Assembly suspends business, admits motion on human rights
PDP, NC trade charges; Oppn walk-out
*Mufti: situation improving *Rather, Sagar: situation getting worse

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 10: In a rare instance in the Assembly in the recent times, Speaker Tara Chand, on the request of the Government, today admitted an Opposition sponsored adjournment motion on "deteriorating human rights scenario" in the State suspending the day’s business.

The debate on the adjournment motion, which coincided with the World Human Rights Day today, lasted over three years and frequently led to the charges and counter charges and clashes between the treasury benches and the Opposition. Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed’s reply on the motion was, however, boycotted by the National Conference. The motion was moved by former Finance Minister and veteran National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather.

In his reply, Sayeed said a loud and clear message has been given in the Unified Headquarters meeting that there should be no human rights violations while dealing with the militants. "In some cases there is an error of judgment by an Army jawan, who has no intentions to kill a civilian while in some other cases, a civilian is killed by a design i.e. he is picked up and killed.", he said and declared that "the killings with designs wouldn’t be tolerated".

"I don’t claim that we have set everything right in just one year but definitely there is an improvement in the situation on the human rights front. Whether you (the Opposition) realise it or not, the people have realised it", the Chief Minister observed.

Quoting figures, he said only eight custodial killings were reported in the year 2003 as against 11 in 2001 and 17 in 2000.

The NC members including Ali Mohd Sagar, Mubarak Gul and Sharief-ud-Din Shariq objected to the Mufti’s speech saying he was projecting totally a reverse scenario of the situation and misleading the House by giving wrong figures. The NC members barring Dillawar Mir marched towards the front row and started shouting towards the treasury benches.

"You don’t want to listen the truth", the Mufti pointed out. Sagar said it was on record that 25 custodial killings have taken place. After a couple of minutes arguments with the ruling party members, the NC MLAs staged a walk-out in the House.

"Situation is getting changed but some people didn’t like it", the Chief Minister said, adding the people want a change and peace with dignity".

Earlier during the encounters, the houses used to be blasted but recently, the security personnel waited for 48 hours, brought down the computer students from fourth floor of a building with the ropes and then killed the militants, he pointed out.

Mr Sayeed maintained that only eight custodial killings have taken place during the tenure of coalition Government. He said the Government had inquired 84 cases of disappearances and found that 37 of them were present in their houses while 17 others have become the militants. Only 21 were actually missing, he said. A total of 1098 civilians were killed in 2001 while only 796 civilians were killed in 2003, he noted citing improvement in the situation.

Mr Sayeed announced a cell in the Home Department for follow up action on the incidents of human rights abuses. The cell would monitor follow up action on the incidents taken place even in the past.

Deputy Chief Minister and leader of the House, Mangat Ram Sharma said the terrorists, Hurriyat Conference, Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan are the main perpetrators of the rights violations. During the tenure of Sheikh Abdullah, Sadiq and Bakshi Ghulam Mohd, the Army used to be on the borders and not in the civilian areas because there was no militancy. "Army and police had to come into action whenever there is terrorism", he said.

"We all want peace but these are the militants, who have disturbed the peaceful scenario of the State", Sharma said and added "we wouldn’t have been sitting here had the security forces not helped in smooth conduct of the Assembly elections.

"Whether a police jawan, who is killed in a grenade attack or an Army soldier, who is killed in an IED blast, are not humans"? he asked. He said the Government has told the Army Generals to make public the punishment they give to the Army jawans involved in the human rights violations.

Earlier, initiating debate on the adjournment motion, Rather alleged that the situation was fast moving towards the early 90s scenario. Citing a number of examples of the custodial killings and the people taking to streets in one year rule of the Mufti led coalition Government, he observed a book can be written on them.

"Barring suspension of one SHO, no action has been taken by the Government against other erring officers in the custodial killings", Rather asserted.

Quoting editorial of a newspaper, he said the Chief Minister would have to take action against the custodial killings if the healing touch has any meaning. He also quoted a report of the Amnesty International that 344 civilians have died either of torture or attacks but hardly any of those responsible for them have been punished.

Even Chief Minister’s home town (Anantnag) has not been spared of the custodial killings, he added.

PDP president and MLA Mehbooba Mufti said the custodial killings and torture of the civilians had become a "routine affair" in the National Conference regime. She said the NC leaders including their Ministers were not even aware of the custodial killings in their areas when they were in the Government.

"I had been to village Barhaman where Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, a father of seven daughters, had been killed. When I returned even the then Home Minister was not aware of the killing. Now, we have given his family the compensation and a Government job", she said.

