Militants waiting at launching pads to cross LoC: Mukherjee

Excelsior Defence Correspondent

JAMMU, June 29: Union Minister for Defence, Pranab Mukherjee has said that a large number of militants are waiting at their launching pads to cross over to this side of the Line of Control (LoC).

The Defence Minister, who visited the forward areas of Poonch and Rajouri alongwith Chief of Army Staff, General N C Vij and GOC-in-C Northern Command Lt Gen Hari Prasad this afternoon in view of the killings of the VDC members in Surankot area and to review security situation in the State said that troops are at high alert to thwart the attempt of the militants. They are keeping vigil round the clock on the borders to foil any infiltration attempt from across the border. He said for quite some time, there has been some decline indicated in intrusion by ultras and it could be possible with the increased level of vigil by our troops.

Replying to a question regarding spurt in militancy related incidents, the Defence Minister said though a large number of militants were killed recently and their top leadership was eliminated yet such stray incidents are bound to happen till militancy is totally rooted out from the State. In order to make their presence felt, the militants are indulging in such incidents.

Welcoming the talks between India and Pakistan, the Defence Minister said that such initiative will help in improving relations between the two countries. The two neighbours should live in peace and it will be better for the development of both the countries.

" Such talks would continue in the direction of Indo-Pak peace initiative, which our new Government has taken soon after coming to power," he said. Militants are out to scuttle Indo-Pak initiative by engineering incidents like massacre of 12 Gujjars in Poonch and this unfortunately happened at the beginning of Indo-Pak official level talks.

He said these types of incidents take place at crucial meetings , big events and when any top foreign dignitory arrives India. This shows militants want to sabotage any peace initiative for the restoration of normalcy in J&K.

Regarding ceasefire agreement between Indian and Pak troops, the new Defence Minister said, " we want this agreement to go a long way but there is no guarantee to make it permanent. Any provocation from any side may violate the agreement. But this is good move for retoring peace along the borders.

When asked about decision regarding opening of roads from Uri to Muzaffarabad in Valley and not from R S Pura to Sialkot, the Union Minister said that no such decision has been taken so far in this regard. The Centre has yet to decide about it after holding discussions with their counterparts on that side.

Mr Mukherjee while responding to another question regarding sending of Indian troops to Iraq, said that Centre has not yet taken any decision in this regard. Regarding defence policy of the new Government at the Centre, the Union minister said that to safeguard the integrity and security of the nation is the defence policy of any nation and there should be no doubt about it.

Earlier, the Defence Minister alongwith COAS Gen N C Vij was received by the Northern Command Army Chief Lt Gen Hari Prasad and senior officers of the Command. He was briefed at the headquarters Northern Command regarding security scenario in the State. Later, he visited the forward areas of Poonch and Rajouri where he was briefed by the local commanders. He then overflew the LoC fence and inspected part of fence and surveillance centre on ground. He also addressed troops at Rajouri and interacted with the jawans and officers during ‘ Barha Khana’.

In the evening, Mr Mukherjee left Udhampur for his onward tour to Kashmir valley. On arrival at Badami Bagh cantonment Srinagar he was briefed at Headquarters 15 Corps on the general security situation in Valley.

The Defence Minister later reached Srinagar, where he was briefed on the current situation in the Valley by Lt Gen Nirbhay Sharma, General Officer Commanding of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, defence sources said.

Mukherjee was accompanied by Army Chief Gen N C Vij and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command Lt Gen Hari Prasad.

He later called on State Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha at Raj Bhavan, the sources said, but gave no details of the meeting.

During the two-day visit, Mukherjee would get first hand inputs regarding the situation in the Valley and the LoC, they said.

The Defence Minister is scheduled to fly over operational areas and the fencing along the LoC tomorrow, they added.

Governor to perform puja on July 2
Amarnath yatra extended, to start from July 15

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, June 29: The blockades that had come across this year’s Amarnath Yatra, have been finally removed, with State Government agreeing to extend the pilgrimage from 30 days to 45 days.

This will be for the first time during the past 15 years that the Amarnath Yatra will continue for 45 permitted days.

Meanwhile, a high level meeting is being held in Pahalgam tomorrow to work out the modalities for this year’s Yatra, after Government’s clearance to extend it by 15 days.

