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Mid-term
polls inevitable CEC cuts shorts London visit,
returning today NEW DELHI, Apr 25: A mid-term poll tonight appeared inevitable after the Congress and other opposition parties amid intense bickerings failed to provide an alternative to the BJP-led government which they brought down nine days ago. The Union Cabinet has been summoned to meet at noon tomorrow and is likely to recommend dissolution of the Lok Sabha which would force a third election in as many years. If the Lok Sabha is dissolved the Election Commission would have to hold polls within six months and would need at least 90 days for conducting the exercise. Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill is cutting short his Britain visit and returning tonight, Commission sources said. The specter of mid-term polls loomed large after Congress president Sonia Gandhi conceded inability to garner requisite support for an alternative government and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also could not submit list of any more supporters to President K R Narayanan. Gandhi, who first met Narayanan, told him that she had not been able to convince all those who had voted against the Vajpayee government to support a Congress-led formation because personal interests had taken precedence over national interest. Following a meeting of BJP and its allies shortly after Vajpayee had called on Narayanan, Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan told reporters we have given a list of 270 MPs to the President. No more list has been given after that. The decision to summon the Cabinet was announced after the 40-minute meeting between Narayanan and Vajpayee. Soon after his meeting with the President, Vajpayee met leaders of BJP and allies and apprised them of his discussion with Narayanan. Authoritative sources said the meeting was told that the Cabinet was likely to recommend the dissolution of the Lok Sabha followed by mid-term elections. Emerging from the meeting, MDMK leader Vaiko said my perception is that we are heading for elections. According to official sources, the Union cabinet is likely to recommend the dissolution of the Lok Sabha clearing decks for a early mid-term polls. The Cabinet is meeting at noon tomorrow. The President is understood to have advised Mr Vajpayee during his 40 minute meeting with him that after a series of consultations with leaders of various political parties and constitutional experts he had come to the conclusion that no viable alternative government could be formed in the current Lok Sabha. President K R Narayanan summoned the Prime Minister A B Vajpayee for a meeting at 2030 hrs today and gave his assessment of the political situation. The President’s summons followed Congress president Sonia Gandhi informing Mr Narayanan of her inability to muster majority to be able to form an alternative government. She also ruled out the possiblity of her party supporting a third front government and left the decision on the future course to the President. Earlier, the CPI(M) politburo turned down a suggestion from the non-Congress opposition parties that West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu be set up as the combined opposition’s Prime Ministerial candidate. Emerging from his 40-minute meeting with the President, Mr Vajpayee told newspersons that the President gave him his assessment of the situation which would be discussed by the Union Cabinet tomorrow morning. He, however, declined to elaborate. Mr Vajpayee said during the debate on his confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, which the government lost by a solitary vote on April 17, the opposition had claimed that they would form the alternative government in one to seven minutes. However till date, no alternative was in sight and the Congress and CPI-M had conveyed to the President their inability to cobble together a majority. He declined to answer a question if the Cabinet meeting tomorrow would mean it recommending dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha. Asked if he had been asked to bring a Cabinet resolution on mid-term poll, Vajpayee said "I cannot tell you right now." When questioned if there had been any accretion of BJP’s strength in Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister replied that Narayanan had all the facts. Vajpayee said the President apprised him of the details of consultations he had with the leaders of various opposition parties. The Union Cabinet would meet tomorrow to discuss the political situation, he said. Vajpayee said Congress Party today conveyed to the President its inability to form an alternative government. The Prime Minister said the Left Party leaders had also informed Narayanan that they were not in a position to provide an alternative formation. Vajpayee was accompanied by his Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra. Earlier, Congress gave up its bid to form a minority government and ruled out support to a Third Front coalition further complicating the political scenario and fuelling speculation about a mid-term poll. After a 30-minute meeting with President K R Narayanan, Party president Sonia Gandhi, when asked by reporters whether her party was ready for a mid-term poll, said "whatever President decides, we shall abide by it". Ruling out