‘War’ on Geelani intensifies
People’s Conference sees him possibly
responsible for Lone’s killing

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, July 8: Firebrand secessionist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has, in a swift turn of events, come in for the severest criticism by the People’s Conference, a constituent of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in Kashmir.

Sajjad Lone, president of the People’s Conference (PC), triggered commotion here on Tuesday, with his startling allegation that Syed Ali Shah Geelani "is possibly responsible" for the assassination of his father, Abdul Ghani Lone.

Addressing a news conference at his Rawalpora residence, Sajjad Lone said that Geelani’s statements were provocative enough to have triggered the assassination of "my father, Abdul Ghani Lone". "I have written to the Hurriyat chairman, demanding that a committee be set up to probe the murder", he divulged.

Sajjad Lone’s 7-page letter, addressed to Prof. Abdul Ghani Bhat, chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, was dashed off on June 12, 2003. The letter made the specific demand: "Let the committee decide whether the statements of my father’s colleagues, especially comments by Syed Ali Shah Geelani , were provocative enough to have led to his assassination".

Suddenly breaking its silence on charges levelled by Geelani, People’s Conference regretted that no committee had been set up by the Hurriyat Conference. When asked what happened to the Hurriyat committee to probe his father’s killing, Sajjad said that the inquiry was yet to take off.

Asked if his party would seek Geelani’s permanent ouster from the Hurriyat Conference following the charges against him, Sajjad Lone said that it was for Hurriyat to decide.

Sajjad, who took over the People’s Conference after his father’s assassination last year, was asked if other Hurriyat leaders could be involved in the assassination. His reply: This can be known only when the committee is constituted by the Hurriyat to probe the murder.

Sajjad also accused Geelani of adopting double standards and said that he (Geelani) was not averse to sharing a stage with Government functionaries. Charging Geelani with bringing militancy into politics, Sajjad Lone asked: Is Geelani creating the same environment which he created before the assassination of Abdul Ghani Lone?

Yet another allegation levelled by Sajjad: Geelani is attempting to split the Hurriyat Conference. Sajjad’s loaded comment: Geelani is a ‘dream gift’ for Indians.

Elaborating, Sajjad said that Geelani "has come with a simple design to split the Hurriyat Conference". "That is what India wants", he said.

Nor was it all. Sajjad described Geelani as "an ideological nightmare for the Kashmiri struggle and a dream gift for Indians". Sajjad said that Kashmir, for Geelani, "is not a cause but an excuse for pursuing some other agenda".

Geelani, Sajjad reiterated, "is the biggest threat to pro-Kashmiri forces" in the State. Asked if he had any evidence against the Jamaat-e-Islami leader (Geelani), Sajjad said that people were of the view that his statements constituted a major factor in Lone’s assassination.

According to Sajjad, Geelani had made the People"s Conference the target of his "over-active and destructive" imagination. Geelani’s utterances against the party "are part of the on-going vicious campaign started during my father’s lifetime", he said.

Sajjad also charged Geelani with putting up his former personal secretary and a close aide, Abdul Khaliq Hanief, as a proxy candidate in the 2002 Assembly elections. More serious than this was Sajjad’s charge: Geelani’s supporters indulged in tactical voting to ensure victory of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) nominees.

On Geelani’s allegations that the People’s Conference had fielded proxy candidates, Sajjad Lone said: "Whether we fielded any candidates or not is a debatable issue, though we had made our position clear to the Hurriyat Conference. Geelani’s indiscipline is an established fact".

"Our impeccable sources suggest that in south Kashmir, Geelani’s faction tactically voted for the PDP", he said and added: "Geelani’s faction in Jamaat-e-Islami is an invisible and unholy partner in the current ruling coalition". "We are being accused of fielding proxy candidates in the last elections, while Geelani himself contested elections in the past and is still receiving pension as a former member of the Legislative Assembly", he said.

Referring to Geelani’s statement asking Kashmiris not to take relief from Government, Sajjad asked: "Did he (Geelani) not accept huge sums of money by Government on his medical treatment?" Asked why he himself called a press conference when he had criticised Geelani for going to the public against his party, Sajjad Lone explained that it had become "necessary for us to put forward our viewpoint on the controversy started by Geelani demanding action against us for a sin not committed by us".