Confirming the extension of the Yatra, an official spokesman said that the State Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha, who is also Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), will perform ceremonies of ‘Pratham Darshan and Pujan’ at the cave shrine on the auspicious day of July 2, which happens to be the day of Vyas Purnima. Thereafter, the Yatra will commence formally from July 15 and continue upto Raksha Bandhan, falling on August 30.

The spokesman said that the decision to extend the Yatra to 45 days was taken yesterday evening after Union Minister for Urban Development and PCC-I president Ghulam Nabi Azad had a meeting with Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed over the issue. As reported, Mr Azad, had met Governor Gen Sinha prior to his meeting with Mufti. He had conveyed to the Chief Minister the feelings of Gen Sinha and the religious sanctity attached to the Yatra.

It was thereafter, that the Chief Minister decided to have this year’s Yatra for 45 days. The decision was communicated to Governor through Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma today morning.

Thanking the Chief Minister for "readily and graciously" accepting his proposal of permitting the performance of religious rituals on July 2, the Governor, the spokesman said, has appealed to the people, who have been agitating in Jammu and elsewhere in favour of a two-month yatra, not to press with their agitation and accept these concessions.

The spokesman said that the Governor as Chairman of the SASB, will perform Pujan on Vyas Purnima along with a limited number of devotees at the cave shrine on July 2, as was the condition of Shrine Board and other religious organizations.

Mahant of Chhari-Mubarak Swami Amarnath Deependra Giri had earlier appealed to the State Government to allow two months of Amarnath Yatra, arguing this will enable pilgrims to have solace and blessings of Lord Shiva on two "Sharavan-Purnimas" on July 31 and August 30.

Mahant Giri, who has carried the holy mace of Lord Shiva to Amarnath over the last twelve years, had appealed to Mufti Sayeed to reconsider the Government’s decision of allowing only one month-long pilgrimage.

The dates for Vyas-Purnima and Raksha Bandhan are determined by lunar calendar methodology and not by gregorian calendar, Further, this year sees an exceptional astronomical position providing two auspicious Sharavan Purnimas, as a result religious organizations and SASB had pressed to allow the Yatra for two months by allowing the Poojan ceremony on July 2. It was in this context that the State Government permitted to extend the Yatra and have religious ceremonies on July 2.

Meanwhile, the spokesman said that Gen Sinha has hoped that the yatra would take place with religious fervour and solemnity leading to its successful culmination.

The spokesman said that the Governor has thanked the religious leaders, particularly Mahant Giri to accept the agreed arrangements for the ritual and commencement of the Yatra. The Governor has appealed to all to observe the solemnity of the occasion without any further controversy or agitation, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, in view of extending the Yatra, a high level meeting is being held on July 1, at Pahalgam, the base-camp of the Yatra to take stock of the arrangements and facilities in detail.

The meeting will be held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary, Dr Sudhir S Bloeria and will be attended by Chief Executive Officer, SASB and Principal Secretary to Governor Dr Arun Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, besides top civil, police and security force officers.

Informed sources told the EXCELSIOR that the high level meeting will chalk and work out modalities regarding facilities to be extended to pilgrims, including provision of tents, sheds, toilets, langers, medical and other connected facilities. Apart from that, the meeting will discuss the security scenario in detail and efforts will be made to make this year’s yatra incident free under fool-proof security arrangements. It was on the issue of security that the Government was not initially allowing the extension of the Yatra. The Government was further apprehensive after the recent blast at Pahalgam in which atleast five tourists had lost their lives and scores injured.

LeT commander Zubair Masih led killer group in Surankote
*Other local ultras involvement also surfaces

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, June 29: Preliminary investigations being carried out by police in the massacre of 12 Gujjars including three children and two teen-agers at Teli Katha in Marha area of Surankote on early Friday morning have revealed that Lashkar-e-Toiba’s ‘district commander’ Zubair Masih had led the group which executed the killings.

Zubair Masih, a resident of Salwa, Mendhar and married at Marha was part of a 10 to 12 killers who comprised atleast three other local militants of Marha including Mohd Taj, official sources told the Excelsior today.

A Pakistan activist of LeT, Kadeel, was also part of the militant group which struck at Teli Katha in wee hours of Friday raining bullets and rockets killing 12 people and wounding nine others, all Gujjars. Retaliatory firing by five Village Defence Committee (VDC) members had forced the militants to flee within 15 to 20 minutes of the attack, thus, saving the lives of 50 to 60 other villagers.