Ms Mufti wanted to know from the National Conference that what happened to the report of an inquiry committee, constituted by the NC Government in the killings of 19 persons including a child, in Surankote in 1997. The then Chief Minister, she recalled, had promised to take action against the culprits within one month.

She also charged the National Conference with double speak saying "in Jammu they charge me with conniving with the militants while in the Kashmir valley they accuse me of breaking the Hurriyat.

As Mehbooba Mufti admitted one custodial killing by the SOG in Kangan, Sagar was quick to point out that she had admitted presence of the SOG in the Valley.

Participating in the debate, Sagar said the human rights violations in the Valley had started when Sayeed was Home Minister of the country. "Mufti was on record having said that Jagmohan (the then Governor) didn’t give security to Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq, which led to his killing and subsequent firing on his burial procession leading to scores of killings.

Admitting that the custodial killings did take place in their Government, the former Works Minister opined that they got the STF in ‘virasat’. He, however, alleged that there could be a design to defame their Government. At the same time, he said, he had no hesitation to say that more human rights violations were done by the militants. "Mushtaq Latram, to whom I will call a goonda and a criminal, had blasted many civilians tying the explosive devices with them", he said and, in an obvious reference to the Muftis, thundered: "I’m not among those, who don’t name the militants".

Sagar pointed out that the NC Government had taken action against 210 Army personnel, 125 BSF jawans and 29 STF cops. He said all "kingpins of STF" have been appointed district police chief in the Valley. "Army and police were definitely fighting under very difficult circumstances but they should maintain discipline", he observed.

"Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti used to visit the houses of the victims and straightway tell them that they have been killed by Farooq Abdullah. Now she is guilty conscious since his father hold Home portfolio and is also chairman of Unified Headquarters", he said.

Mohd Yusuf Tarigami (CPM) said: "everyone in the House is a protected person. We are being protected by those, whose role we are debating". He added that uncertainty in the State has turned into a big industry—not for employment generation or relief but for the vested interests.

"All of us have admitted that the human rights violations are going on but none of us have suggested a solution to it", Tarigami said, adding "where-ever violence has been introduced, violations (of human rights) have taken place.

Mr Tarigami said he was waiting for a day when the House will set up an independent commission of eminent jurists to go into the violations. "We must look towards the violations objectively and not in the tenure of each other", he averred.

Raman Bhalla (Congress-I) said the migration of Kashmiri Pandits was the biggest ever human rights violation, which took place at the behest of the NC Government. "Many women were rendered widows and the children orphans by the militants. At many place, the militants have used the civilians as a human shield leading to their killing", he asserted and said "if the militants give up gun, the rights violations will stop".

Saying that the graph of the human rights violations has gone down in one year tenure of the coalition Government, Bhalla said it was due to the intervention of the Chief Minister that two innocent Sikh boys were released from the jail after 11 years.

Ajay Sadhotra (NC) said the Government has failed to establish the whereabouts of 125 missing persons. He claimed that the rights violations have also been extended to Jammu region by the new Government. "If the violations are not checked, it will lead to alienation among the people", he asserted.

Ashwani Sharma (Jammu State Morcha) wanted to know that what help was given by the then NC Government to the Army personnel, whose families were brutally killed by the militants at Kaluchak. The NC did nothing for the border migrants, whose plight was the biggest human rights violation, he said.

Other legislators, who took part in the debate, were Ghulam Nabi Lone (PDP), Mubarak Gul, Mian Altaf, Ghulam Mohd Jan, Saifullah Malik, Javed Rana, Mushtaq Bukhari and Mohd Syed Akhoon (all NC) Ghulam Mohd Saroori (Congress), Usmaan Majid (independent), Manjeet Singh (BSP) and Ashwani Sharma (Jammu State Morcha).

Curfew clamped to trace ultra
3 killed, 19 injured in Poonch attack

Excelsior Special Correspondent

POONCH, Dec 10: Three persons including a police official, a civilian and a militant were killed while 19 others were injured when two militants struck in the town here this afternoon throwing grenades and opening indiscriminate firing.

An indefinite curfew was clamped in the town as Army and police launched a hunt for a militant, who managed to escape after the attack, official sources said.

They said two militants suddenly appeared outside the State Bank of India (SBI) branch near the Bus Stand at 1.18 pm and lobbed a grenade outside the bank branch. The militants then moved toward the bus stand and opened firing on the police and para-military personnel.

The cops immediately rushed to the spot from a picket near bus stand and police station. They engaged the militants and gunned down one of them within seven to 10 minutes of the gun-battle while his second associate managed to escape.

Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of police, Lal Hussain Mirza, a resident of Fazlabad, Surankote and a shopkeeper Rajeev Kumar son of Dwarka Nath R/o Ward No. 5, Poonch were killed in the militant attack while 19 others including three security personnel were injured.

Condition of two of the injured Subash Chander son of Tara Chand R/o Khaka Navan, Poonch and Mohd Yousuf son of Fayaz Ahmed R/o Bagial Dara was stated to be serious. They were airlifted to Jammu this evening and admitted in the Medical College hospital.

Soon after the attack, the district administration announced imposition of curfew in the town. The curfew was mainly clamped to restrict the civilians movement and carry out the searches for the absconding militant. However, the militant remained untraced till mid-night tonight.

In some areas, a house-to-house search operation was also carried out by the security personnel but to no avail.

The SBI building suffered damage in the attack. Panic gripped the town after the attack as shopkeepers downed their shutters and rushed to their houses. Students in the degree college, which was located adjacent to the building of the bank branch, escaped unhurt in the attack.

Sources said one AK rifle, four AK magazines and 30 rounds were recovered from the militant killed in the attack. His identity hasn’t been established so far.

Meanwhile, Poonch Garrison commander Brig P G Kamath, Commandant 33 Brigade R K Sharma, Deputy Commandant, Poonch Garrison, P S Bedi, CRPF COmmandant Balram Sahil and SSP Poonch Mukesh Singh visited the town to review the situation in the afternoon.

Other injured admitted in the district hospital have been identified as S K Pande of 129 BSF, Parkash Chand of 141 BSF, Hari Parsad, an Army jawan, Om Parkash, Roshan Din, Jehangir Ahmed, Mohd Akram, Kalsoom Akhter, Majeeda Begum, Nazir Hussain and Muneera Bi.

Four injured were discharged after first-aid in the district hospital.

Our Jammu correspondent adds: Security forces today gunned down one militant at village Mahakund under the jurisdiction of Gool police station in Ramban police district. He has been identified as Farooq Ahmed alias Major Gul son of Ghulam Rasool Wani R/o Mahakund.

Slain militant was a Hizbul Mujahideen activist. One AK rifle, three magazines, 10 AK rounds and one pouch were recovered from the slain militant.

5 militants, 2 civilians killed in Valley
Army launches major operation in Budgam ‘liberated zone’

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Dec 10: As the Army has launched a major operation to take on militants in Beerwah area of Budgam district, at least five militants and two civilians have died in different militancy related incidents across Kashmir valley since last evening.

Informed sources told EXCELSIOR that troops of Rashtriya Rifles 34th Bn launched a cordon-and-search operation at Rathsun village of Beerwah in Budgam district early this morning. During the operation, troops observed the movement of some militants and engaged them in a fierce gunbattle. The house of one Amir Ganai in Bonpora locality of the village was partially damaged. Two unidentified militants were killed. Troops maintained the cordon after receiving reports that eight to ten militants of Al-Badar Mujahideen were present at different houses in the village.

Police and Defence sources said that the second most wanted militant of Budgam district, Bilal Habshi, was believed to be holed up with about eight of his armed associates. Though the district’s most wanted militant, Yusuf of Hizbul Mujahideen, is reportedly a resident of the same village, troops have launched the operation in search of some dreaded militants of Al-Badar. Hours before the operation at Rathsun began, unidentified gunmen appeared at the house of one Mohammad Sultan Sheikh S/o Abdul Gani Sheikh at the nearby village of Chewdara and shot him dead late last night.

Sources said that about a year ago, Bilal Habshi had escaped when troops had conducted an operation at Sheikh’s residence. His mother had got killed in crossfiring. Militants are believed to have eliminated Sheikh, a poor carpet weaver, after they developed suspicion that he had passed on the information regarding Habshi’s presence to the security forces.

Senior officials said that movement of 20 to 30 heavily armed militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, Al-Badar and Lashkar-e-Toiba has been repeatedly witnessed in Soibug-Magam-Beerwah belt of Budgam district in the last four to five months. They have eliminated over a dozen counter-insurgent sources of Police and security forces in the last two months and turned the whole belt into a "liberated zone". Officials said that the two most wanted militant commanders, Hizbul Mujahideen’s Yusuf and Al-Badar’s Bilal-e-Habshi, have spread a reign of terror as they have been eliminating their targets at will.

Commander of Budgam-based Sector-12 Brig T P Shukla, Commanding Officer of RR 34 Daljit Singh Dhillon and SP Budgam Ramesh Jalla supervised the daylong operation at Rathsun. IGP Kashmir Zone, K Rajendra Kumar, said that the operation would continue even after the death of two militants, as there were reports about the presence of a thick group of militants in the village. He said that house to house searches would be carried out on Thursday as the security forces had sealed off all entry and exit points.