support to a third front-led coalition, she made it clear "we are not going to support third or fourth front government" Party spokesman Arjun Singh told reporters that the Party had been able to manage support of 239 Lok Sabha members and this was being conveyed to the President. Obliquely blaming Samajwadi Party for its decision not to back Congress to form an alternative government, Sonia Gandhi said her party was not in a position to form a minority government. "I have not been able to (garner requisite support) to form a viable Government at the centre". A visibly unhappy Gandhi said "today I told the President that I tried my best (to form a Government) but I have not been able to convince the people who said they will support us." While many parties have been sincere in their support, others have "put personal interests before the country," she said in an obvious reference to SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Congress president said "we are not supporting a coalition Government." Asked if the Congress was prepared for a mid-term poll, she said "it is for the President to decide whatever is best for the country and we will abide by that." Gandhi declined to identify the parties which, she said, have put personal interests above national interests. "I do not want to name them. You know them," she said. Asked whether Congress calculations had gone awry, Gandhi said, "not at all". As the leader of the Congress Party the moment government was reduced to minority, "it was my responsibility and that of my party to defeat the government in the confidence vote." To a question whether the Congress was willing to go to the polls, she said, "whatever the President decides is best for the country, we will abide by it." She said when she met the President last she was given time to try and convince some of the parties which had earlier promised to extend support to Congress in forming a minority Government, Gandhi said. "Today I told the President that I tried my best to convince secular parties but I have not been able to convince them," she said Gandhi dismissed suggestion that the calculations of her party to form a viable alternative government had gone awry. "Not at all. As leader of the Congress party ... A secular party after government was reduced to minority, it was responsibility of my party to defeat the Government on the confidence motion," she said. Asked what role the party would play if Vajpayee Government was reinstalled by the President, she said Congress had been working all along as a responsible opposition and it will continue to do that. To a question why Congress pulled down Vajpayee Government, Gandhi asserted that the BJP-led government was not brought down by Congress. It fell as a result of withdrawal support by one of its coalition partners, she said.(Agencies) |
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Militants
to strike on soft tragets From B L Kak NEW DELHI Apr. 25: Pakistan Prime Minister, Mr Nawaz Sharief’s latest signal about his Government’s "desire", if not determination, for friendly relations with India notwithstanding, Islamabad-aided ultras have received fresh orders to trigger "lightning and thunder" leading to exodus of a majority of members of the Hindu community from the sensitive districts of Udhampur, Doda, Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu province. In their identical assessment reports, the two official intelligence agencies, the ‘G’ branch of the Border Security Force, widely known as the BSF(G), and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), have hinted at the possibility of "attacks" by Pakistan-funded "individuals and groups" on "soft" targets, namely, Hindus in various pockets in Doda, Udhampur, Rajouri and Poonch districts "sooner than later". These reports have also hinted at "some kind of fierce action", in the Jammu district, the vicinity of Jammu included, against members of this community as part of the "grand plan" to create conditions, eventually leading to their exodus and disposing of their immovable properties like residential premises and shops and commercial establishments. The Army and paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir have been alerted in the context of highly classified intelligence inputs about the Pakistani ISI plan to use cyanide in drinking water reservoirs and in food for Indian troops. Indian security personnel in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Rajasthan, Gujarat and north-eastern region have also been directed to be vigilant as, according to these intelligence inputs, office and residential premises of security forces in several places in these States have been selected for the ISI’s "apply-and-annihilate" excercise. According to sources in the Home Ministry, while discreet investigations have started in the context of reports of Agra cantonment being the target of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence, the Army and paramilitary forces throughout Jammu and Kashmir have been directed to be vigilant in view of the ISI plan to use cyanide in drinking water supplied to them and in food prepared for them in cantonments in the State. These sources divulged that broad contours of the ISI’s "apply-and -annihilate" exercise had been reported at a time when the involvement of Pakistan in insurgency