Sources said Lashkar’s divisional commander for twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, who was operating under the code name of Abu Wahid, had directed Zubair Masih "to teach the VDCs and their supporters of Marha a lesson for openly assisting the Army in Hill Kaka operations".

Zubair Masih, according to sources, was picked-up for the massacre as he had been a frequent visitor to Marha, where he had married more than three to four years back. Three other militants of Marha including Mohd Taj were asked (by Abu Wahid) to assist him.

The local militants of Marha were picked-up for the massacre as they were well versed with topography of the area which would have facilitated their easy escape along with other militants after the killings, the sources said.

It has now been officially confirmed that atleast 10 to 12 militants were involved in the attack. The large number of militants were sent for the attack mainly due to the fact that the militants were aware of fighting skills of the VDCs, some of whose members had been trained by security forces and police after Hill Kaka operations.

Along with Kadeel, three to four foreign mercenaries were involved in the attack.

According to sources, Zubair Masih was pressurised by his in-laws, who were still residing at Marha to surrender before the police and lead a normal life. However, Masih, who had a long association with the LeT, had turned down the offer. Masih had, infact, told some members of his in-laws that the people of Marha should stop joining the VDCs and helping Army.

Another local militant of Marha, Mohd Taj, was also part of the killer group. Taj, according to sources, was active in the militancy for last more than three years and was among the few most wanted militants of Surankote tehsil.

The Marha VDC, known as the most powerful VDC in the Jammu region, has also helped the police in identifying some of the militants. The VDC, as reported, had fought vigorously with the militants.

Meanwhile, the posts of Army and police are in the process of being set up at village Teli Katha, the venue of massacre. Till the posts are set-up, the villagers of Marha, who had gone to Teli Katha along with their cattle in summer, had come down to Marha.

"The villagers were not ready to come down. However, they were persuaded to do so till the posts are set up at Teli Katha", the sources said, adding the VDCs as well as the local people were not demoralised by the killings.

Meanwhile, a LeT militant, who was also said to be a top LeT activist was today gunned down by Army and police at Chei Top in Bahram Gala area of Surankote. Another militant was injured.

Slain militant has been identified as Abu Jehad alias Suleman of Nowshera and the injured as Abu Kathyal, a Pakistani.

One AK rifle and 60 rounds were recovered from the slain militant.

Security forces were hunting the injured militant.

5 militants, 3 civilians killed in Valley
Lashkar-Hizb network wiped out in Srinagar: DGP

From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Junes 29: With the death of two Pakistani militant commanders, Jammu & Kashmir today claimed to have broken a strong network of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Al-Omar Mujahideen in the capital city of Srinagar. In the wake of "some serious disclosures" made by the slain militants before they were killed last night, Government is reviewing the security bandobust of five senior separatist leaders and offering protection to four more in Kashmir valley.

Director General of Jammu & Kashmir Police, Gopal Sharma, revealed at a hurriedly called news conference that Lashkar-e-Toiba’s "divisional commander" Shahid Ahmed alias Zulu-4 and "district commander" Zahid Hafiz Arian alias Nayeem had been killed in a shootout in Rawalpora outskirts of Srinagar late last night. He said that on the basis of intelligence inputs, Police conducted a series of raids in the capital city and apprehended over 20 militants and their associates. While the two Pakistani cadres of Lashkar were being carried to identify a hideout, militants attacked the Police party near Astanpora, Rawalpora. He said that both the detained militants got killed in the shootout as they ran away and made an unsuccessful attempt to escape.

DGP claimed that two constables of BSF and CRPF, besides three constables of J&K Police, sustained injuries in the ‘militant attack’. He, however, did not reveal the identities and particulars of the personnel, who, according to him, had sustained injuries in the ‘gunbattle’. He said that about two dozen members of the network, who included a woman, were still under interrogation. DGP claimed that high profile political and Police killings, besides several Fidayeen attacks, had been planned and executed by the same militant network. Those included the killing of DIG Mohammad Amin Bhat, Youth Janata Dal president, a PDP Block president and several Police personnel.

DGP said that high drama Fidayeen attacks—like those of Gogjibagh, Pamposh Hotel, Greenway Hotel (in which prominent counter-insurgent Javed Shah and his PSOs had been killed), Ali Jan Shopping Complex (in which the actual target was Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed’s residence), Indira Nagar and PIB-Information Complex—had all been planned and carried out by the same militant network.

