Take steps on ‘Top 20’ to improve ties: Advani to Pak

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Making a strong offer for starting a new chapter in Indo-Pak relations, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today asked Islamabad to immediately act on the list of 20 terrorists given by New Delhi, saying handing over of these hardened criminals would be the "touchstone" of its sincerity in improving bilateral ties.

Addressing the third international conference on fugitives, Mr Advani said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had made a series of efforts towards extending a hand of friendship, but the response from the Pakistani side so far had not been adequate.

"If cross border terrorism ends and Pakistan acts on the list of the 20 fugitives, a new chapter can begin in the relations between the two neighbours. Their attitude towards the list of 20 would be touchstone of their sincerity. If only that can happen, I can see a new chapter beginning in the region," he said, while deviating from his prepared text.

Putting the onus on Pakistan for betterment of ties, the Deputy Prime Minister said half the battle against terrorism, organised crime, global economic frauds and international fugitives would be won if countries which only offer lip sympathy towards tackling the emerging crime were made to take concrete steps to prevent its spread from their soil. Prior to making the offer, Mr Advani criticised Pakistan for providing a safe haven to these fugitives and demanded international ostracism of the countries which practice terrorism as an instrument of state policy. "We have to isolate nations, which practice terrorism as an instrument of state policy. Beyond isolation, we have to ostracise such nations."

He said the perpetrators of some dastardly criminal acts, including terrorism, had found safe haven in the neighbouring country and elsewhere and cited the cases of 1993 Bombay serial bomb blasts, Parliament attack and IC-814 hijacking to drive home the point.

In spite of New Delhi providing reliable information about their whereabouts, little headway has been made in deporting or extraditing them back to India to face the judicial process.

Among the list of 20 criminals that India handed over to Pakistan in December 2001 were Dawood Ibrahim, his brothers and relatives, Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar and the five hijackers of the Indian Airlines Kathmandu-New Delhi flight.

Without naming Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the Deputy Prime Minister said there were people in the neighbourhood who frequently tried to justify acts of terrorism in India as "freedom struggle".

He said there were nations which professed to be members of the global coalition against terrorism and still did not take any steps to curb export of terror from their soil. The decisive war against terrorism could be won only through strong bilateral and international cooperation. Nations following the policy of state-sponsorship of terrorism must be persuaded to join the global battle against terrorism to save innocents from mindless violence, Mr Advani said, adding, "the international community can no longer afford to keep this problem on back burner. It has to act to eliminate the scourge of terrorism."

India believed that the United Nations and Interpol had an important role to play in encouraging these countries to join the ongoing international war against terrorism, he observed.

Mr Advani appreciated the efforts being made by Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble in setting up an international lookout system to see the effectiveness of the red corner alert notices and action on them leading to the arrest of these fugitives.

Besides Mr Advani and Mr Noble, the opening session of the conference was attended by Interpol Vice-President P C Sharma (who is also the head of Indian Interpol) and Cabinet Secretary Kamal Pande. The conference, being held outside France for the first time, is being attended by delegates from 42 of the 181 Interpol member States.

Pakistan, which yesterday confirmed its participation, was not represented at the conference during the inaugural session.

Mr Advani expressed serious concern over the possibility of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of terrorist organisations.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the global community has realised the need for an all-out battle against terrorism and Interpol and its member nations were alive to the gravity to the situation and have taken up the process of preparing a roadmap to tackle the menace of the trans-national criminals.

"It has realised that since the offensive of this network of terrorist organisations is global in nature and reach, the country offensive also has to be global in terms of international cooperation," Mr Advani said.

Calling for an effective action mechanism against trans-national fugitives, he pointed out that with globalisation of national economies and better communication facilities made available by information technology, economic offenses had become a major threat. "Money laundering, narcotics trade, bank frauds and cyber crime have acquired an international dimension."

Indirectly pointing to the sensational Gulshan Kumar murder case, he said even in conventional crime like murder, it was not rare for an offender to cross the borders and try to seek sanctuary in another country. Prime suspect in the case Nadeem has taken refuge in Britain and the Indian request for his extradition is pending.