in India had been established beyond doubt from "a variety of evidences". The exercise aimed at poisoning Indian troops to death also became known at a time when Government sleuths had unearthed a plot, hatched across the border, for engaging groups of trained militants and terrorists in inflicting "maximum" damage in "minimum possible time" on the Indian forces and their strategic locations and formations, besides vital bridges, in various parts of India, particularly J&K. ISI’s "continuing" involvement and activities in India, sources explained, can also be borne out by two factors – one, "documentary" evidence has already confirmed that the ISI is spending "several crores of rupees every month" to sustain militancy not only in J&K but also in Punjab and the north-eastern region, and second, Islamabad’s overt and covert support to Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba to intensify attacks on the Indian security forces and special squads of the J&K Police. Indian forces guarding the country’s borders with Pakistan have been directed, once again, to firmly deal with the "new" challenge arising as it does from the ongoing preparations by the Pakistani Army to provoke and patronise fresh anti-India activities. In fact, shoot-at-sight orders have been issued to the Indian security forces following two major developments. First, the serious threat posed by the preparation of a plan across the border for organising infiltration of trained militants and subversives into Indian towns and villages, particularly Jammu and Kashmir. Second development, which has set the Indian defence specialists and planners in motion, is the outcome of the "strong" warning to India from the Pakistan Army Chief, Gen Parvez Musharraf, that his men have the capability of inflicting "more destruction on the enemy". Gen Musharraf, while classifying India as the "enemy", seemed to attach little importance to the ongoing dialogue process between Pakistan and India when he placed himself on record by saying: "India has ambition to reach the world but we have the ambition to reach India". Gen Musharaff’s warning assumes significance in the context of the fresh reports received by the Government of India with regard to the positioning of an estimated number of 3,000 subversives and foreign mercenaries at nearly 15 places across the line of control (LoC) for their infiltration into Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu region. |
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Cong playing politics of opportunism : Vajpayee NEW DELHI, Apr 25: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today charged the opposition with unprincipled pursuit of power and said they had failed to form an alternative government even about ten days after the fall of BJP-led Ministry. They (opposition) claimed in the Lok Sabha that they would have an alternative government in place within one minute. Today they have admitted that they are unable to do so, he said at a public meeting here. Asserting that principles and morals and not hunger for power should guide politics, he said democracy is not a matter of numbers. There have to be some policies and programmes. Vajpayee said his government lost the motion of confidence by a single vote. One vote cast by a Chief Minister (Giridhar Gamang of Orissa) ousted a Prime Minister, he said and blamed the opposition for creating the present instability causing damage to the nation’s economy and image. He charged the opposition with coming together under the pretext of safeguarding secularism and said their sole motive was to grab power. There has to be some limit to the lust for power, Vajpayee said. The meeting organised to register protest of BJP and its allies against betrayal of peoples mandate, was attended by leaders of most of the allies of BJP. Asserting that BJP and its allies were solidly united despite ups and downs, Vajpayee said the alliance was intact because it was guided by common policies and programmes. We are together not for power but for national interest. Our strength has increased because of this, he said. Charging opposition parties, mainly Congress, with playing negative and opportunistic politics, he said when we meet the President, we go together, but they go separately. About BJP being branded as communal and creation of an impression that minorities were unsafe under the BJP-led coalition, Vajpayee said it was a disinformation campaign against the BJP and an attack on the country’s tradition. "Some sporadic incidents were blown out of proportion to defame us. This is not politics, he said. Cautioning people against giving another fractured verdict in future elections, he said people had to decide whether they would be victims of power hungry politics. People should learn lessons from the present crisis and let us complete the task we had taken on 13 months ago, he said. Leaders of National Conference, Biju Janata Dal and Pattali Makal Katchi (PMK) were conspicuous by their absence at the meeting. Among those present were George Fernandes (Samata), Mamata Banerjee (Trinamool Congress), S S Barnala and P S Chandumajra (Shiromani Akali Dal), R K Hegde (Lok Shakti), V Ramamurthy (TRC), Yerrannaidu (TDP), Vaiko (MDMK) and Murasoli Maran (DMK), Madukhar Sarpotdar (Shiv Sena), Maneka Gandhi and K S Sangwan (INLD). (PTI)