Reports from Pulwama said that Police recovered the bullet-riddled dead body of one Mohammad Ashraf Rishi S/o Ghulam Ahmed Rishi R/o Wachi from Imam Sahib, Shopian, today. Militants had reportedly kidnaped him from his house with the allegation that he was an informer of the security forces. Unconfirmed reports said that the militants had also chopped off one of his arms.

Reports from north Kashmir said that troops of Para 10 and RR 18 Bn eliminated an unidentified militant in an encounter at Dooraswani in Lolab valley of Kupwara district today.

Sources said that Army laun-ched a cordon-and-search operation in Panar forest area of Bandipora after receiving information that a group of militants was present there. During the operation, an encounter took place between the holed up militants and security forces. Two militants got killed. They were identified as Tipu Veqas and Shahid-ul-Islam. Officials insisted that Tipoo Veqas was the "district commander" with Harkatul Jihad-e-Islami.

Unconfirmed reports from Budgam said that during last night militants fired upon the residence of a Dy SP of J&K Armed Police, namely Ghulam Qadir Mir, at Kathwaar village in Budgam-Khansahib belt. The house suffered minor damage but the Police official was not harmed.

Govt retires 15 tainted officers

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 10: Within a week of Cabinet empowering the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to remove dead wood and tainted public servants from the administration, the State Government today retired 15 Government officials from Government service.

These include two heads of departments, one of them a senior KAS officer and one Executive Engineer. This is the first such action taken by the coalition Government.

This action has been taken under Article 226 of (2)/(3) of J&K Civil Services Regulations. All those officials retired have completed 22 years of service or attained age of 48 required under law for such action.

These officials are include Shah Latif, KAS, Director Rural Saintation, Jammu; G M Bhat, Controller Drug and Food Control Organisation, Jammu; M Y Kohli, Lecturer (English), Government Degree College, Rajouri; Mehraj-ud-Din Khan, Executive Engineer, (REW), Rural Development Department, presently on deputation to Divisional Procurement, Supplies and Marketing Society, Jammu; Ghulam Rasool Magray, Chief Inspector, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Kashinir; Mohammad Maqbool Mir, Agriculture Overseer, Office of District Agriculture Officer (Inputs), Pulwama; Mohammad Hafiz Rifiquee, Accountant, attached in the office of Deputy Director, Accounts and Treasuries, Srinagar; Naseer Ahmad Joo, Depot Assistant, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Kupwara; Mohammad Ayub Wani, Depot Assistant, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Pulwama; Gh.Mohi-ud-Din, Junior Assistant Office of Assistant Director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Poonch; Kapoor Chand, Junior Assistant Office of Assistant Director Trade and Stores Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Jammu; Om Prakash Gupta, Senior Assistant Office of Assistant Director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Kathua; Devi Chand, Senior Assistant, Office of Assistant Director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Ramban; Arjun Singh, Senior Assistant, Office of Assistant Director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Kathua and Ghulam Qadir Peer, Accountant C/o Deputy Director Accounts and Treasuries, Srinagar .

It may be recalled that the Chief Minister during the last budget session had promised to cleanse administration from dead wood and tainted officers and announced a three-member committee headed by Chief Secretary to consider cases for retirement of officials having completed 22 years of service or age of 48.

The committee has given its first report and on its recommendations, the Government is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to retire these officers/officials from Government service. The retirement orders have been served on them.

Baig levels serious corruption charges on NC
*Speaker adjourns House as MLAs clash

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 10: The National Conference and PDP-Cong MLAs clashed in the Legislative Assembly today indulging in massive sloganeering against each other after Finance Minister Muzaffar Baig accused the previous NC Government of creating liabilities worth Rs 192 crore and allotting works to relatives of the Ministers worth crores without inviting the tenders. Amidst pandemonium, Speaker Tara Chand had to adjourn the House for half an hour.

Trouble began when replying to a question of NC MLA from Anantnag, Dr Mehboob Beg, the Finance Minister charged the previous NC Government with creating liabilities to the tune of Rs 192 crores.

Immediately after Muzaffar Baig’s allegation, the NC MLAs including Dr Beg, A R Rather and Ali Mohd Sagar were on their feet and countered the allegation. They asked Mr Baig to give evidence in support of his allegation.

As Mr Baig justified his allegation, all NC MLAs barring Dillawar Mir were on their feet and charged the Finance Minister with losing his temper. Sharief-ud-Din Shariq (NC) challenged Mr Baig to substantiate the allegation or tender an apology.

