‘Redrawing of border not negotiable’
Withdrawal of troops a calculated risk: Manmohan

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 18: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today expressed his belief that "purposeful and meaningful negotiations" are possible with Pakistan within the limits set by him that redrawing of borders and "second partition" of the country are neither feasible nor negotiable.

"What is not negotiable is redrawing of borders and second partition. Beyond this, there is a wide scope for dialogue and I hope people will take benefit out of it," he told a press conference here while winding up his two-day visit to the State.

The Prime Minister was asked whether proper dialogue could take place with Pakistan in view of his statement in Srinagar yesterday that there could be no redrawing of borders and "second partition" of the country on the basis of religion.

To another question, he said " I still believe it is possible to have purposeful and meaningful negotiations within limits I have set."

The Prime Minister told Hurriyat leaders not to put conditions like travel to Pakistan prior to talks with the Centre.

Dr. Singh said he has not put any pre-condition for a dialogue with anyone in Kashmir.

"In my speech I have invited all political parties, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, people even outside political system, and those within civil society to benefit us with their suggestions. What more invitation can anybody give," he said.

On Hurriyat’s insistence that their leaders should be allowed to visit Pakistan before they talk to the Centre, Dr Singh said "I do not accept any pre-condition on the part of anyone. ``It is not fair to put conditions to me that I will travel here or there before talking to us. It is not fair.", he elaborated.

To another question, he said "I still believe it is possible to have purposeful and meangingful negotiations within the limits I have set."

Asked whether there was any difference between words and deeds of Pakistan, the Prime Minister said " I do not want to prejudge. We must give sufficient time to arrive at conclusion."

He said New Delhi’s decision to withdraw part of its troops from the State was a "calculated risk within acceptable limits. We will review the situation on constant basis".

"If they do so, it will be good," Dr Singh said when asked whether he expected Islamabad to reciprocate by reducing its troops in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Prime Minister refuted a suggestion that his Government has ignored the interests of Jammu and has focussed only on Kashmir valley.

"I am not prepared to accept that I have ignored the interests of Jammu. I have protected the interests of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh," he made it clear.

A Central team would visit the State to look into grievances of the people and explore ways to ensure all round development, he said adding whatever promises have been made would be fulfilled in coming four-five years.

Dr Singh said that he was here to " reach out to the hearts and minds of the people of Jammu and Kashmir" and to help assist the long term development of the State. He asked all sections of the society to join together in building of New Kashmir.

"I have come to you to say that we can make that new beginning with dignity and self respect. Every one of us has a right to live a life of dignity and self-respect. This is our commitment to each and every individual", he further said.

JU becomes India's first ISO 9001: 2000 University

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 19: In what can be described as biggest ever leap towards becoming a global centre of academic excellence, Jammu University has become India’s first ISO 9001:2000 certified University.

This was announced by JU Vice-Chancellor Prof Amitabh Mattoo while addressing a press conference on the campus, here today.

"After an on site audit and verification conducted by International Certification Limited on November 16, 17 and 18, Jammu University has been recommended for ISO 9001:2000 certification," he informed adding that a formal certificate to this effect would be issued very soon from the Joint Accreditation System D’Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) Auckland, New Zealand.

Describing the ISO certification to JU as a very big achievement, Prof Mattoo, who was flanked by Registrar Dr O S Soodan, Dean Academic Affairs Prof Devinder Singh and convenor of Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Prof Rajiv Gupta, claimed that the global marker of excellence would ensure global standardisation of the system, process and products of the university.

"The ISO certification would also help JU to raise its own resources by attracting foreign students, world recognition to its research works and above all ensure suitable placement for its products," he added.

The Vice-Chancellor said that the achievement was made due to collective efforts of entire Jammu University as a team and JU Internal Quality Assurance Cell in particular which was assigned the task to ensure ISO certification for the University. "What was thought to be almost impossible, has been made possible by JU and every member of the University worked hard to achieve this global mark of quality for the institution," he said.

However, at the same time, young and visionary Vice-Chancellor maintained that ISO certification was not the final goal but a constant journey for improvement and next target of JU is to secure a place among the top universities of the world.

Dr O S Soodan, Registrar, said that having earned this distinction, there was a greater obligation on all members of the University not only to maintain it but make all out efforts to further improve it as ISO was a continuous process of consolidation and progressive development on all fronts.