Pointing out the seriousness of the trans-national crime, Mr Advani said the perpetrators of organised crime hatch conspiracy in one country, plan the action in another and execute the same in a third country. Expressing regret over the slow pace of the enforcement aspect, Mr Advani said a qualitative improvement was necessary in international cooperation to deal with criminal matters as globalised crime could only be tackled through globalised enforcement.

In this context Interpol needed to play a pro-active role to apply correctives, he said and called for enhancing the powers of the Interpol.

"We need a situation wherein Interpol receives an international mandate to carry out executive actions anywhere in the world to apprehend global criminals. The international community needs to strive towards establishing such a regime to make the future generations safe," Mr Advani added.

He said Interpol also needed to reassess the efficacy of various mechanisms like red corner notices issued by them to apprehend fugitives and called for a better system to provide these notices with legal backing to ensure compliance by member countries.

"A mechanism to monitor implementation of Interpol notices needs to be put in place. There is also need for change in mindset of member countries to facilitate prompt execution of interpol notices as this can no longer be taken as infringement of their sovereignty," he felt.

Observing that organised trans-national crimes were threat to civilised existence, Mr Advani said the threat could not be eliminated through half-hearted measures and stressed the necessity for a systematic and sustained campaign.

"Mere expression of good intentions by member countries are not sufficient. Good intentions need to be backed with concentrated, concerted and caliberated action." (UNI)

Banihal’s most wanted ultra shot dead

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 15: In a major success for army and a big blow to Hizbul Mujahideen, the troops today eliminated a Hizbul Mujahideen ‘divisional commander’ Nazir Ahmed Wani alias Papplu in an encounter at Worigam nullah, about six kms from Banihal late last night.

In other operations, army eliminated four militants in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Defence sources said the army personnel of 12 Rashtriya Rifles, who had intensified searches to eliminate Papplu early this year in view of his stepped-up militant activities, cordoned off Worigam nullah last night on a tip off that he had taken shelter in a house all alone as he was moving towards a plain area to collect extortion amount from a contractor.

Troops surrounded an isolated hut in the area where Papplu, the most wanted militant of Banihal-Ramban tehsil who had let loose a reign of terror for last 11 years, was suspected to be hiding. Army personnel, being commandeered by senior officers, didn’t have too much resistance as they were expecting, mainly due to the fact that Papplu had left behind his "committed body guards" and heavy weapons to avoid any doubts to security forces.

Papplu was carrying only one sophisticated pistol with him at the time of gun-battle. When he exhausted all rounds of his pistol, the troops stormed his hideout and gunned him down. It was, however, only in the morning that identity of the slain militant was established as Nazir Ahmed Wani son of Mohd Sharief Wani alias Papplu (code name Amir-ul-Haq), a resident of Dulligam, Banihal.

Army personnel, police and local people celebrated the killing of Papplu as a word spread this morning that the most dreaded ultra, who was wanted in a series of civilian and security forces killings, has been eliminated. Local people and relatives of Papplu also identified his body in presence of army and police officers, the sources said, adding one pistol was all the troops could recover from his possession.

"We hadn’t expected such an easier encounter with Papplu. We had taken a strong contingent of army to the spot expecting a prolonged encounter with Papplu and his associates", they said expressing surprise that he was travelling without his body-guards. According to sources, Papplu used to travel alone on earlier occasions also to avoid an encounter with the army.

"Last night the militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit, who had of late developed serious differences with Papplu, had leaked an information to army and police about the visit of Papplu to a contractor’s house to get extortion money", they said. Earlier this year, Papplu had leaked an information about three LeT militants, who were killed by the security forces. "The LeT cadre sounded army on Papplu’s movement to revenge the killing of their cadre", they added.

Papplu was a gang leader in early nineties before he was lured by the Hizbul Mujahideen militants and sent for arms training in 1994. He returned to Banihal in the same year and became an active militant. After a year, he again went to Pakistan and got training in guerrilla warfare and fabricating and planting of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Since then, he was known as an IED expert in Banihal and was instrumental in a series of IED explosions in Banihal, Ramban and Jammu-Srinagar national highway in which a number of army, BSF, CRPF and police jawans were killed and injured. Besides, he was also involved in civilian killings.