Giving details about the Police operation, DGP said that Shahid alias Zulu-4 and Zahid Hafiz alias Nayeem, both Pakistani nationals, were senior commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba. However, they had formed a strong terrorist network with Hizb and Al-Omar outfits in Srinagar city. The network had constituted "Usman Group" to carry out suicide strikes, "Hassan Group" to cause IED blasts and "Rehman Group" to execute high profile political killings and attacks on Police. Majid alias Bilal, Shahid alias Zulu-4 and Rehman alias Mudassar were "commanders" of the Usman Group, Hassan Group and Rehman Group, respectively. DGP Sharma claimed that operatives of the network had been claiming all guerrilla strikes in the name of "Save Kashmir Movement".

Inspite of repeated denials by Hizbul Mujahideen, DGP claimed that the detained militant Javed Iqbal Hakeem alias Boya had participated in the killing of DIG Mohammad Amin, alongwith Abdur Rehman alias Mudassar of Pakistan and Khalid Kashmiri. DGP said that Rehman and Khalid were both Pakistani cadres of Lashkar.

DGP said that most of the Fidayeen, who died in several suicide strikes in Srinagar in the last two months, had been carried to the spots by Majid alias Bilal, Ashraf, Khalid Kashmiri and Tanveer, either on a motorcycle or in a Maruti car.

The network, according to DGP, had established contacts at several Indian cities—including New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad. He said that members of the network, some of whom had traveled to these cities by air, had planned a number of terrorist strikes, including one at Mumabi Stock Exchange. He claimed that Pakistani militant Babar, who got killed in an encounter with Ahmedabad Police, had been sent to Gujarat by Shahid. Even as Police has failed to arrest some important operatives of the group, DGP claimed that the Lashkar-Hizb-Alomar network had been busted in Srinagar.

Residents of Rawalpora locality, however, insisted that there was no militant attack on any Police party during last night. They claimed that SOG killed the two detained Pakistani militants in a "fake encounter".

Meanwhile, EXCELSIOR learned from highly placed authoritative sources that "extra-ordinary" security arrangements were being made for five protected separatist leaders in the wake of "very disturbing disclosures" by the slain militants. According to these sources, Government was also going to offer Police protection to the JKLF chief Yasin Malik, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s confidante Shahid-ul-Islam, Peoples League supremo Sheikh Abdul Aziz and hijacker-turned-activist Hashim Qureshi. However, it was not immediately clear whether these separatist leaders would accept the Police protection or turn down the same as usual.

6 killed elsewhere

Meanwhile, informed sources said that security forces killed two militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad in an encounter at Trech, Kandi, in Kupwara district. They were identified as Mohammad Umar Ashraf of Sargodha, Pakistan, and Mohammad Yusuf of Muzaffarabad. Sources said that one more militant of Jaish-e-Mohammad was killed by security forces in a shootout at Goshbal, Aloosa, in Bandipore area of Baramulla district.

Sources said that one woman, namely Bibi Fatima Begum W/o Rakheem Shah got killed and two more civilians sustained injuries in an IED blast at Drangyari Rangwar forest in Kupwara district.

A soldier, namely Manzoor Ahmed Khan S/o Noor Mohammad has been kidnapped by unidentified militants from his home at Boninaar, Ongam, in Bandipore. He had returned to home on leave.

A 40-year-old shopkeeper, Abdul Majeed Mir S/o Ghulam Mohammad Mir, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen, believed to be militants, from his home at Panzla, Rafiabad, last evening. His bullet-riddled body was spotted and recovered in the same locality today.

Sources said that late last evening, militants fired a rifle grenade towards a unit of BSF 138 Bn at Tral. It exploded on road, causing critical injuries to a private school-teacher, Fayaz Ahmed Matoo S/o Ghulam Qadir R/o Kachhmulla. He was rushed to Srinagar and admitted at SKIMS. However, he succumbed to injuries.

Reports said that a soldier of ITBP 10th Bn died in a grenade blast inside his room at Verinag in south Kashmir. Official confirmation was still awaited.

Here in the capital city, militants lobbed a hand grenade on a CRPF unit near Jehangir Hotel late this evening. It exploded on road, causing injuries to five soldiers and an equal number of civilians. Sources said that all the injured were rushed to hospital.