Prof Rajiv Gupta informed that the process for ISO certification consisted of various phases, beginning with awareness training, gap analysis exercise followed by internal audit training, documentation of internal audit and pre-assessment audit of the key performance indicator developed under University quality management system.

Besides Director External Relations Dr Pritam Singh, members of JU Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Dr Meenakshi Kilam and Annil Suri were also present in the press conference.

SC cancels land allotment by Jyoti Basu
to Calcutta HC Judge

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: In order to instill public confidence in the judiciary, the Supreme Court today cancelled allotment of a plot to a judge of the Calcutta High Court in 1987 by then Chief Minister Jyoti Basu from his discretionary quota and ordered public auction of the House constructed by him on it.

A bench comprising Justice S N Variava and Justice H K Sema passed this order against Justice B P Banerjee while partly allowing a writ petition filed by Dipak Kumar Ghosh questioning the allotments from Basu’s discretionary quota to a number of retired and serving Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court.

Rejecting Justice (rtd) Banerjee’s plea that he should not be singled out, the court said "he has mis-used his divine judicial duty as liveries to accomplish his personal ends. He has betrayed the trust reposed on him by the people. To say the least, this is bad."

Giving details of the "unholy nexus" between the Government and the Judge, the bench noted that when the Judge did not get a plot of land in the Salt lake area from the discretionary quota, he, while dealing with a PIL on the issue, stopped any further allotment from the Chief Minister’s discretionary quota. Few days later, when "four kathas" of land was allotted to him, he vacated the stay order.

"In the backdrop of the facts and circumstances, we are of the view that the conduct of the learned Judge is beyond condonable limits," Justice Sema, writing for the bench, said.

The court, while passing this order on the writ petition filed by Ghosh, dismissed it as regards to its plea against other beneficiaries from the discretionary quota allotments made by then Chief Minister Basu.

However, the bench said "we clarify that the dismissal of the writ petition against other respondents should not be misunderstood as approval of the policy decision of the Government with regard to the allotment of land by the Chief Minister from his discretionary quota."

The court directed that the Government could either evaluate the value of the bungalow standing on the plot and give the money to Justice Banerjee before taking over the bungalow. In this event, the retired Judge and his family would be given one year time to vacate the house.

However, if Justice Banerjee felt that he could get a better price from the market, the Government could put the bungalow for public auction along with the land, the court said.

It said after accepting the price from the higest bidder, the Government would hand over to the retired Judge the value of the House and not that of the land.

The court directed the Chief Secretary of the State to complete the process of the directions given by it within six months and file a compliance report. (PTI)

Sino-India border talks ends

BEIJING, Nov 19: India and China concluded a crucial round of border talks here today on a positive note with the two sides having "frank" and "detailed" exchanges of views on the principles that could form the framework of a possible boundary agreement.

The fourth round of talks, at the level of special representatives, was held here between National Security Advisor J N Dixit and Chinese Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo from November 18-19.

"The meeting was held in a friendly, constructive and cooperative atmosphere. The exchange of views was frank and detailed," the Indian Embassy said in a press statement.

The in-camera discussions under the fourth round of talks were spread over three rounds, informed sources said, adding that two rounds were held yesterday, the first day of the talks. The third round was held this morning.

The India-China boundary issue is a "very complex problem and we are making gradual progress," the sources said.

"We moved away from the introductory rounds of exchanges to fairly detailed discussions in two sections, (firstly) principles and terms of reference on the basis of which the settlement of the boundary issue could be established.

"Secondly, the actual framework — an exchange of views on what we envisage how the boundary should be actually delineated on the ground," the sources said.

"In both sessions, the discussions were candid. Both sides clearly spelt out each other’s views and details regarding each principles and ingredient of what could be the framework," they said.

"Certainly this round had some meaningful movement forward and we will continue these discussions, as we have not finalised the principles," the sources said.

Chinese State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan, who visited India late last month, hosted a dinner last night in Dixit’s honour, during which both sides discussed "other issues" on Sino-India relations and agreed to move ahead on various fronts.

Tang, who oversees Chinese foreign policy matters, also read out a personal message to Dixit from Premier Wen Jiabao since he could not personally meet the Indian special representative as he could not return to Beijing from a "remote mountain area."