In one of the IED blast triggered by Papplu, 10 security personnel were killed at Hingni, Banihal while in another IED explosion at Dulligam, Capt Hari Raj and Subedar Parveen Kumar were killed in 1999.

Sources said security forces had also laid a siege of Papplu’s house in civil clothes on October 9 on the occasion of his sister’s marriage as there were reports that he might travel to his house disguising him as a member of marriage party to bless his sister. However, he didn’t turn up.

He used to collect monthly extortions from engineers, contractors and other rich people. This had led to a strong resentment among people against Papplu.

This year, Papplu was virtually on the run as army and police had launched several special operations to eliminate him. Six hideouts of Papplu were destroyed by the troops this year in Banihal tehsil. "In view of security forces stepped-up pressure, several associates of Papplu had offered to surrender but Papplu threatened them of dire consequences and thwarted their attempt", the sources pointed out and hoped that with Papplu’s killing, these activists now will surrender before the army.

Our Poonch correspondent adds: Army and police, in a joint operation carried out this afternoon, eliminated two militants at Hari Buddha in Surankote tehsil. Operation in the area was going on when the reports last came in. Reports said that three more militants were reported to be hiding in the area. Security forces have surrounded the area and were making an attempt to eliminate them.

Two AK rifle and some ammunition have been recovered from the scene of encounter. Security personnel didn’t suffer any casualties in the operation.

One militant each was killed in Mandi, Poonch and Keri in Rajouri district. The militant killed in Keri was an infiltrator. From him, army recovered one rifle and Rs 14,500.

BSF pull-out from J&K to begin next month

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Ending prolonged suspense, BSF would be phased out from counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir from next month, about 14 years after being inducted into the campaign, and be replaced by CRPF.

Although no specific dates have yet been finalised for the transition, the Government has asked the two forces to begin the process by next month, high-level official sources said here today.

BSF will pull out eight of its 52 battalions from Srinagar in the initial stage to be replaced by the same number of CRPF battalions.

Prior to the pull out, BSF will work with CRPF battalions to be inducted for about a month to ensure a smooth changeover, they said.

The eight battalions of CRPF earmarked for replacing BSF have been given special 45-day training by Army, the sources said.

After their induction, more CRPF battalions will be readied for replacing BSF in a phased manner, they said.

Confirming the move, BSF Director General Ajai Raj Sharma said the force was awaiting Government’s orders regarding dates for pullout.

The transition is being carried out on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up after Kargil intrusions to suggest measures to strengthen the country’s security system.

The GoM had suggested that each force be deployed for the duties it had been created for. In this context, it said that BSF was created for guarding borders and it be sent back to the frontiers.

Sharma said the pull out will help the BSF "strengthen the country’s eastern and western borders" as more personnel would be available for deployment.

He favoured limiting the force’s role to guarding frontiers, stating that challenges of "external threats" posed by Pak-backed terrorism should be met at the border itself.

He said that because of deployment of BSF for internal security duties, its manpower availability for the borders was reduced considerably leaving gaps on the frontiers which allowed more infiltration.

"By deploying more personnel on the borders, infiltration of terrorists can be met more effectively," the BSF chief said.

He said it would be "safer, easier and more cost-effective for the nation to meet the challenges of external threats at the border itself rather than allow anti-national elements to penetrate into the hinterland and then confront them."

He argued that though hundreds of militants are being killed in counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir, "the number is replenished with continued infiltration". (PTI)

Kashmiris alone to decide Kashmir: Hashim

From Aijaz Hussain

SRINAGAR, Oct 15: Amid tight security bandobast and high pitch Azadi sloganeering, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Liberation Party (DLP) chief, Hashim Qureshi today castigated India, Pakistan, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed led coalition Government and separatist leadership while pointing out that none but people of Kashmir had the right to decide their future.

Addressing a well-attended public gathering at Sher-e-Kashmir Park here this afternoon, Qureshi said that his party’s manifesto was "re-unification of entire Jammu and Kashmir from Gilgit to Lakhanpur". "Besides this, our aim is serving oppressed and confronting oppressor. We want to remove the fear of security forces and erring gunmen from minds of people."