Dhirendra Singh to be new Home Secy

NEW DELHI, June 29: In the first major bureaucratic reshuffle by the new UPA Government, Home Secretary Anil Baijal and Defence Secretary Ajay Prasad, appointed by the previous NDA regime, were tonight shifted to other ministries while Disinvestment Secretary Dhirendra Singh was made the new Home Secretary.

Under the decision cleared by the appointments committee of the Cabinet today, Baijal was appointed the new Urban Development Secretary, while Prasad was moved as Civil Aviation Secretary. Dhirendra Singh is an IAS officer of the 1968 batch from Karnataka.

Ajay Vikram Singh, Secretary Road Transport and Highways, will be the new Defence Secretary.

The foreign office will also have a new spokesman in Dalip Sinha, Deputy High Commissioner in Dhaka, who will replace Navtej Sarna. Sarna moves to South Block as Joint Secretary, Disarmament.

The reshuffle comes more than a month after the change of guard at the Centre with the NDA appointed Kamal Pande already having made way for B K Chaturvedi, who became the new Cabinet Secretary.

R Purnalingam, Additional Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, has been brought to the Disinvestment Department as its Secretary.

S C Tripathi, Secretary in the Department of Secondary and Higher Education in HRD Ministry, will be the new Petroleum Secretary to take the place of B K Chaturvedi.

Deepak Chatterjee, Commerce Secretary who has been given three months’ extension in service, has now been given the additional charge of Textiles.

B S Baswan, Secretary, Social Justice, has been posted as Secretary, Department of Secondary and Higher Education, in place of S C Tripathi.

Reva Nayyar, Secretary, Ministry of Development, North Eastern region, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Women and Child while Culture Secretary Dhanendra Kumar has been shifted to Road Transport Ministry.

A K Rastogi, on "compulsory wait" with Inter-State Council Secretariat, has been moved to Home Ministry as Secretary, Border Management and A N Tiwari, Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation Secretary, will now be Secretary, Personnel and Public Grievances Ministry.

Neena Ranjan, Secretary, Department of Official Language, has been posted as Culture Secretary, while Sarita Prasad, Special Secretary, Social Justice Ministry has been elevated as Secretary in the same Ministry.

Chitra Chopra, Secretary, National Commission on Backward Classes has been given the post of Secretary, Department of Urban Development.

Kasturi G Menon, presently Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development, has been made Advisor, Planning Commission in the rank and pay of Secretary.

P M A Hakeem, presently Chairman and Managing Director, Export Credit Guarantee Corporation in Department of Commerce, has been moved as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Hakeem comes in place of S Regunathan, a 1968 batch IAS officer who has been reverted to his parent cadre.

A K Jha, currently Chairman and Managing Director, India Trade Promotion Organisation has been appointed Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and promotion in place of Lakshmi Chand who has been posted as Secretary, Ministry of Development of North-East region.

Anupam Bhatnagar, Additional Secretary, Department of Urban Development has been elevated as Secretary, Department of Official Language.

Lalith K Joshi, presently Member (Administration), National Highways Authority, has been renotified in his present post in the rank and pay of Secretary by temporarily upgrading the post.

Priyadarshi Thakur, presently Additional Secretary, External Affairs Ministry, has been appointed Chairman, Tariff Commission, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, in the rank and pay of Secretary.

Dipak Chatterjee, presently Secretary, Department of Commerce, will hold full additional charge of Secretary, Textiles Ministry, in place of s b mohapatra who retires tomorrow. (PTI)

Cong, PDP in complete unison: Azad
Walls of hatred collapsing: Mufti Excelsior Special Correspondent

Dharmari, June 29: Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said that walls of hatred between India and Pakistan were collapsing and a new atmosphere of friendship and reconciliation was building up between the two countries.

Addressing public meetings at Songri and Dharmari in Mahore tehsil of Udhampur district, the Chief Minister said that the process of peace and confidence building set in motion in the sub-continent was a positive development with both countries agreeing to resolve all problems including Jammu and Kashmir peacefully. He said the benefit of this new situation would accrue the most to the people of the State who had been the worst sufferers of the long acrimony between the two countries.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development and J&K Pradesh Congress president, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Member Parliament, Ch Lal Singh, Minister of State for Agriculture, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Vice Chairman, Gujjar and Bakerwal Advisory Board, Haji Buland Khan and several local leaders of People’s Democratic Party and Congress were present.