"Baig Ko Har Samay Gussa Kyon Aata Hai (why Baig become angry every time)? Sagar asked. Mehboob Beg also charged Mr Baig with trying to force his advise on the legislators. The PDP and Congress MLAs came to the rescue of the Finance Ministers.

Amidst charges and counter charges, both sides levelled allegations against each other. While NC members shouted ‘Chor, Chor’, the coalition partners countered with ‘Chor Machaye Shor’.

As pandemonium continued for more than five minutes and nothing was audible in the din, the Speaker kept on requesting both the sides to take their seats saying he will give time to both the sides to speak. But both the sides didn’t relent forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for half an hour.

National Conference president Omar Abdullah, who was watching the Assembly proceedings from the Speaker’s gallery, saw the pandemonium and left soon after the House was adjourned.

Mr Baig said a Joint House Committee should be constituted to probe the charges. He said the NC leaders had distributed the works worth Rs 100 crore among their relatives without floating the tenders. "We will expose them", he thundered.

Speaking to media in the Assembly lobby during the adjournment, Mr Baig said the new Government has reduced the liability by about 45 per cent.

Dr Mehboob Beg said the NC was not serious about the corruption charges as the Accountability Commission had failed to take off even after more than one year of its announcement. "People need a clean administration but the Panthers Party, a coalition partner, has levelled serious charges of corruption against the Government", he said.

Dillawar Mir stuns NC with ‘pro-Govt’ speech
*Refuses to join walk-out, protest

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 10: Speculations that National Conference leader and former Minister, Dillawar Mir was falling apart from the party, today gained ground when he virtually gave a "pro-Government" speech in the Legislative Assembly while speaking on the adjournment motion of human rights. Also, he didn’t join a walk-out by the NC legislators during the Chief Minister’s reply to the motion.

Amidst thumping of benches by the ruling coalition partners, Mr Mir said this was for the first time since breakout of the militancy that the Assembly has the representative character. "We had two-third majority in the last Assembly but it was often said that it lacked a representative character. In that election, the polling percentage was two percent, five per cent or 25 per cent only", he said virtually stunning the NC MLAs.

"The last Assembly election in 2002 was certified not only by the Indian leadership but by the "big bull" like the United States and other international community", he said.

It may be recalled that the top NC leadership had resented the Central leadership’s remarks that the present Assembly enjoyed the representative character. Mr Mir’s statement did embarrass the NC benches but they didn’t object to it.

Continuing with his tirade, Mr Mir, who represents Rafiabad Assembly segment, said: "we should welcome a new atmosphere emerging between India and Pakistan which we couldn’t do for six years though we were partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government".

Much to the discomfort of his party, he said, "we couldn’t raise our voice against Gujarat incidents".

Saying that a conducive situation is being created now, Mr Mir said "we couldn’t get any assurance on the opening of Rawalpindi road but now Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was openly talking about it".

As Deputy Speaker, Ghulam Nabi Lone, who was in the chair sounded bell siganlling Mr Mir to end his speech, Congress chief whip Prem Sagar Aziz immediately stood up saying his time should be given to Mr Mir. Almost all the members in the treasury benches including Works Minister Madan Lal Sharma pleaded with the Chair to let Mr Mir speak.

‘Ulti Ganga Beh Rahi Hai, Aap Clapping Kar Rahe Ho. Yeh Aisi Chot Marega, Aap Dhare Ke Dhare Rah Zayoge", Sagar remarked as the ruling party members kept on encouraging Mr Mir by thumping their desks.

As this was not all, Dillawar Mir also refused to join the NC MLAs in walk-out when Chief Minister was replying to debate on the adjournment motion on the human rights. All NC MLAs were on their feet protesting the figures being given by the Chief Minister regarding the custodial killings and staged a walk-out.

Mr Mir, however, didn’t join and kept sitting. NC leader Mohd Sayeed Akhoon was seen talking to Mir before staging the walk-out.

Earlier in the morning, when entire NC flock was protesting Finance Minister Muzaffar Baig’s remarks against the National Conference, Dillawar Mir watched the proceedings silently and didn’t join the protest. On being asked by the NC members, he stood up for few seconds but again took his seat.

After the House was adjourned for the day, Mr Mir, when approached by the newsmen, justified his decision not to join the NC walk-out during the Chief Minister’s reply on the adjournment motion. "When the treasury benches heard our views, we too must have listened to the Chief Minister’s reply", he said.