The Chinese side informed Dixit that Wen is likely to visit India in the "first quarter of 2005."

Wen, in his letter, informed Dixit that he was looking forward to the visit to India and conveyed his regards to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the sources said.

The next round of boundary talks will be held in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date, they said.

Apart from Dixit, the Indian delegation comprised India’s Ambassador to China Nalin Surie and other senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the PMO.

The latest round of border talks between Dixit and Dai is the second one since the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government assumed power in May. Dai earlier had two meetings with Dixit’s predecessor, Brajesh Mishra.

India and China appointed special representatives in 2003 to explore from the political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship, the framework of a boundary settlement.

The decision to appoint the special representatives was taken during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s ground-breaking visit to Beijing in June last year after dozens of meetings between officials of the two countries could not make much headway.

India says China is illegally occupying 43,180 sq kms of Jammu and Kashmir, including 5,180 sq km illegally ceded to Beijing by Islamabad under the Sino-Pakistan boundary agreement in 1963. On the other hand, China accuses India of possessing some 90,000 sq km of Chinese territory, mostly in Arunachal Pradesh. (PTI)

BJP to launch stir in support of Shankaracharya

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: As a Magistrate sent Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi into four days’ police remand for investigation into the murder of temple manager Shankaraman, the BJP today went on the warpath, handing over a memorandum to President APJ Abdul Kalam in protest against the arrest of the pontiff and warning that the party will organise dharnas and hunger strikes as part of a nationwide agitation from tomorrow.

A delegation led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and party president Lal Krishna Advani met President Kalam at 1730 hrs and handed over a memorandum in protest against the arrest of the pontiff, who police say, was involved in the murder of Sankaraman in September this year.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of senior leaders of the party at the residence of Mr Vajpayee this noon, BJP spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said.

Airing strong sentiments against the arrest of the Shankaracharya of Kanchi Math, the top leadership of the BJP lodged a protest with the President, saying they were deeply concerned at the manner in which the seer was arrested and then incarcerated on allegation of a criminal case.

Holding Government of Tamil Nadu directly responsible for any ill-treatment meted out to him in police custody, the seven-member BJP delegation led by Mr Vajpayee sought suitable guidelines for dealing with cases in which religious personalities and institutions were involved.

The BJP alleged that the seer was being treated more as a convicted criminal than as just an accused.

"We strongly condemn the move to send the Swamiji to police custody for three days, especially since he had emphatically stated that he would fully cooperate with the investigation in judicial remand," the strongly-worded memorandum said. Besides Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani, senior leaders Jaswant Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, Pramod Mahajan and Arun Jaitely were the other signatories to the memorandum.

Indicating the alleged political motive behind the arrest of the seer, the memorandum said, "the sanctity and dignity of the Kanchi Peetham, as indeed of all religious and spiritual institutions, of all denominations, must be protected from political pulls and pressures."

Later talking to reporters, Mr Vajpayee expressed deep concern at the manner in which the Shankaracharya was arrested and incarcerated. "We share the anguish and the hurt sentiments of crores of Hindus of the country," he said.

Expressing the party’s anger at the arrest of the Shankaracharya, Ms Swaraj said, "we feel that this sort of situation had not happened even during the Mughal and British period and this was not just an insult to the topmost Hindu leader individually but an assault on the whole religion."

Ms Swaraj alleged a ‘collusion’ between the Centre and Jayalalithaa Governments, both of whom were "equally responsible" for an orchestrated attack against Hinduism by the two Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu.

She said the move to remand the Shankaracharya into police custody for the alleged involvement in a criminal case was most reprehensible and would be opposed by the party with its full strength. She said the BJP leaders who met at the residence of Mr Vajpayee strongly condemned the move of the TN Government. Mr Advani will be sitting on a hunger strike near Patel Chowk, in the vicinity of Parliament tomorrow and address a rally organised by the Delhi BJP.

Former BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi will be leading the protest on the second day and on the third day Mr Vajpayee himself will be addressing the rally.

Dharnas were to give a peaceful face for the public anger while the hunger strike will be for the health of the jailed pontiff, Ms Swaraj said.

She said the party had directed all its units to organise dharnas and protests in all parts of the country to give an opportunity to express oneself peacefully. The party activists will be sending e-mails, letters and signature campaigns in support of the Shankaracharya.