Referring to the recent meeting of the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan, the Chief Minister said the confidence building measures taken by either side would bridge distances and remove bitterness in relations that dominated most of the time of their mutual relations.

The Chief Minister said that with the process of normalization and dialogue taking precedence over the war cries, there was no room for violence and bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir. ‘When both the countries have agreed to engage themselves in dialogue to address all problems where is the room for violence?’, he asked and stressed for more people-to-people contact to promote friendship and amity. He advocated opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Suchetgarh-Sialkot roads and said these would be significant confidence building measures.

Dwelling on the development registered in various sectors since the Congress-PDP coalition Government assumed office 18 months ago, the Chief Minister said that for the first time remote and backward areas have been under focus and special measures taken to accord priority to these places in matters of planning and development. He made a special reference to Songri and Dharmari and said that hilly areas like these were ignored by the previous regime. He said the purpose of his and Mr. Azad’s visit was to have an assessment of the local problems and see how best these could be resolved.

Responding to the demand of the local population to construct the 72 km road from Tuli to Bana, the Chief Minister assured that the project would be included in the district plan and work started soon. He said the demand for opening of a branch of the J&K Bank in the area would be taken up with the bank management. He also reacted positively on the demand for up-grading the Chana high school and said that first the adequate infrastructure would have to be raised.

Addressing the meetings, Ghulam Nabi Azad said that Congress and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were in complete unison and that the coalition Government would not only complete its full six year term but the two parties would also fight next assembly and parliamentary elections together. He said there was no question of any confrontation between the two principal coalition partners.

Mr. Azad said that since the objective of Congress and the PDP was to serve the people and ensure peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir, the parties joined hands after the last Assembly elections and formed the coalition Government in the State. He said after the formation of the government a sea change has taken place in the situation. The formation of the Congress led Union Progressive Alliance government at the Centre has ensured coordination between the State and the central government, he added.

Mr. Azad expressed confidence that the union government would lift the ban on recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir imposed in the wake of a memorandum of understanding signed between the ousted National Conference government in the state and the NDA government at the centre. He said the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and he himself have been pleading for lifting of the ban following which the State Government would be able to fill vacancies in government departments. He said the educated unemployment had become a serious problem in the State.

Ch Lal Singh, MP, Minister of State for Agriculture, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Vice-Chairman, Gujjar and Bakerwal Advisory Board, Haji Buland Khan and several local leaders also addressed the public meetings.

BJP flays joint statement

NEW DELHI, June 29: The opposition BJP today said the Indo-Pak joint statement issued yesterday "weakens" India’s approach that all issues between the two countries should be resolved bilaterally and may give an opening to Pakistan to bring in the old UN resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir and to involve third parties in the negotiations.

Referring to the commitment of the two countries to the principles and purposes of the UN charter occurring in the same sentence that refers to the determination to implement the Simla agreement as "intriguing", party spokesman and former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said the Government should have avoided such a formulation.

He told reporters at the party briefing that the "most disconcerting development of all" was the manner in which the various Hurriyat leaders were "encouraged" to interact with Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar.

The Hurriyat or any one else for that matter from J and K should by all means talk to the Indian Government. "There is no way, however, in which such elements could become a third party in the talks between India and Pakistan," he said.

Asserting that "Pakistan cannot be allowed to represent the wishes of the people of J and K", he said "yet this is exactly what seems to have happened at these talks".

Emphasising that diplomacy is also about the words used and the language adopted, Sinha said the reference to UN charter and Simla agreement in the same sentence "clearly weakens our approach that all issues between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally and may give an opening to Pakistan to bring in old UN resolutions on J and K and to involve third parties in the negotiations."

In a detailed reaction to the joint statement issued at the end to the two-day talks between Foreign Secretary Shashank and Khokhar, Sinha termed as "preposterous" Pakistan foreign office spokesman Masood Khan’s remark that Pakistan is of the view that what will satisfy it will "ultimately satisfy Kashmiris".

Sinha said the omission of any reference to the Lahore declaration and only a passing reference to the January six joint statement issued in Islamabad after the meeting between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a matter of deep concern.

Maintaining that Indo-Pak relations have not remained frozen after Simla, he said a number of developments of far-reaching importance have taken place between then and now. "Ignoring them not only demonstrates a petty political mindset, it also imperils vital national interests".