Sajjad asserted that there was absolutely no truth in reports that any office-bearer of his party participated in the election campaign for any candidate.

PM meets Pak business delegation

NEW DELHI, July 8: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today met a Pakistani business delegation and said their visit was a "positive" reaction to his recent peace initiative that also included enhanced trade and economic cooperation.

Vajpayee, who spent 45 minutes with the Pakistani business team, said stepped up economic cooperation between the two countries would help create conducive atmosphere for betterment of Indo-Pak relations, according an External Affairs Ministry spokesman.

The seven-member Pakistani group congratulated the Prime Minister for the hand of friendship extended by him. They recalled that Indo-Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry was set up after the Lahore bus journey by him and voiced happiness that they had been able to have this meeting in India because of the peace initiative.

The delegation felt that improvement in trade and economic ties with India would benefit Pakistan itself and would open one-billion strong Indian market for trade, the spokesman said.

The team urged the Prime Minister to ease visa norms for Pakistani businessmen so that trade between the two countries could flourish.

During the meeting, the delegation also presented a joint memorandum prepared by the federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry on increasing bilateral trade.

The joint memorandum contains a host of suggestions on easing trade bottlenecks between India and Pakistan including visa norms, transport and communication facilities.

"We had a very fruitful meeting with the Indian Prime Minister.... Visa concessions to Pakistani businessmen were discussed. We want trade between the two countries to grow further," leader of the delegation Ilyas Ahmed Bilour told reporters after the meeting.

FICCI president A C Muthiah and secretary general Amit Mitra were also a part of this delegation. Mitra said a copy of the joint memorandum will be released later in the day.

The Pakistani delegation comprises 120 members and is being touted as the largest ever business delegation to visit India. (PTI)

Ashok Jaitly on the offensive
Criminal defamation case against PTI too

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, July 8: Ashok Jaitly, former Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, is poised to add yet another dimension to his drive against "false and baseless" media coverage casting aspersions on his integrity.

If it was a criminal defamation case against India Today news magazine last month, it is going to be against the country’s leading wire agency, Press Trust of India (PTI) this time.

Jaitly’s anger hasn’t abated even as India Today has, in its July 14 edition, issued a ‘clarification’, regretting the error it had committed while reporting the registration of a case by Vigilance Department in Jammu and Kashmir against five top bureaucrats including former Chief Secretary (Jaitly).

In its letters to the editor column, India Today (July 14) said: "Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitly has not been charged in a case of embezzlement, as was the impression given by Signposts (June 23). The Press Trust of India had only reported on June 9 that the State Vigilance Department had registered a case against five officials including Jaitly for misappropriation of public money during the renovation of the Jammu and Kashmir House in Delhi. The error is regretted".

It may be recalled that Ashok Jaitly told a press conference in New Delhi that he had filed a criminal defamation case against India Today for having falsely reported that he had been charged with "embezzlement" by the State Vigilance Department.

Jaitly was quoted as having told the press conference: "There is no question of my having been charged with anything by the State Vigilance Department. Clearly, this is a malicious and deliberate attempt to damage my reputation and is extremely defamatory in nature".

Ashok Jaitly told EXCELSIOR on Tuesday that as India Today’s ‘clarification’ and expression of regret had not convinced him a bit, he had decided not to withdraw his case against the publication. Jaitly had filed, on June 19, the petition of criminal defamation under various sections of the IPC in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Delhi) against Messrs Living Media and the Editors of India Today.

With the disclosure by India Today’s Editor of the fact that the publication’s item on Jaitly had been based on the story put out by the PTI, former Chief Secretary of J&K, currently based in Delhi, has planned to proceed against the PTI as well as those publications that had circulated the story alleging his involvement in misappropriation of public money.

It may be mentioned here that the PTI circulated the story on June 9. It inter alia said that a case of misappropriation of public money had been registered against "five top bureaucrats, including former Chief Secretary, Ashok Jaitly".

Gilgit sitting atop a ticking bomb
*Shia-Sunni clashes mount

NEW DELHI, July 8: Gilgit in Pakistan-controlled northern areas is sitting atop a sectarian bomb, which is ticking away, according to a leading Pakistani newspaper.