In the same breath, the DLP supremo added: "We also want to remove the fear of some black sheep in our otherwise disciplined J&K Police force."

Qureshi observed that the people of Kashmir had been made hostage by India as well as Pakistan. "Kashmiris are sandwiched between walls of hatred built by India and Pakistan. Both the countries ignore emotional and human catastrophe in Kashmir," he elaborated.

A section of enthusiastic crowd shouted slogans like "Yeh watan hamara hai, iska faisla hum kareengay… iss pay hukumat hum kareengay". Qureshi pleaded for high pitch sloganeering saying, "Your slogans should reach to the ears of Mufti Sahib and Farooq Sahib." He said that neither Gen Musharraf nor A B Vajpayee could resolve the Kashmir issue. "The future of Kashmir has to be decided by Kashmiris. Kashmir has to be ruled by Kashmiris. China or America, no one has any role to play here," he said while stressing that none other than people of Kashmir could solve the Kashmir imbroglio.

The DLP chief lambasted coalition Government’s healing touch policy while alleging that it was just a "decent camouflage". "Our youth are arrested under the policy of healing touch and are given killing touch. And hike in power is the Government’s heating touch," he ridiculed. Continuing his sarcastic remarks, he added: "Killing touch and heating touch were not end… Kashmiris also received bulldozer touch. Mr Mufti has a vast outlook. He fitted eyes in these bulldozers so that no rich man is affected."

"The present rulers showed sympathy with militants and grabbed power."

Qureshi asserted that gun was no solution to the Kashmir issue and demanded that it should be resolved through a purposeful dialogue. "Some so-called leaders used to rebuke me for this. I wonder how these people are now speaking the same language."

He referred to the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s recent assertion that "Kashmir has become headache for us" and said: "It’s not headache for us but Dard-e-Jigar."

Soldier killed, Major among 5 injured

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 15: While as one soldier got killed and five others, including a Major, sustained injuries in a militant attack in Bandipore, eleven persons have been left wounded in an IED blast in Kupwara since last evening. Meanwhile, four members of a family have sustained injuries in a blast at their home in a border village of Tangdar, near LoC, in Kupwara district.

Informed sources in north Kashmir told EXCELSIOR that militants ambushed a patrol party of Rashtriya Rifles 14 Bn at Choontimulla in Bandipore area late last evening. Troops retaliated and repulsed the strike but not before suffering damage. A soldier, identified as Bhupinder Singh, got killed and five others sustained injuries. They included head of the patrol party Maj Sandeep Kumar.

According to CNS, militant outfit Al-Mansoorain has claimed responsibility of the attack. Its spokesman Abu Shakir has said over telephone that that one soldier died while as five others got injured. The spokesman has told the news agency that the Bandipore strike was part of a series of attacks being launched on occasion of a religious congregation currently going on in Pakistan. He has said that the outfit would launch more strikes around the timing of the Pakistan conclave.

Sources said that a party of RR 19 Bn was targeted by militants in Duraswani forest area of Kupwara, in Lolab valley, last evening. Security forces, accompanied by a number of local civilians, were in movement for a search operation in the dense jungle. Militants caused an IED blast which left two soldiers and nine civilians wounded. Two of the critically injured civilians were rushed to a Srinagar hospital. SP Kupwara, Sunil Dutt, however insisted that only two soldiers and five civilians sustained injuries. He said that three of the civilians had only superficial injuries and they had been discharged last evening itself.

Troops of RR 29 Bn have killed a local militant of Hizbul Mujahideen in an encounter at Thandam, Kreeri, in Baramulla district today. He has been identified as Abdur Rasheed Bhat S/o Haji Ghulam Mohi-ud-din R/o Tarzoo, Sopore.

The militant killed by security forces in an encounter in Rathsuna forest area in Tral last evening has been identified as Gulzar Ahmed Bhat S/o Ghulam Ahmed Bhat R/o Chursoo. However, BSF has identified him as Shabir Ahmed Bhat.

Sources in north Kashmir told Excelsior that minutes after the Divisional Commissioner Khursheed Ahmed Ganai left Tangdar in a helicopter, a blast occurred at Wadwan hamlet near JAKLI headquarters in Tangdar, at 1630 hours this evening.