The BJP spokesperson alleged that the Shankaracharya’s incarceration was due to the ‘polarisation’ of Tamil Nadu politics between two Dravidian parties — AIADMK which was in power in the State and the DMK which was in power at the Centre." Both these parties want to grab the ‘anti-Brahmin votes’ while Congress and other parties are colluding with these actions by way of ‘silence.’ there was a tussle between the two parties to heap maximum insult on one community," she alleged.

She said the Shankaracharya was for the Hindus on par with the Dalai Lama for the Buddhists and the Pope for the Christians and the BJP strongly condemned the Tamil Nadu Government’s action against him.

Asked if the relations of the BJP had soured with the AIADMK, a poll ally just six months ago, Ms Swaraj said the BJP held T N Government directly responsible and Ms Jayalalithaa was its head. Such being the case there was no scope for any confusion about the relationship between the BJP and the AIADMK.

Ms Swaraj clarified that the protests and rallies were the programmes of the BJP alone and not of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, NDA convenor George Fernandes was among those who had called on the Acharya in Tamil Nadu. (UNI)

‘Be alert to ISI threat’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Nov 19: A top army official in charge of the Southern states today said ISI in collusion with fundamentalists and anti-national elements were likely to create problems in the hinterland areas of the country and states like Kerala could no longer afford to ignore the threat.

Activities of ISI were assuming ‘disproportionate dimensions’ and this coupled with increasing nexus between fundamentalists and criminal fringe elements was likely to create problems in the hinterland areas, Major General Paramjit Singh, General officer Commanding for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka said here.

ISI had encouraged anti-national elements by providing financial, ideological and material support to them. These elements were likely to target those areas where communal passions could be easily stirred up, Maj Gen Paramjit Singh said, addressing the high-level civil military liaison conference here.

Considering its geographical features, Kerala enjoyed a certain degree of immunity from the threat of the adversary. However, certain peculiarities like vast coastline, healthy mix of all communities, presence of sizeable tribal population and porous coastline borders rendered it vulnerable to international disturbances, he said

There was a need to keep a constant vigil on the development in the neighbouring countries and the intelligence agencies must share relevant information from time to time, he said. Advances in information technology, including easy access to internet and internal communication networks, growing criminal-drugmafia-terrorist nexus and Pakistan-sponsored proxy war and cross-border terrorism had made the threat to internal security more potent and sinister, Maj Gen Singh said.

The new dimension of the threat also includes that from the sea frontiers, he said.

Despite its economic progress, Kerala too had its share of problems but the State’s efforts to stem violence and bring communal groups to the mainstream were welcome, he said.

The Major General also said there was an urgent need to develop disaster management schemes to deal with both natural and man-made disasters. Prevention, detection, damage control and rehabilitation were various fields where the civil and police administration must grow in strength so that the military could synergise the efforts, he said.

Emphasising the need to strengthen the intelligence acquisition, real-time sharing of intelligence, he called for evolving workable models of civil-police interaction.

The defence establishments in the state were "deficient of land," he said, and wanted the State Government to help overcome this problem.

The Major General said the Army had been recruiting about 2000 candidates from Kerala every year. (PTI)

Nation pays homage to Indira

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: The nation paid homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 87th birth anniversary today.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson and daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi Ms Sonia Gandhi paid floral tributes to the former Prime Minister at her Samadhi Shakti Sthal this morning and her portrait at the central hall of Parliament House.

A large number of Union Ministers, MPs, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her cabinet colleagues were among those who paid homage to the late leader at Shakti Sthal.

School children sang patriotic songs on the occasion. An all religion prayer meeting was also held. Colourful baloons carrying posters of Indira Gandhi were released on this occasion.

Dr Singh, Ms Gandhi, Home Minister Shivraj Patil and a number of MPs from various parties paid floral tributes at the portrait of the former Prime Minister at the Parliament House.

A function was held at the Indira Gandhi memorial at Safdarjung road in which the Prime Minister and the UPA chairperson participated. The former Premier was gunned down at her residence in 1984 by her security guards.

The Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit launched a typhoid vaccine programme in the Capital to mark the occasion. She also gave away the prizes to the meritorious students and teachers to promote better education among the children.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ram Babu Sharma launched a fruit distribution at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where needy patients and other people were given fruits.