The Shia community is up in arms in the area that has seen much sectarian tension since the time General Zia-ul Haq sent Sunni ‘Lashkars’ to put the fear of God in Shias, the Friday Times said.

The sectarian tensions go back to 1988 when riots broke out in the area over the sighting of Ramadan moon resulting in the killing of 300 people officially and 700 unofficially.

The newspaper said the present tension was due to the objection by the Shia community to Islamiat textbooks. The issue, simmering for three years now, had acquired more ferocity in the last one year.

"The issue is unresolved for last three years. The Government has failed to address it to our satisfaction. The textbooks (Islamic studies) promote Sunni thought and totally neglect ours. We want the books redesigned or the consequences will be extremely dangerous," warned Agha Ziauddin Rizvi, Imam at Gilgit’s Imamia Mosque.

The Shia community leaders said the Islamiat textbooks have been deliberately distorted to promote sectarian hatred between the two sects. "The distortions are not only limited to Islamic studies but are also highlighted in textbooks of other subjects such as Urdu, History, English and even the drawing books. I do not advocate elimination of Islamic studies from the curriculum but I want them purged of all controversial and inflammatory material," he told the newspaper.

A senior education ministry official said the Government had taken note of the issue and was doing its best to review and re-write the textbooks but possibly could not design a separate curriculum for Shias.

"The Shia leaders are demanding a separate curriculum for their sect. This is impossible. It will further aggravate the scourge of sectarianism," he added.

His views are echoed by a Shia scholar, Amin Shaheedi. ‘’a separate Islamiat curriculum will create more dissent. It is no solution. We should have a consensus syllabus acceptable to all sects,’’ he said. One of the objections is that the textbooks carries a sketch of a boy offering prayers in the Sunni way. "The picture can mislead a Shia student about his/her religious rituals,’’ Mr Ali Ahmed Jan, a lead (leadership for environment and development) fellow said.

Shia students have been boycotting classes and staged protest rallies. Several people, including a girl student, were injured when the ongoing strike and boycott of the classes turned violent as the mob reportedly tried to close down an army-run school in Gilgit.

The paper said Gilgit was virtually under siege. To ward off any untoward situation, the law enforcement agencies have enhanced security measures in Gilgit and suburban areas. Prohibitory orders have been imposed in the city.

The clashes started during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s days in the mid-seventies when a section of the Sunni community raised objections over the Shias’ making a stage on the city’s main road and delivering speeches.

"The situation worsened in 1988. Zia exploited a minor issue of moon-sighting and observance of Ramadan fasting and masterminded the murder of 700 innocent people that included women, elders and children. The Shia community was celebrating Eid because its scholars had sighted the moon, whereas, the Sunni community was fasting. The Sunnis felt hurt and attacked some Shia boys who were eating and celebrating Eid. This led to a gunbattle between the two communities. The situation settled down and remained calm for four days.

On the fifth day, a huge ‘Lashkar’ (Army) of 80,000 Sunni extremists was sent by the Zia-ul-Haq Government to annihilate the Shias. Villages inhabited by the Shias Jalalabad, Bonji, Darot, Jaglot, Pari, and Manawar were completely ruined. Even their animals were slaughtered. The Laskhar had traveled a long distance from Mansehra to Gilgit and the Government did not stop it. Instead, it put the blame on RAW and CIA," Mr Shaheedi said.

The controversial textbooks have been written by a panel of four Sunni authors, the newspaper said.

According to the former Minister for Religious Affairs and a Sunni scholar, there was no solution to the Shia-Sunni dispute. "The issue is 1,400 years old and it can never die down. It is in the blood of clerics on both sides of the divide to fight," he added. (UNI)

CBI raids 3 Customs officials, Rs 1.56 cr seized

KOLKATA, July 8 : In a major operation against customs officers, the CBI today raided residence and office premises of three senior officers and claimed to have seized Rs 1.03 crore in cash and deposit certificates and property papers worth Rs 0.53 crore.

Acting on a complaint, the CBI officials swooped on the residences of two joint commissioners and one Deputy Commissioner and later also searched their offices at the customs house in the Central districts of B B D Bag area, sources in CBI’s Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) said.

The sources said that the three officials were charged with unduly favouring an importer of Delhi and customs clearing house agent of Kolkata by clearing the consignment of button battery cells, imported by them through the Calcutta Port during 2002.