Geelani, Malik among 50 arrested

SRINAGAR, Dec 10: Police today took into preventive custody nearly 50 separatists including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik and his deputy Javed Ahmad Mir who were protesting alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir on the World Human Rights day.

Geelani, who was leading nearly 200 protestors towards United Nations Military Observers group, was taken into custody at Zero bridge here, offi-

cial sources said.

Police had to resort to teargas shelling as Geelani’s supporters tried to resist his detention, they said.

He has been lodged at Rajbagh Police Station alongwith four associates.

Malik was detained from Lal Chowk area alongwith two associates. A JKLF spokesman said Malik was not leading any demostration but heading to a hospital for check up.

An hour earlier, Mir, who was leading a group of nearly 100 youth, was taken into custody from Maisuma locality alongwith his supporters, the sources said.

Immediately after Mir’s detention, the youth began pelting stones at the police, who were trying to disperse the crowd, they said.

Chairman of Democratic Liberation party Hashim Qureshi was also taken into custody alongwith nearly 10 supporters for leading a similar protest in Budshah Chowk area.

Over a dozen activists of Awami Action Committee, a constituent of Hurriyat Conference (Ansari group), led by party secretary Mohammad Yakoob Vakil and Youth Forum head Farooq Ahmad were also taken into custody at Lal Chowk, they said.

Thirteen activists of Awami Action Committee, who were taken into preventive custody, were lodged at Kothibagh Police Station, they said.

Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Realistic Front Hilal Ahmad was taken into preventive custody alongwith four supporters as he tried to lead a protest march in Maisuma locality of Lal Chowk area here, official sources said.

The detained separatists were lodged at Maisuma Police Station, they said.

Almost all the organisations, who had organised the protest marches, condemned the police action, claiming that several activists were injured when police used force to disperse them.

However, police sources did not confirm the use of force. (PTI)

Army commanders review ceasefire

ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: Top military officials of India and Pakistan have reviewed the prevailing ceasefire along the LoC and expressed satisfaction over the way it was being observed.

At a flag meeting at Sialkot yesterday, Wing Commander of Pakistan’s Chenab Rangers Col Nadeem and BSF Battalion Commander Col Rajesh Gupta reviewed the observance of the ceasefire along the LoC and Siachen and hoped that the truce would continue.

The meeting, which was the first on the Pakistani soil after the ceasefire, was held in a "warm" and "friendly" atmosphere, Pakistani officials were quoted as saying by local daily `The News’.

Besides routine issues related to the border situation, Commanders of both the countries discussed different matters of mutual interest, they said.

Later Col Gupta told Pakistani media that the ceasefire has brought a sigh of relief to thousands of villagers on both sides along the working boundary.

Pointing out that the continuous firing and shelling during the recent years had made the lives of the people miserable, he said "now the atmosphere of fear and terror has evaporated and people are happily working in their fields."

Asked about the fencing along the LoC, which Pakistan has objected to, Col Gupta said India was fencing in order to stop the infiltration of militants across the LoC.

"We are erecting the fence on the Indian soil, along the working border and it is in the best interest of both the countries". (PTI)

Pak sets deadline to resolve Baglihar

ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: In the midst of major peace initiatives, Pakistan has served notice to India asking it to stop work by December 31 on Baglihar Hydro Power Project being built on the river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir, claiming it violated the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.

The notice by Pakistan asked New Delhi last week to stop construction of the project and settle the dispute by December 31, failing which Pakistan reserved the right to call for international arbitration under the aegis of World Bank, which facilitated the 1960 water treaty between the two countries.

Indian High Commission officials here said a letter in this regard has been sent by the Pakistan foreign office last week.

The notice by Pakistan followed a recent visit made by a team of Pakistani officials to Baglihar project after clearance from India.

Significantly Pakistan has fixed the December 31 deadline, which was close to SAARC summit scheduled to be held from January 4 to 6.

The issue was expected to figure in the meetings between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, if a one-to-one meeting takes place to discuss the recent peace initiatives, including prevailing ceasefire along the LoC and a host of other Confidence Building Measures such as resumption of air-links. (PTI)

Badal, Sukhbir released from jail

PATIALA, Dec 10: After spending over a week in jail, Shiromani Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal and his Rajya Sabha MP son Sukhbir Singh were released from central jail here today after a Ropar court granted regular bails to the duo in a disproportionate assets case registered against them by the State Vigilance Bureau.

Immediately after coming out from the jail, Badal thanked thousands of party workers who had gathered to express solidarity with the beleaguered Akali leader.

He was greeted by SAD general secretary Capt Kanwaljit Singh, former SGPC chiefs Kripal Singh Badungar, Bibi Jagir Kaur, Badal’s MLA nephew Manpreet Singh Badal, and party leaders Prem Singh Chandumajra, Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Surjit Singh among others were also present outside the jail.