The occasion is also being celebrated as the Quami Ekta week and the national integration pledge was taken by the Central Reserve Police Force personnel at CRPF headquarters.

CRPF additional Director General S K Mehra administered the pledge and urged the officers and men of the force to preserve and strengthen the freedom and integrity of the nation with dedication. (UNI)

India ready to examine Pervez plan: Natwar

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: India today said it is ready to examine the Kashmir proposal of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf once it is formally presented.

"We don’t know what President Musharraf has in mind. Let’s first see the proposal," External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh told reporters here.

Mr Singh said he had only heard about the proposal and there was no formal communication from Pakistan. India would be willing to look at the proposal when it is formally presented by Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who is visiting India from November 23.

"Let’s see what he brings," he said. He, however, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made India’s position on Kashmir clear.

During his visit to Srinagar on Wednesday, the Prime Minister had said that he was not aware of the exact contents of President Musharraf’s proposal, but made it clear that India would not allow any further redrawing of the international boundary and division of the State on the lines of religion. There was wide scope for taking the dialogue forward outside these two parameters, he had said.

Mr Singh declined to comment on General Musharraf’s statement yesterday after a meeting with leader of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that India was not showing "flexibility and sincerity" in solving the dispute.

"I am not going to comment on it," he said. "The Prime Minister has made India’s position very clear." (UNI)

Hizb commander’s house set on fire
Father-daughter duo among 3 killed

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 19: With a former militant and his daughter getting killed by unidentified gunmen in Handwara, troops have shot dead another civilian suspecting him to be a militant in Rafiabad area of north Kashmir last evening. Meanwhile, a top wanted Hizbul Mujahideen commander’s house has been set on fire by unidentified persons at Rathsun village in Budgam district.

Informed sources told the EXCELSIOR that late last evening, three unidentified gunmen barged into the residence of one Abdur Rasheed Masala at Kulangam in Handwara area and opened indiscriminate gunfire on him. He died on spot alongwith his daughter Rifat. Sources said that Masala was a former militant who had apparently ceased his links with militants.

Sources said that troops of RR 28 Bn had laid an ambush at Barman in Panzla area of Rafiabad, in Baramulla district, late last evening. As a civilian, namely Mohammad Sharif Khan S/o Muttawali Khan, happened to pass through the ambush on a horseback, troops suspected him to be a militant and opened fire. Khan sustained critical injuries and later breathed his last at a hospital. Sources said that his horse died on spot, though his daughter and niece had a miraculous escape in the shootout.

Meanwhile, reports from Budgam said that unidentified gunmen, widely believed to be counter-insurgents, swooped on the house of Hizbul Mujahideen’s "district commander" Mohammad Yusuf Sheikh alias Sajjad at Rathsun late last night. They allowed the inmates to escape but bolted the house and set it on fire. Sources said that the house gutted completely with all the house-hold items. While as militants of a rival group have reportedly killed Sheikh’s cousin about ten years ago, Police organisation and troops of Rashtriya Rifles have gunned down his brother, Bashir Ahmed Sheikh, after allegedly lifting him from Batmaloo Bus Stand, in Ganderbal area two years ago.

Top Jaish ultra held in Pak

ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: A top-ranking Jaish-e-Mohammad militant, said to be involved in the assassination attempts on Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, has been arrested from Faisalabad in Punjab province, media reports said.

The Dawn newspaper, quoting unnamed sources, said intelligence officials picked up Osama Nazir from a religious seminary during a raid on Wednesday.

Nazir, who carried a one million rupee reward on his head, was termed the second-in-command of the Jaish outfit and a close associate of its chief Maulana Masood Azhar.

The arrest came a few days after security agencies killed a Harkatul Mujahideen militant in Karachi, who was believed to have links with the Al-Qaeda.

Pakistan’s private Geo TV channel said mobile phones, CDs and Jihadi literature were recovered during the raid.

Nazir is also allegedly involved in attacks on churches across Pakistan during 2002 and 2003. He was shifted to Lahore for further interrogation.

Intelligence agencies had arrested five alleged militants from Lahore early this week on suspicion that they were supplying arms to banned Sunni outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), an off-shoot of the Sipah-e-Sihaba Pakistan (SSP).

The two sectarian organizations, which have been accused to masterminding and killing minority Shiite Muslims in Pakistan, were among the five militant and sectarian outfits, banned by President General Pervez Musharraf in January 2003 as part of the ongoing war against terrorism.

