. Meetings and dialogues were held in the past too but the present summit is of much importance. Both should forget the past and renew efforts for the larger interest of the two countries and their people by initiating concrete steps and arriving at decisions without external influence," he felt.

According to the Shahi Imam, had the relations between India and Pakistan been pleasant during the past five decades, the image of both nations would have been very positive at the international level. But still it was not too late to remember and renew the forgotten lesson, he observed.

Dr Ahmad hoped that the meeting would yield positive results and pave the way for establishing lasting peace and tranquility in the region. (UNI)

DGP, IGP visit Surankot, Mendhar

Excelsior Correspondent

RAJOURI, July 13: Director General of Police (DGP) , A K Suri, accompanied by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu, R V Raju today visited Surankote, Mendhar and Rajouri areas to take stock of the difficulties being faced by the people due to the ongoing militancy.

The visiting top Police Officers interacted with the cross section of the people and explained to them the importance of Police—Public cooperation and fruitful results being achieved in this respect to curb the menace of militancy.

Local representatives of the people also addressed the gathering and assured their full cooperation to the police and security forces.

On the occasion , the DGP announced out of turn promotion to two Special Grade Constables from Poonch district and one Constable from Rajouri. Some SPOs were appointed as constables for their valiant efforts and more than rupees 25 lakh were handed over as rewards to SSP Poonch and Rajouri for distribution amongst the Police men who have done exemplary work in eliminating militants.

Later, Mr Suri and Mr Raju returned to Jammu in the afternoon.

Advani to do plain speaking

NEW DELHI, July 13: Home Minister L K Advani is likely to do some plain-speaking on Pakistan sponsoring to cross-border terrorism in Kashmir when he meets President Pervez Musharraf here tomorrow.

The Home Minister is likely to present documentary evidence of Islamabad’s active support to terrorists and subversive elements including foreign mercenaries who have been carrying out violent acts in the northern border State. A 25-minute time slot has been alloted to Advani, who is credited with pursuing a hard line vis-a-vis militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Home Ministry officials have already prepared documents and charts in support of their case against heightened militancy and trans-border infiltration by Pak-sponsored terrorist groups.

Detailed notes have been prepared by the Home Ministry officials giving factual evidence about the whereabouts and activities of underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim, who is currently in Pakistan.

Dawood is allegedly involved in several cases of murder, kidnapping and the Bombay riots.

Advani is also likely to voice India’s concern over the inaction on the part of Pakistan regime in apprehending and deporting the militants, including the hijackers of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 from Kathmandu and Maulana Masood Azhar who was released along with two others in exchange for the passengers held hostage by the hijackers.

Azhar has floated ‘Jaish-e-Mohammad’ outfit which has been consistently carrying out anti-India propaganda and training militants to carry out subversion in Kashmir.

Since his Pakistani counterpart is not visiting India, Advani has been provided with an opportunity to hold direct talks with Musharraf. (PTI)

| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports |
| international | weather | mailbag | suggestions | search | subscribe | send mail |