"By not realising customs duty as per the correct rates, the officials had caused a loss of Rs one crore to the Central Government coffers," the CBI sources said.

Today’s raids were part of the investigation launched two to three days back, they said adding "it was found that the three officials had taken favours from the importer for accepting his undervalued import consignment statement."

The sources said that Rs 88 lakh in cash and deposit certificates amounting to Rs 16.50 lakh was seized from the residence of a Deputy Commissioner while Rs 14.50 lakh in cash and deposit certificates and property papers worth Rs 37 lakh was seized from the residence of the Joint Commissioner.

"We have also seized two keys of bank lockers of the officials and will find out what lies there. One of the officers owned a house on Em By-Pass near Garia while the other had a flat in salt lake area," they said. (PTI)

44 addl Coys for Amarnath pilgrims: IG CRPF

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 8: Forty four additional companies of Central Reserve Police Force have been deployed for the security of the pilgrims and vital installations during month long Shri Amarnath yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.

Inspector General of CRPF (Ops), Mr V B Singh disclosed that 28 companies of CRPF including a Mahila Company has already been deployed in Kashmir zone to provide security cover to various yatri camps at Baltal, Holy cave, Panchtarni, Sheshnag, Poshpatri, Zojibal, Pissutop, Chandan, Pahalgam, Khanabal, Mattan Camp, Noonwan base and Sarbal Camp.

Besides providing much needed camp security for yatris, frisking and checking of yatris at base camp at Noonwan is also being done by the force men. Two CRPF companies are being deployed for escort of yatris from Shitani Nallahhhhh base camp and back. CRPF have established free medical camps at various locations to provide medical aid and life saving drugs to yatris. Enroute, two Medical Camp at Udhampur and Shitani Nallah will be set up for the yatris proceeding towards the base camp at Pahalgam.

Referring to the role of CRPF during yatra, Mr Singh said like every year, the Force is handling the crucial assignment for conducting peaceful Shri Amarnath yatra this year, too. Keeping in view the present security scenario and ongoing activities of militants in the State, foolproof security arrangements have been made for smooth conduct of the yatra. The force will also be manning the strategic points in Jammu city.

Responding to a question, the IG said in Jammu region, 16 additional Companies of CRPF have been entrusted with the responsibility of providing round the clock security to the various lodging centres of pilgrims in Jammu, security at starting point—Maulana Azad Stadium, patrolling along National Highway at selected stretches and escorting convoys of pilgrims from Jammu to Shitani Nallah near Banihal and back. Nearly, 3300 pilgrims in approximately 200 vehicles will proceed daily from MA Stadium in the form of convoy, he maintained.

The CRPF is well equipped and prepared to meet any eventuality and has tried its best strengthened the security ring and ensure safe passage to the pilgrims from various parts of the country. The Army has already taken control of some sensitive areas of the Highway and the yatra route. The CRPF dog squad and bomb detection and disposal squad have also been pressed into service. Various important places are being sanitized from time to time on regular basis. A pilgrim friendly pamphlet with important information and guidelines is being distributed by the CRPF among the arriving yatris for instructions and general information.

Responding to another question on replacement of BSF battalions with that of CRPF for counter insurgency operations in J&K, the IG said the process of replacement of 8 battalions has just initiated in Valley but it was stopped for the time being. He refused to comment on the issue adding that it may be some political reason or the policy of decision of the Government. But the CRPF was trained to enough to take up any assignment including CI duty or the Law and Order activities. It is already assisting the police in maintaining law and order in various States of the country and going to become number one force in the world in next few months.

India rules out Foreign Secys meet at SAARC

NEW DELHI, July 8: A day before the SAARC meeting in Kathmandu, India today ruled out a separate meeting between Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal and his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Khokkar, saying this was not part of the step-by-step approach New Delhi had in mind.

"I don’t think so. This is not a part of our step by step approach we have in mind," External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha told reporters when asked about the possibility of such a meeting.

He was responding to questions after the launching of a publication ‘India 2003-04- reliable business partner, attractive FDI destination,‘brought out in eight other languages besides English. These include Japanese, Chinese, Russian, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Arabic with highlighted of investment policies and business opportunities in India.