In December 2003, President General Pervez Musharraf survived two assassination attempts in Rawalpindi, which were allegedly masterminded by Amjad Farooqi, who had links to LJ and the Al-Qaeda.

Farooqi was killed in a shoot out with the security agencies in Nawabshah a couple of months ago.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz escaped an assassination bid in July this year on the outskirts of Islamabad during election campaign, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near his vehicle. (UNI)

Two-day SAFMA meet to discuss media and
reconciliation in South Asia

LAHORE, Nov 19: A group of 42 Indian journalists arrived here today to attend the fourth SAFMA conference on "media and reconciliation in South Asia" beginning tomorrow.

After the two-day conference in this historic city, a delegation of 25 Indian mediapersons will visit Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of the media exchange programme under which 16 Pakistani journalists were allowed access to Jammu and Kashmir last month.

The conference and the return visit is sponsored by South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA). More than 250 journalists will participate in the Lahore conference.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is expected to address the conference which will also be attended by Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri.

The mediapersons coming from different parts of India had gathered in New Delhi and then travelled by the Swaran Shatabdi Express to the city of the Golden Temple and from there proceeded by road to cross the Wagah Border where they were received by SAFMA (Pakistan Chapter) officials. Apart from the media reconciliation in South Asia, the meet is expected to take up the exchange of mediapersons amongst the countries in the region, particularly India and Pakistan.

SAFMA will also review its working to help unite the media to speak in one voice on issues crucial to various countries in the region.

Among those addressing the meet are K K Katyal (SAFMA president-Indian chpater), Vinod Kumar Sharma (SAFMA secretary general (India chapter and Associate Editor, The Hindustan Times), Dileep Padgaonkar (SAFMA vice-president and consulting editor, The Times of India), Prem Shankar Jha (columnist) and Tarun Vijay (Panchjanya).

Apart from Mr Sharma, Mr Padgaonkar and Mr Jha, others going to PoK are Raj Chengappa (managing editor, India Today), Pushp Saraf (Daily Excelsior), Tahir Mohiuddin (Editor, Chattan), V Sudarshan (senior analyst, Outlook), Phillip A J (Associate Edior, The Tribune), Zafar Meraj (editor, The Kashmir Monitor), Manu Srivatsa (President, Jammu Press Club), Bashir Manzar (editor, Kashmir Images), Indrajit Hazra (The Hindustan Times), Suhail Kazmi (editor, Taskeen), Binoo Joshi (The Pioneer), Ashwani Kumar (Aaj Tak), Shujaat Bukhari (The Hindu), Saleem Pandit (The Times of India), Yousuf Jameel (The Asian Age), Satish Verma (Rashtriya Sahara), Syed Sultan Ahmed Geelani also known as Sultan Shaheen (columnist), Sant Kumar Sharma (Star TV), Nidhi Razdan (NDTV), Sumir Kaul (PTI) and Aurangzeb Naqshbandi (UNI).

The media exchange, the first of its kind in 57 years, is intended to provide an opportunity to mediapersons to assess for themselves the situation on the two sides.

Besides Lahore, the delegation will visit Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Mirpur, Mangla, Muzaffarabad, Neelam Valley, Chakothi and Muree. The team will return on November 29.

SAFMA secretary general Imtiyaz Alam, who led the Pakistani media delegation on its visit to India, expressed the hope that this cross-Kashmir exchange between journalists would help them understand the Kashmir situation better.

Mr Alam said SAFMA believed that all misconceptions will be removed and there would be an opportunity to understand each other better with regular exchange programmes.

India granted visas to the Pakistani journalists less than two weeks after Foreign Ministers of the two countries met in New Delhi and said they would try to ease visa restrictions for reporters.

The decision was taken a few days before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf met in New York in September last week.

India’s move indicated a major shift in its long-standing policy of keeping the state out of bounds for media personnel from across the border.

While India imposes no restriction on journalists from other countries visiting Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistani journalists have not had access to the State. Pakistan allows non-Indian foreign journalists to visit PoK only if they get a no objection certificate from the Interior Ministry.

The last time Indian journalists were allowed into PoK since 1964 was during the wedding of JKLF chief Amanullah Khan’s daughter and the son of assassinated Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone in 2000. (UNI)

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