Divisional Commissioner today visited Tangdar and Keran areas, close to LoC in Kupwara district and took stock of the damage caused by shelling of Pakistani troops in the last one week.

Some children had picked up an unexploded shell in the forest area and taken it to their home in the afternoon. As they fiddled with the bomb, it exploded at the house of one Ghulam Rubbani.

His 50-year-old wife, Sakeena Begum, daughter Arifa and son Tariq Hussain, besides Sameena D/o Mohammad Ismail, sustained injuries. They were rushed to Tangdar hospital.

Mufti’s failure forces NC to re-draw strategy: Farooq

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 15: Dubbing Mufti Mohammed Sayeed led coalition regime as ‘total-failure’, former Chief Minister and patron of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that failure of the Mufti Government to live upto the expectations of the people of the State has compelled their party to redraw its strategy and to play a more pro-active role.

As sufferings of the people of this State have increased manifold during this Mufti led regime, we have decided to play more pro-active role to mitigate woes of masses, Dr Abdullah said while addressing a meeting of the party legislatures in the presence of party chief Omar Abdullah.

Former Chief Minister predicted that coalition Government headed PDP will fall on its own ‘because of its own internal contradictions and lack of performance". "In such an eventuality the National Conference will rise to the occasion", he said, adding, "being largest party NC has a responsibility towards the people of the State and it can not escape that responsibility.

Dr Abdullah, however, said that the National Conference, which has always been the victim of conspiracies, has never been a conspirator and never ever shall be one in the future also because it believes in value based politics.

He informed the legislators about the deliberations he had with the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani and Defence Minister George Fernandes. Dr Abdullah urged his partymen to work with more fervour and zeal for the welfare of the people of the State.

The legislators reposed their full faith and confidence in the leadership of the party and informed the leadership about the hardship being faced by the people of the State because of the mis-governance of the Mufti Government. Legislators informed Dr Abdullah about hike in the power tariff, increase in the rate of ration, increase in human right violation, deteriorating law and order situations. They also discussed with party leaders some other issues concerning the people of State.

Dr Abdullah assured the legislators that he and Omar Abdullah will be involved in an on-going series of dialogue with different shades of opinion to finally evolve a strategy which is focused towards the welfare of the people of State. He said that the National Conference will carry on its struggle for the self-respect and honour of the people of State and work towards equitable development.

Mufti meets coalition partners

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 15: Leaders of the coalition parties of the State Government met here this evening and discussed the functioning of the Government.

The meeting was convened by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for periodical interaction with the alliance partners to ensure cohesiveness of the coalition Government.

The meeting was held in a congenial atmosphere. Various measures were discussed for speedy implementation of the common minimum programme and to meet the aspirations of the people who have given mandate to them during the historic assembly election to steer the State out of the morass.

Those who attended the meeting included Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Minister for Forests Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Sofi, Minister for Revenue Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Minister for Education, Harshdev Singh, Minister for Housing and Urban Development Ghulam Hassan Mir and Mr M Y Tarigami.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had separate meetings with JKPCC chief and Chairman Coordination Committee, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Panthers Party chief Prof Bhim Singh. At these meetings also matters relating to cohesive functioning of the coalition Government were discussed. Need for greater coordination between the alliance partners with effective implementation and monitoring of development and welfare schemes was emphasised.

Umer’s passport released

NEW DELHI, Oct 15: Ten months after suspending his passport for alleged anti-India activities, the Government today released the travel documents of former Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq for 10 days to facilitate his attendance at an international conference on Islamic laws in South Africa.

The separatist leader had been writing to the Government for releasing his travel documents and had recently sent a copy of the invitation alongwith an application to the secertary (passport) in the Union Government.

The decision to revoke the suspension of the travel documents was taken at a high level meeting this morning following which a letter revoking his passport was issued, informed sources said.

According to the letter, the passport would be operational for a period of 10 days beginning October 18, the sources said.

The Mirwaiz has been invited to attend the five-day Bainul Aqwami Fiqhee Conference (International Conference on Islamic Laws) beginning on October 16 at Cape Town.

His passport was suspended by the Centre earlier on January nine after the Government decided to get tough with Kashmiri separatist leaders who travelled abroad and indulged in anti-national activities.