Political deadlock in
India ISLAMABAD, Apr 25: Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif has cast doubts over implementation of the Lahore agreement signed with Indian Premier A B Vajpayee recently and expressed fears that the political deadlock in India could derail the normalisation process heralded by the historic accord. The prolonged continuous political deadlock in New Delhi is turning out to be an impediment in making fast progress towards the peace process, Sharif, who signed the accord despite opposition from hardliners at home, told newsmen in his home town of Lahore yesterday. He also conceded that there was much uncertainty over the implementation of the Lahore declaration signed with Vajpayee in February following the fall of the BJP-led Government in New Delhi. Besides, the Government was at a total loss on whom to approach for further negotiations, he said. Though we signed the Lahore declaration for promoting ties between the two countries, I require a stable Government in India to implement the agreement in letter and spirit, he said. Both sides were to resume Foreign Secretary level talks next month on a host of bilateral issues, including Kashmir. The talks have now been put off. The Pakistani Premier hinted that there was total confusion in New Delhi due to ongoing political developments there. It is difficult to ascertain who should be approached for negotiations until a stable Government assumes office in India. Sharif, who returned from a historic Moscow visit on Wednesday after talks with Russian President Boris Yeltsin and other Russian leaders, said it is high time for India and Pakistan to resolve all their disputes since the atmosphere is conducive for it. Pakistan wants a stable Government in India that could be able to take bold initiatives. We are ready to take initiatives, but if there is no stable Government in India to respond, there is going to be no real progress so far as the peace process is concerned, Sharif said. Sharif said he had requested Russia to mediate between the two neighbours and expressed the hope that Moscow would change its earlier stand on the Kashmir issue, in an apparent reference to Russia’s use of its Veto power in the UN Security Council to block any moves against India. At a time Russia had used its Veto power to favour India, but new developments will help changing the outlook of Russia’s diplomatic approach vis-a-vis differences between Pakistan and India, Sharif claimed, attributing this to Pakistan’s newly-acquired nuclear status. I feel the important position Pakistan has gained in the region has constrained Russia to review its policy regarding its role in South Asia...If Russia helps in resolving long-standing differences between India and Pakistan, I think it would be a great initiative on its part, he said. (PTI) |
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Farmer shot dead
near Anchar lake Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Apr 25: While as the security forces and the counter-insurgent Special Operation Group (SOG) did not apprehended or eliminate any militants in Kashmir valley today, militants left a civilian wounded in Anantnag, shot dead a farmer near Anchar lake, fired upon military at Krankshivan Sopore and, lastly, this evening launched a major grenade attack on the battalion headquarters of Army's 13-Garhwal in the capital city. At 1845 hours this evening, militants fired as many as seven rifle grenades, one after another, on the headquarters of 13-Garhwal at the high security Haft-Chinar in the capital city. Most of the officials evaded to make comment and ignored all incoming telephonic contacts. However, informed official sources confirmed to EXCELSIOR that militants fired 5 rifle grenades from Shallapora side. All the 5 RPG exploded in the air while causing deafening blasts but failed to cause any damage on earth, sources added. Soon after the grenade attack--second of its kind in the last four months -- troops moved out and launched a massive cordon-and-search operation. The 2-hour-long combing operation, however, yielded nothing. Army authorities when contacted, said that the details of the incident were being gathered. They too confirmed the attack and said that militants had fired 5 rifle grenades which went off in air and failed to cause any damage. Responsible police sources, however, told EXCELSIOR that an unidentified woman got injured who had been rushed to some hospital. Senior officials, including IGP Kashmir Zone PS Gill rushed to the spot and held a detailed meeting with his subordinate officials at the SOG Srinagar headquarters, situated yards away from the Army formation. The attack on the Army camp has come days before the scheduled arrival of Durbar Move. This particular timing has been fixed by Police authorities here as the deadline for ending the decade-long militancy in Sriangar city. Earlier, militants had launched a similar rifle grenade attack on the same Army formation on January 15 last when almost all the 5 grenades had exploded in air without causing any major damage. Within days, a similar attack had also been witnessed on another major Army formation at Tatoo Grounds near Batmaloo. Official sources said that last evening militants shot dead a farmer namely Abdul Ahad Sheikh son of Ghulam Mohd Sheikh of Umar-Hair, Bachhpora at his agriculture