"There is no plan for a bilateral meeting", External Affairs Ministry spokesman later told reporters.

On the revival of air links snapped in the wake of the December 13 terror attack on Parliament, Sinha said Pakistan had sought technical level talks.

"We said our technical team is ready to hold talks with their technical team. They should tell us when and where. We are awaiting their response. When we know about it, we will talk," he said.

New Delhi has sought clarification from Pakistan on the issue of overlflights. Due to this hurdle, flights from both countries have to take long detours even to travel to certain neighbouring countries.

To another question, Sinha said the Indo-Pak peace process "is going in the right direction".

Disagreeing that the process was very slow, he shot back "this is not to be determined by the media. We will decide on it. Representatives of both countries will determine it".

"We have already said we will move forward cautiously step by step. We are moving ahead in that direction," he said.

Dismissing a suggestion that confidence-building measures taken so far were "only window-dressing", he said "the High Commissioner of Pakistan (Aziz Ahmad Khan) has come. Our high Commissioner (Shiv Shanker Menon) is going there shortly. Is this not a concrete step?"

He said a Pakistani business delegation was here and the Delhi-Lahore bus service was all geared to resume its journey.

Meanwhile, Menon arrived here yesterday from China and is expected to leave for Islamabad later this month to take up his new assignment.

"I don’t have a date when he will leave for Pakistan," the MEA spokesman said.

Asked if there has been any delay in Menon, who was India’s Ambassador to China, moving to Islamabad, the spokesman said "I don’t think there has been any delay.

"Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to China had taken place (late last month) and he was present there," he added. (PTI)

SPO, militant killed
*Complete bandh in Nowshera

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 8: A Special Police Officer (SPO) and a militant were killed in two separate encounters in Doda and Poonch districts today while a complete bandh was observed in Nowshera in protest against the killings of five civilians by the militants yesterday.

Official sources said the militants ambushed a team of police personnel at village Pinjrari, about 15 kms from Dachan in Doda district when it was returning to Doda after providing protection to the pilgrims of Hud Mata, this morning.

A SPO Aya Singh son of Gian Singh, a resident of Thakrai was killed in the ambush. The police personnel retaliated the firing but the militants, numbering between 10 to 12, managed to escape. Body of the SPO was in the process of being shifted to his residence, the sources said.

Meanwhile, a militant was killed in an encounter at village Gounthal in Surankote tehsil in Poonch district this evening.

Sources said a joint team of army and police launched a search operation in Gounthal on a specific input given by CID (CI) regarding presence of three militants in the area. In about one hour operation, one militant was eliminated by the security personnel at 1530 hours while two others managed to escape.

Identity of the slain militant hasn’t been established so far. One AK rifle and some ammunition were recovered from his possession.

In Nowshera tehsil in Rajouri district, a complete bandh was observed by the people today in protest against the killing of five civilians including two women at village Dandhok yesterday morning. All shops in the town and other areas remained closed during the day.

Bodies of the five victims were cremated this afternoon. Condition of a woman, who was seriously injured in the militants’ firing, was stated to be improving in the Military Hospital, Nowshera, where she was operated upon today.

The militants, involved in the firing, remained untraced even after two days searches by army and police.

115 killed in air crash, baby survives

KHARTOUM, July 8: A Sudanese airliner crashed early today in Eastern Sudan, killing all but one of the 116 people aboard, including a senior military officer and three Indians, officials said.

A baby was the sole survivor of the Sudan Airways Boeing 737 accident which occurred shortly after take-off from port Sudan on the Red Sea bound for the capital Khartoum, Airline and Government officials said.

Jalal Mahmud Al-Alab, a senior Sudan Airways official, identified the dead officer as Major Gen Nural-Hoda Fadlallah, head of Sudan’s Air Defence Forces based in Port Sudan.

Ajab also told AFP that three Indians, one Briton, a Chinese, an Ethiopian, and a United Arab Emirates national also died in the crash. The nationality of an eighth foreigner reported killed was not immediately known.

There was no immediate confirmation of the deaths from the respective embassies.

"All of the dead, including the foreigners, were buried at the scene," said Ajab, who listed the crash as a "pure accident".