The Government had said several separatists undertook foreign trips on ostensible medical grounds and used the opportunity to carryout vicious anti-India campaigns.

Umer had denied all such allegations in his plea made to the passport authorities in Srinagar. (PTI)

US freezes Pak outfit’s assets

WASHINGTON, Oct 15: The US has frozen the assets of a Pakistan-based charitable group involved in "financing" terrorist outfits active in Jammu and Kashmir, and designated it as a "terrorist support organisation" for its alleged links to the Al-Qaeda network.

Al-Akhtar trust was providing a wide range of support to Al-Qaeda and Pakistani-based sectarian and Jihadi groups, specifically Lashkar-e-Toiba, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, and Jaish-e-Mohammed, according to a fact sheet issued by the treasury department.

These efforts included providing financial and logistical support as well as arranging travel for Islamic extremists. The "designation strikes at the life blood of terrorists — the money that funds them," Treasury Secretary John Snow said in a statement.

"Shutting down this organization will cripple yet another source of support for terrorists and possibly help undermine the financial backing of terrorists staging attacks against American troops and Iraqi civilians in Iraq".

Al-Akhtar, said the treasury, is registered as a humanitarian aid agency, but evidence presented by the treasury indicates numerous links between Al-Akhtar and other organizations and individuals on the list of groups supporting terrorist activities, including Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

"The activities of Al-Akhtar trust demonstrate the dangerous alliance between corrupted charities and terrorists. There is little more despicable than raising money under the guise of doing good and instead diverting the resources of often well-intentioned donors to supporting acts of terror," he said.

The action, undertaken under an executive order signed by President George W Bush bars US nationals from engaging in any transaction with Al-Akhtar trust.

The administration will also request the United Nations to place the group on its list of supporters of terrorism, which will require that all member-states sever ties with it.

Al-Akhtar is carrying on the activities of the previously designated Al-Rashid trust. The organization is also suspected of raising money for ‘Jihad’ in Iraq and is connected to an individual with ties to the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, the fact sheet said.

This designation builds on ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation with the Pakistani Government and comes on the heels of Secretary Snow’s recent visit to Islamabad.

With the designation, the US and our international partners have designated 321 individuals and organizations as terrorists and terrorist supporters and have frozen over $136.8 million in terrorist assets and have seized more than $60 million.

According to information available to the US Government, following the house arrest of the group leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Masood Azhar, Jaish-e-Mohammed members set up two organizations registered in Pakistan as humanitarian aid agencies: Al-Akhtar trust and Alkhair trust.

Jaish-e-Mohammed sought to give the impression that the two new organizations were separate entities and use them as a way to deliver arms and ammunition to their members under the guise of providing humanitarian aid to refugees and other needy groups. (PTI)

Re-investigate disappearance: HC

SRINAGAR, Oct 15: Upholding the indictment of police by State Human Rights Commission in the disappearance of a Government employee six years ago, Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the State Government to register a criminal case against the erring officials and complete the investigation within four months.

Justice Bashiruddin also upheld the SHRC recommendations asking the Government to pay ex gratia relief of Rs five lakh to the family of Fayaz Ahmad Beigh, an employee of the Central Asian Studies Department in University of Kashmir.

Fayaz’s father Abdul Rashid Beigh filed a complaint in December 1997 before the SHRC stating that Fayaz was taken into custody by the Special Operations Group (SOG) at Lethapora-Awantipora camp from the university campus on September 6, 1997.

Seeking help from the SHRC in tracing his son, he pleaded for quashing of a false case in Soura police station stating that Fayaz escaped from custody on September 9,1997, when a police party which was taking him for a raid, came under heavy fire from militants at Nowhatta.

The commission in April, 2000 accused the police of "foulplay" and directed the Government to initiate disciplinary action against the erring police officials and pay Rs five lakh as compensation to the family of the victim.

However, the Government did not take action on the report, which compelled Abdul Rashid Beigh to file appeal for a writ of mandamus in the High Court asking that a murder conspiracy case should be registered against the police officials indicted by SHRC.

Upholding the SHRC judgement, Justice Bashiruddin observed that the respondents have done nothing except reiterating the very version before the court, which they had stated before the SHRC.