fields near Anchar Lake. At around the same time, militants attacked a civilian namely Abdus Aalam Sheikh S/o Mohd Ramzan Sheikh near his house at Darrana, Watpora in Anantnag district. He was left critically injured and rushed to Bone & Joint Hospital Srinagar for medical treatment. Last evening itself, militants fired upon a party of 13-JAK troops at Krankshivan in the western outskirts of Sopore. Troops launched a combing operation, fired mortar shells and later called off the operation without any clue of militants. husband kills wife Reports available from Budgam said that during the course of an in-house altercation, a carpet-weaver namely Ali Mohd of Patwaw, struck an iron rod on the head of his wife, Hajira, who died on spot. Ali Mohd has been detained by police though an FIR had not been lodged at Budgam Police Station. |
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Three houses
gutted- Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 25: A woman was roasted alive and four cattle perished as three houses were gutted in devastating blaze in Bhartgarh and Deen Morha Phadiali villages in Samba tehsil overnight. According to police reports, two houses belonging to Subash Singh son of Anant Ram and Pritam Singh son of Ram Singh caught fire reportedly due to an electric short circuit on the intervening night of April 24 and 25. Kailasho Devi, 30, wife of Subash Singh was trapped inside the house while other family members were rescued by the neighbourers. She was roasted alive inside the house. Family members of Pritam Singh also managed to come out of the burning house and survived with minor injuries. Local people tried to control the fire by throwing water buckets but in vain. A fire tender also reached the spot but by then both the houses had been reduced to ashes. Police have registered a case in the fire incident and started investigations. Short circuit was stated to be the reason behind the fire. Another house belonging to one Feroz Din son of Karam Din, a Gujjar caught fire in village Deen Morha in Phadiali area of Vijaypur in Samba tehsil last night. Feroz Din and his family members had a narrow escape in the fire as they managed to come out of the house. However, four cattle were roasted alive in the fire as family members couldn’t get a chance to rescue the,. Police said the fire broke out from oven and engulfed the house within minutes. Local police party reached the spot for investigations. A case has been registered at Vijaypur police post. Local people have demanded that all the three families be given adequate compensation so that they could re-construct their houses. |
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Jawan killed, 2 hurt in IED explosions Excelsior Correspondent POONCH, Apr 25: An Army jawan was killed and two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were injured in two separate powerful explosions at Pamrot on Surankote-Poonch road and Hariwalla in Mahore tehsil this afternoon. According to official sources, an Army jawans during a routine patrolling in Pamrot area, walked over an IED planted by the militants resulting into the blast. The IED had been hidden under a kucha patch of the road. The jawan, whose identity couldn’t be ascertained immediately, was killed on the spot. The jawans, following him, survived and cordoned off the area to launch a hunt for the saboteurs responsible for planting the IED. However, no arrest could be made out from the spot. Body of the deceased jawan was shifted to a local hospital and was later handed over to his unit after post-mortem. Searches were still going on in the area. Traffic also remained disrupted for about an hour after the blast. Meanwhile, a foot patrol of the BSF also crossed over the IED, planted by the militants, which triggered the blast at Hariwalla-Lancha road in Basa area of Mahore tehsil in Udhampur district this morning. Two BSF jawans were seriously injured in the blast. They have been identified as Lance Naik Arjun Singh and constable Angadh Singh. The injured jawans were rushed to BSF hospital in Rajouri. Constable Angadh Singh has been referred to Medical College hospital, Jammu in view of his critical condition while the condition of Lance Naik Arjun Singh was stated to be stable. Security forces assisted by the local police have launched a search operation in the area to eliminate the militants involved in planting the IED. Two suspects have been sounded up by the BSF but no arrest has been made so far. |
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NEW DELHI, Apr 25: Following are the highlights relating to formation of an alternative government at the Centre. * Congress gives up bid to form a minority government, rules out support to a third front coalition * CPI (M) says Congress must take initiative in forming Government. * Samajwadi Party extends unconditional support to Jyoti Basu-led government. * Laloo Yadav makes veiled attack on Mulayam Singh for queering the Congress pitch. (PTI) |
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Rs 500 counterfeit notes seized NEW DELHI, Apr 25: Police today said it had seized counterfeit currency notes in the Rs 500 denomination. Two persons, identified as Prakash and Sunil who were found in possession of six such notes, were arrested in the city yesterday, police said. The interrogation of the accused led to the arrest of another person, Dinesh, it said. (UNI) |