A Sudanese Government spokesman said the plane’s pilot reported "technical problems" about 10 minutes after taking off from Port Sudan.

The plane crashed on a strip of land near the Red Sea coast about 18 kilometres from the airport, Abdel Hamid Abdeen told AFP.

Ajab identified the boy who survived the crash as nine-month-old Mohammed Al-Fatah, and said he was being treated in a Port Sudan Hospital after losing a leg. (AFP)

Vigilances searches Tehsildar’s house

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 8: The Vigilance Organisation today searched the residence of Tehsildar Kathua, Ashok Kumar Gupta in Kathua town in the presence of two family members of the Revenue officer in connection with a multi-crore land scam.

A team of the Organisation broke open locks of the house, which was sealed on June 3, during a crackdown by the Organisation on the Revenue department officers in Kathua town in the land scam. On June 3, the house of Tehsildar was found locked.

Official sources said some documents have been recovered from the house during more than five hours long searches. Houses of other officers, involved in the scam, were searched by the Vigilance Organisation on June 3 and a Patwari was taken into custody as in addition to cash and documents, some banned arms and ammunition were also found in his possession.

Hizb commander among two killed

SRINAGAR, July 8: A Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander was among two people killed in an encounter in Lolab, while six people were injured in an attack on Kreeri Police Station in the Kashmir valley overnight.

Official sources said receiving a tip-off that a top HM Commander was hiding in Lolab, security forces laid a cordon around the village late last night.

However, as the security forces were sealing the village, militants opened fire at them and hurled grenades. In the retaliatory fire, self styled HM Divisional Commander Mohammad Akbar Mir alias Manta Peer was killed.

Sources said one unidentified body was also recovered near the site of the encounter.

One AK rifle, one universal machine gun, three magazines, two wireless sets and two grenades were recovered from the slain commander, who was wanted in several militancy related incidents.

In another incident, militants attacked Kreeri Police Station with automatic weapons from two different sides, an official spokesman said.

Security guards posted there retaliated and the exchange continued for some time. However, no one was injured in the firing.

The militants managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

Militants threw a hand grenade towards a security force patrol party at Aram Mohalla Shopian in the South Kashmir district of Pulwama today at 1340 hours. However, the grenade missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside injuring three persons.

Militants shot at and critically wounded one Abdul Salam Sheikh at Shalteang on Srinagar-Uri highway this afternoon around 1430 hours.

Two more civilians Abdul Salam Kumar and Irfan Ahmad Bhat were also injured in the shootout, he said. (UNI)

Chartered flights come to Srinagar

SRINAGAR, July 8: Chatered flights carrying foreign and domestic tourists will soon be landing directly at the Srinagar airport, two months after Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee declared it as an international airport.

"For the first time in the history of Kashmir, chartered flights carrying foreign and domestic tourists, will soon be landing at Srinagar", J and K Minister of State for Tourism Ghulam Ahmed Mir told PTI here today.

The proposal for allowing chartered flights to Srinagar airport was cleared by the centre last year and the first chartered flight of Air India, carrying Haj pilgrims, took off from the airport in January last year.

During his April visit to Kashmir valley, the Prime Minister had declared the Srinagar airport as an international airport.

Chatered flights were likely to bring tourists from later this month. A plane carrying 250 to 300 domestic and foreign tourists was expected to arrive here each week from Mumbai, Mir said.

On weekends, the flight would carry back tourists after a week-long stay, Mir said and added "we expect huge rush of tourists in summer season".

The minister said that each flight would cost nearly Rs 23 lakh.

Presently, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Pondicherry tops in Indian tourism as far as chartered flights are concerned, Mir said. (PTI)

Gujral recalls Sharif’s comments

NEW DELHI, July 8: "I will not be able to take Kashmir from you and you will not give Kashmir to us. But what is the harm in talking," was the comment of then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Shariff to his Indian counterpart I K Gujral during their one-on-one meeting in SAARC summit in 1997 in Male.

Narrating this incident, which evoked peels of laughter, Gujral, at a felicitation function organised for the leader of the Pakistan business delegation Ilyaas Ahmed Bilour, said "after emerging from the meeting, we told the pressmen, who were keen to know about our meeting, that the two countries will continue the dialogue." (PTI)
 
 
 
 

 

 

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