Directing the Government to register a criminal case against the erring officials as recommended by the SHRC, the court asked it to re-investigate the case under an officer of SSP rank.

The court said disciplinary action against erring police personnel shall be immediately initiated, processed and concluded promptly.

Directing the Government to pay Rs five lakh to the affected family, the court said the compensation shall be payable with in two months.

The court said it is left to the State whether to recover the amount of compensation or part thereof from the officers/ personnel actually responsible for wrong done in the case. (PTI)

Geelani dissolves executive

SRINAGAR, Oct 15 : In what could be seen as end of all reconciliation attempts to bring together two Hurriyat factions, the breakaway group of the amalgam led by fire-brand Jamaat-e-Islami Syed Ali Shah Geelani today dissolved the Executive Committee and announced formation of Majlis-e-Shoora for decision making, a move similar to the functioning of his parent Party, Jamaat.

The decision to amend the Constitution was taken after a five-hour long meeting of the breakaway Hurriyat group, a spokesman of the splinter Hurriyat said here.

This move gives powers to every constituent in the breakaway group in the decision making unlike the other faction of the amalgam headed by Maulana Abbas Ansari, where decision making wrests with seven-member Exeutive Committee.

The spokesman said there would be no change in the objective and aims of the Hurriyat that is to "work for peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue..."

Geelani, who has been elected chairman of the breakway faction, would now be enjoying the post for three years, one year more than what a chairman of the other faction enjoyed.

The meeting also decided to enhance the terms of chairman further, if he lived up to the expectations of the Majlis-e-Shoora, the spokesman said.

Toeing the Jamaat line, the breakway group also decided creation of a general secretary post, the spokesman said.

He also claimed that the number of constituents with the breakway group had increased to 18 as another constituent, Itehad-ul-Muslimeen, parent party of present Ansari, had joined Geelani faction. (PTI)

4 Americans killed in Gaza

GAZA CITY, Oct 15: A convoy carrying US diplomats observing the implementation of a peace plan was ripped apart by a road-side bomb in the northern Gaza Strip today, killing at least four occupants, Palestinian security officials said.

The blast went off just after 10:00 am (1330 IST) as the convoy was travelling in the Beit Hanun area near the Erez border crossing which leads into southern Israel.

The blast is the first attack of its kind in the Palestinian territories against a US target. Israeli forces stormed the area a short time later.

A US diplomatic source said all the victims were American citizens but did not confirm that four people had been killed.

Top US Envoy John Wolf, the man appointed by President George W Bush to oversee the implementation of the "roadmap" peace plan, was not in the convoy, added the US diplomatic source, who asked not to be named.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat strongly condemned the attack and offered his condolences to Bush.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei and Chief Negotiator Saeb Erakat had similar words. Israeli forces backed by combat helicopters staged an incursion into the northern Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the attack, the Palestinian security sources said. (AFP)

Cabinet meet on Saturday

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 15: The State Cabinet is meeting in Srinagar on Saturday afternoon under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed to discuss certain transfers and postings in police department and consider draft for an ordinance conferring proprietary rights on Nazool land owners.

Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that this would be the last Cabinet meeting in summer capital of the State before Darbar move.

The Cabinet will discuss a request of the Vigilance Organisation seeking services of three SSPs. If approved, the proposal could lead to a reshuffle at the level of SSPs, the sources said.

They said the Cabinet will also fix a new slab for giving power load relief to the consumers.

Meanwhile, Shaffi Pandit will take over as Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman on October 21, the sources said.

Blast rocks town

Excelsior Correspondent

RAMBAN, Oct 15: An explosion of mild intensity rocked a provisional store owned by Ashok Kumar in Banihal town late tonight.

Police said Ashok Kumar closed his shop at 9 PM and the blast occurred an hour later. While there were no casualties in the blast, the provisional store suffered extensive damage.

A police party from Banihal led by DySP Yogesh Sharma rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area. A search operation was carried out in vicinity of the area for the suspects. However, no arrests have been made so far.

Police said it was being ascertained as to whether the explosive device had been planted inside or outside the shop.
 
 
 

 

 

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