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Bid to step up violence
in summer SRINAGAR, Apr 25: Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has moved its bases and militants’ training camps close to Line of Control in a bid to step up efforts to infiltrate insurgents into Jammu and Kashmir in the coming summer, according to Army officials. The Army officials at the Line of Control (LoC) have monitored additional movement on the Pakistani side, particularly in those areas where snow has melted. There is lot of movement across the LoC particularly in those areas where snow has melted. Road network has also been upgraded near the LoC in areas such as Kahuta, Alabad, Haji Pir, Dholi, Bhagh and Muzaffarabad, said Brigadier R P S Malhan, in-charge of LoC in Uri sector. He said that around 40 militants training camps, besides ISI bases, had been established near the LoC to step up efforts to infiltrate ultras into Jammu and Kashmir after the passes get cleared of snow. Brigadier Jasbir Singh, in-charge of LoC in Poonch sector, added that at least 10 militant camps had been set up within 150 kms near the LoC in Pok. There are three bases of ISI also near the LoC which give the militants money and weapons, he added. The places where the bases have been set up are Kothibagh, Hazira and Samani. The militants are mainly pushed in by the special operational intelligence unit of ISI, Brig Singh said. Speaking about the modus operandi involved in the infiltration, Brig Singh said the intruders were generally divided into groups, each comprising three or four persons. If a bigger group is to be pushed in, some of the personnel of Pakistani Army accompany them, he added. He said that the Pakistani armymen had even started crossing the LoC along with the infiltrators and cited the recent incident when two Pakistani regulars were killed while infiltrating. The infiltration attempts generally pick up in summer months after the mountain passes get cleared of snow, Brig Malhan said, adding as the local recruitment has reduced to a minimum, Pakistan has to depend on infiltrating foreign mercenaries to keep militancy alive in Jammu and Kashmir. (PTI) Govt foils Hurriyatisation
of Moharrum Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Apr 25: While the authorities, as usual, did not allow the 8th Moharrum procession of Alam and Tazia by the members of the Shia community in the capital city today, police used tear-smoke and cane-charge to disperse small defiant group on Residency Road and detained 36 processionists including the Shia religious and political leader Maulvi Abbas Ansari. Yaadgar-e-Hussain Committee Guru Bazar, which has been holding the licence for the 8th Moharrum procession for the last over 50 years, had applied for the permission which was denied by the district magistrate in view of "apprehension of disturbance by militants". Thereafter, the Committee members decided not to put any resistance and organised a daylong function of mourning in the name of martyrs of Karbala at Guru Bazar. As the Shia mourners performed Mattam with Nowha and Marsiya at Guru Bazar, police laid siege to the locality and did not allow in any outsiders. A curfew-like situation prevailed in Shaheed Gunj locality for several hours but there was no attempt to take out the procession in defiance of the prohibitory orders. The traditional 8th Moharrum procession of Alam and Tazia, which used to be come out first from Guru Bazar and later from Abi Guzar, has not been allowed in the capital city since 1988 in view of turbulent situation and fear of trouble. In the afternoon, a 45-strong group led by Hurriyat leader Maulvi Abbas Ansari and the former JKLF chief commander Javed Mir, made a newsmaking attempt of taking out the procession near Pratap Park Press Enclave on Residency Road. Suddenly, a contingent of police swooped on the group with lathicharge and tear-smoke. Even as about a dozen "processionists" escaped. Police packed up at least 36 persons and detained them for the day at the nearby Kothibagh Police Station. They included Abbas Ansari, Javed Mir as also other separatist activists like Bashir Ahmed Tota and Shahid-ul-Islam. Late tonight, SP East Syed Javed Mujtaba Geelani told EXCELSIOR that all the detainees had been released from the police station. Decision of the district and divisional authorities to ban the Moharrum processions this year, like in the last 12 years, in the capital city has become the target of wide criticism for two particular factors: Firstly, the security forces and police have been trumpeting the "end of militancy" in Srinagar. Second, and the more significant factor, is that early this week the authorities allowed a thick welcome rally in honour of the senior Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq when he returned from the Hajj pilgrimage. The authorities chose to be mute spectators, as the processionists in a fleet of buses and cars raised pro-Pakistan slogans like "Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan" and "Ham kya chhahtay, Azadi." On the other hand, a purely religious rally was banned today with the argument that the separatist leaders could Hurriyatise the Moharrum and raise anti-national slogans. |
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