Badal said the Akalis would continue to fight against the alleged repression unleashed against them by the Capt Amarinder Singh led Congress Government.

"Our coming out from the jail does not mean that we will sit quietly now. We will expose the Government’s political vendetta against political opponents and its having failed on all fronts before the masses," Badal told reporters outside the jail.

He claimed that the Amarinder Singh Government would fall under its own weight and the "dream of (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi to lead this country will never come true".

He said SAD’s political affairs committee meeting at Chandigarh on Friday would decide further course of action, but hinted that Akalis would step up the pitch of their agitation against the Government.

Sukhbir Badal alleged that he had been kept in condemned cell and the Chief Minister had allegedly acted revengefully against him because he had been exposing the latter’s "misdeeds" in public.

Senior Badal said that tomorrow he would go to Amritsar to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple.

Badal and Sukhbir then proceeded towards Gurudwara Dukhniwaran Sahib here to pay obeisance. At the Gurudwara, Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra and other party leaders were waiting for them.

Later, Badal, Tohra, Capt Kanwaljit among others also addressed a public gathering outside the Gurudwara.

Ropar Special Judge S K Goyal yesterday ordered the father-son duo to be released on bail bonds of Rs 20 lakh each and two sureties of the like amount.

The release orders were issued by Ropar Chief Judicial Magistrate J S Bhinder after furnishing of the bail bonds by the accused. The release orders were later handed over to the central jail authorities this afternoon by a special messenger deputed by the court.

The Special Judge Goyal pronounced the orders on the bail application late last evening after hearing arguments of the public prosecutors and defence counsels at length. The Supreme Court had asked the judge on Monday to dispose of the bail applications by Tuesday or as early as possible.

The Ropar Court has asked the Badals to deposit their passports with the court and not leave the country without it’s prior permission. They have also been restrained from issuing any press statements about the case, and asked to cooperate with the investigating agency.

In his 43-page order, Goyal observed that all those conditions given in the Laloo Prasad Yadav case would be binding on both the accused.

On December 5, Goyal had adjourned the case on their bail plea on the ground that the Badals had filed an application for seeking transfer of the case from Punjab to some other state and for bail in the Supreme Court.

The Ropar Court has asked the Badals to deposit their passports with the court and not leave the country without it’s prior permission. They have also been restrained from issuing any press statements about the case, and asked to cooperate with the investigating agency. (PTI)

CBI begins probe in bribery scam

RAIPUR, Dec 10: Acting swiftly after registering a corruption case against former Chattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, a CBI team from Delhi today began its probe into the cash-for-MLAs scam.

Immediately after its arrival here, the three-member CBI team took over the case details from the state’s anti-corruption bureau and scrutinised the audio tape containing purported conversation between Jogi and defected BJP MP P R Khunte with BJP state secretary Virendra Pandey and Bastar party MP Baliram Kashyap.

The team will try to ascertain the source of money which was allegedly paid by Jogi to Khunte in a bid to form a Government by splitting the saffron party.

The CBI yesterday registered a case against Jogi, his son Amit and Khunte under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI would conduct a voice spectography test by matching the voices of all those heard in the audio tape, the sources said.

Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday night at a press conference displayed Rs 45 lakh and a taped conversation purportedly between Jogi and Khunte with Pandey and Kashyap and claimed the former Chief Minister had allegedly bribed the BJP leaders to prevent the party from forming the Government. (PTI)

NHRC for collective action to curb terrorism

NEW DELHI, Dec 10: National Human Rights Commission Chairperson Justice A S Anand and the Dalai Lama today decried the rise of terrorism and growing religious fundamentalism which posed a grave threat to human rights and called for collective action to tackle them.

In his address at a function organised by the NHRC to mark the Human Rights Day, Justice Anand described Human Rights to be "non-negotiable and inalienable" and said international terrorism, which was a modern form of warfare against liberal democracies, posed a grave danger to their flourish.

"The goal of these terrorists is to destroy the very fabric of democracy and it would be wrong for any democratic state to consider international terrorism to be someone else’s problem."

Criticizing a US Court’s recent verdict acquitting an Indian terrorist on the ground that "one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter," Justice Anand said it was a manifestation of the widespread confusion about the morality of terroristic forms of violence.

"The terrorist acts are part of a broad campaign aimed at the disintegration of the democratic societies. The liberal democracies must, therefore, acknowledge that international terrorism is a collective problem. When one free nation is under attack, the rest must realise that democracy itself is under attack," Justice Anand observed.