Recalling that the January statement contained an assurance from Musharraf not to permit any territory under Pakistan’s control to be used to support terrorism in any manner, he said this issue "stands diluted" in the latest statement. (PTI)

Seven DySPs promoted

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, June 29: Under stop-gap-arrangement, the State Government has ordered promotion of 7 Deputy Superintendents of Police as Superintendents of Police in their own pay and grade.

The promoted Dy SP are; Ashok Kumar Sharma, Durga Dass, Ghulam Qadir Mir, Mohd Amin Khan, Bhushan Lal Giryali, Mohd Aslam Malik and Gh Qadir Dar.

According to a Government order issued by the State Home Department, sanction is accorded to the placement of these 7 Dy SP on officiating basis in their own pay and grade for a period of six months or clearance by the DPC which ever is earlier.

The Charge Allowance, as admissible under rules, is also sanctioned in favour of these officers.

However, the order will not confer any right on these officers for substantive promotion, merely on the basis of their placement in their own pay and scale, which shall be made under rules.

Promotions, transfers in PHE

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, June 29: The Government have ordered promotions and transfers in the PHE and Irrigation and Flood Control Department.

Iqbal Ahmad Shahmiri Incharge Chief Engineer, PHE, Jammu has been transferred and posted as Incharge Chief Engineer PHE, Kashmir, V.K. Koul, Incharge Superintending Engineer, UEED Jammu has been posted as Incharge Chief Engineer, RTIC Jammu, Tanveer Ahmad Malik, Incharge Superintending Engineer, UEED Kashmir has been promoted as Incharge Chief Engineer, PDC Jammu. Riaz Kamili, Incharge Superintending Engineer, Hyd. Circle Srinagar has been promoted as Incharge Chief Engineer Design, Quality Control and inspections J&K and K.K. Puri, Incharge Superintending Engineer, Hyd. Circle Rajouri has been posted as Incharge Chief Engineer, PHE Jammu.

Terrorists will not be allowed to derail rail project: Jaiswal

NEW DELHI, June 29: The Centre today said the recent killing of a Railway Engineer and his brother by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir was an attempt to derail the peace process and the railway project in the state and asserted that such attempts would not be allowed to succeed.

The Centre also made it clear that it was "in principle" in agreement with the demands of the state’s Village Defence Committees (VDCs) for more and sophisticated arms and ammunition and communication equipment and said it was in touch with concerned departments for the purpose.

Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal, who returned here after a day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir, where a Railway Engineer and his brother were recently killed by terrorists, said at a press conference that such actions would not be allowed to disrupt the peace process.

"This is a desperate attempt to stall the railway project and the peace process in the state but it will not be allowed to succeed...Peace process will be taken forward," he said adding that the Government was committed to fighting terrorism on both fronts—the peace process and security operations.

Mr Jaiswal said he was in touch with the Railway Ministry and everything possible would be done, including stepping up security, to keep it going. Some solutions would be worked out.

He said about 300-400 members of the VDCs met him at Surankot and all of them demanded sophisticated arms and communication equipment.

"We agree in principle with them and are in touch with departments concerned," he said but did not give a time-frame. "In principle we think that their demands are genuine and something should be done to provide them modern weapons and communication equipment. But whom to give and how to give, would be decided by the local security officials," Mr Jaiswal said.

He said the Government would further strengthen security in consultation with the Army and the Railway Ministry to keep the rail project going.

Asked whether the Government would bring out a ‘white paper’ on ISI activities in India, the minister said that at present there was no such need as the level of terrorism in the country now was not as high as it was during the NDA regime.

Significantly, the Congress had itself demanded a white paper on ISI activities when the NDA was in power at the Centre.

To a question Mr Jaiswal said infilteration from across the border had come down by about 50 per cent during the past three-four months. This was partly because of fencing of the borders.

Outer fencing is complete while inner fencing is over by about 90 per cent. Moreover, this was the peak time when snows melt and infiltration increased. But since there were no alarming figures, it clearly indicated that infiltration had come down.

He denied any knowledge about any Home Ministry report which said that terrorist camps were being reviwed in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). "Such a report is not in my knowledge," he said in reply to a question about reports recently in a section of the media that Pakistan was reviewing terrorist-training camps in PoK. The media quoted a 30-page report of the home ministry. (UNI)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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