The NHRC Chairperson came down heavily on "unfortunate trend of ever-growing religious fundamentalism and use of terrorist activities for imposing their will." "a violent group whatever its politics, has no right to kill, and no claim to such a right must ever be allowed to override the right of the majority of the citizens to live in peace," he said.

Pointing out that misguided fanatics do not value human life and resort to all types of attack on Human Rights in the name of religion, Justice Anand called for "clear and effective response of the society to curb all such terrorism as selective dealing would prove to be counter-productive." He said that society’s indifference to such acts only encouraged fundamentalism while loud and clear condemnation of their activities discouraged them.

The Dalai Lama shared the views of the NHRC Chairman and said that religious fundamentalism and bullying tactics of bigger nations were violating the Human Rights of millions of people worldwide. He appreciated the work done by NHRC and many NGOs in protecting the Human Rights of people and said that they would have to make concerted efforts to achieve this goal in the future.

The Dalai Lama released a report on ‘Distressed Migrant Labour in India: Key human issues’ published by NHRC and released a table calander highlighting the right to equality of disabled people.

Expressing concern over the violation of Human Rights of victims of violence in Gujarat, Justice Anand called for increasing efficacy of the criminal justice delivery system. The NHRC took up serious issues concerning right to fair trial, protection of witness and victims of crime in a criminal trial as if one criminal goes unpunished the society at large suffers because the victim gets demoralised and criminals are encouraged.

He stressed the need for making Human Rights the focal point of good governance as no progress was either possible or sustainable without a baseline of respect for Huamn Rights. He said that poverty was destructive of all rights.

Stating that poverty was destructive of all rights, he said India faced the greatest challenges of Human Rights in the areas of maternal and child care, child education, child labour, abuse, bonded labour, trafficking in women and children and protection of weaker sections of society like Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Dalits.

"These great societal issues are not issues of excellence but of survival," he observed and felt that increased respect for human rights makes an effective contribution to the protection of peace and stability.

Justice Anand said that weaker sections of society suffer the most from the Human Rights failure which were the roots of serious social and economic problems being faced by society. The effective way to solve such problems and ensure civilised existence of the people was to guarantee Human Rights of the weaker sections in full measure.

He dwelled on the work done by the NHRC during the past one decade and said that the Commission has relentlessly endeavored to be at the vanguard of the battle to curb violation of Human Rights happening anywhere in the country when brought to its notice.

In a nation of over one billion people, it was an uphill task, he said and added the magnitude of the problem could be gauged from the fact that NHRC received 47,000 complaints of Human Rights Violations in the current financial year while it had received 70,000 such complaints last year.

The Dalai Lama lamented that religion was being used as an instrument for exploitation. He said that it was unfortunate that all religions were created from the same source, still religion was being used for exploitation. (UNI)

Tarigami writes to Mufti on corruption

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 10: Differences have surfaced in the coalition Government with many alliance partners expressing serious concern over the rampant corruption in the State.

In an open letter to Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, state CPI(M) secretary Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, MLA Kulgam highlighted the rampant corruption at almost every level of the administration in the State even after the coalition Government completed more than a year in office.

There is general belief that the menace has spread its tentacles far and wide, not excluding even the top levels, he said.

The CPI(M) leader said one of the major planks of the people’s support to the present coalition Government was its firm commitment to rid the administrative machinery of this evil.

"The question, today, seems to haunt every citizen about the seriousness of the present regime in tackling the issue," he said in the letter dated November 19, which was released to the media today.

The letter has not been replied upon by the Chief Minister even after 20 days, he regretted.

Mr Tarigami said soon after assuming office, the coalition Government came out with a legislative measure in the form of the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act to check growing corruption in the State.

"But, the Commission has not so far seen the light of the day. The act remains merely on paper and the promise of providing a just, responsive and clean administration is a distant dream and nothing more," he said.

The CPI(M) leader also brought to Mr Sayeed’s notice the setting up of a committee, headed by the state Chief Secretary, during the last Assembly session to identify and remove, what was called "dead wood" in the State administration. "Even this committee seems to have gone into a state of oblivion. The present state of affairs leads many to believe that the coalition lacks capacity to tackle the issue," he added.

Mr Tarigami called upon the Chief Minister to address the corruption issue with all "seriousness" to regain the lost confidence of the people of the State.

The Democratic People’s Forum had also earlier raised the issue.

Meanwhile, Mr Tarigami's question on the same issue was also listed in the Assembly today. Late in the afternoon, the Government issued a list giving forced retirement to 15 officers.
 
 
 
 

 

 

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