AFSPA may undergo change
Indications of Eid package as Omar meets PM, HM

NEW DELHI, Sept 8: Indications of an ‘Eid package’ for Jammu and Kashmir were available today with the Centre considering amendments to the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or its partial withdrawal in the State at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Friday.

These indications were available after a meeting between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh when the Centre was urged to amend the AFSPA or its partial withdrawal from some of the districts in the State.

Omar, who flew in here and met Dr Singh, also urged him to kickstart a political dialogue with the separatists at the earliest.

During the 45-minute meeting, Omar highlighted the need for amendments in the AFSPA to make it more humane.

"Yes, I have requested the Prime Minister to take a decision on amending the AFSPA or at best withdrawing it from some areas where it was not required. To begin with we may choose four districts in the State on experimental basis," Omar said after the meeting.

Omar said, "Some calculated risks have to be taken... let us see." Asked whether he was hopeful, he said, "If I am not hopeful, I won’t be here."

Highly placed sources in the Government said the Centre was likely to take a decision soon on the changes in the special law, that has been enforced in Jammu and Kashmir to tackle the situation there.

They said the CCS is likely to take a decision in its Friday meeting whether certain provisions in AFSPA should be amended by incorporating some more "humane" clauses.

The CCS is also expected to explore the possibility of phased withdrawal of the AFSPA in some districts of the Kashmir valley and some in the Jammu region, they said.

The Prime Minister had on Monday told editors that he would soon be calling a meeting of the CCS to "threadbare" discuss the Kashmir situation.

After the meeting with the PM, Omar joined the ‘Iftar’ hosted by Dr Singh at his official 7, Race Course residence.

While Omar remained non-committal about the districts, sources said that Srinagar and Ganderbal districts in Kashmir valley and Jammu and Samba districts in Jammu region could be the first one from where the AFSPA could be withdrawn.

The Chief Minister also discussed threadbare a road map for its phased withdrawal beginning with the districts which have registered no or minimum violence during the past one year and in this context he gave examples of the four districts.

The Chief Minister said that there have been recommendations made by the Law Commission and Administrative Reforms Commission about the repealing of the Act.

The Administrative Reforms Commission headed by Veerappa Moily, now Law Minister, has also endorsed withdrawal of AFSPA or at least incorporation of some measures which prevents giving sweeping powers to the security forces.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had also constituted a committee headed by Hamid Ansari before he became the Vice President, to find ways for improving internal confidence building measures. The Ansari panel had recommended revocation of AFSPA in the State.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister also stressed on the need for a comprehensive political dialogue with all shades of opinion including the separatists, the sources said.

Omar also discussed the formulations for kick-starting the dialogue with the separatists who have been approached through back-channel efforts.

Besides resumption of dialogue with all shades of opinion and a review of laws, the Chief Minister also sought measures to deal with unemployment, the figure of which has gone upto six lakh over the years, a comprehensive package for people who have suffered during the present unrest and former militants who served their sentence and were without jobs, the sources said.

The sources said among other things discussed were the relocation of security forces and a fresh surrender policy.

The Chief Minister had earlier this week said that "status quo is the only option not available to us" which implied that some steps needed to be taken immediately for amendment of AFSPA and starting the dialogue process.

"This is unnecessarily being made a highly emotive issue which has led to extreme positions. I would like to request that a pragmatic view about the continuation of the AFSPA be taken with a view to removing its applicability from those districts where terrorist or insurgent activities are minimal or insignificant," he had said.

Omar also met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and briefed him on current situation in the State.

Omar is likely to meet Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A.K. Antony here before his return to Srinagar tomorrow afternoon.

Antony reviews Army's relief, rehabilitation work in Leh

Excelsior Correspondent

LEH, Sept 8: Appreciating the efforts of Army in undertaking rescue and relief operations in the cloudburst hit areas of Ladakh, Defence Minister, A K Antony, today said that Army will consider the issue of extending assistance to the district administration under Operation Sadhbhavana in rebuilding important infrastructure, which got damaged in the natural calamity that struck this district early last month.

Mr Antony was on a day visit to the district to review the ongoing relief and rehabilitation work by the armed forces in the natural calamity hit areas.

Accompanied by Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt General, P C Bhardwaj, the Defence Minister was received by Lt Gen B S Jaswal, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command and Lt General, S K Singh, Corps Commander, Fire and Fury Corps, at Thoise defence airbase this morning.

Soon after his arrival, Lt Gen S K Singh briefed the Defence Minister about the rescue and relief operations at Tyakshi in Nubra valley, where the Army had suffered casualties due to mudslide on the intervening night of August 4 and 5, 2010. He was conveyed that despite many difficulties in reaching the area because of huge slush and washing away of roads, timely rescue operation was launched in the area because of which the death toll was restricted.

Mr Antony was also briefed on the latest situation in Ladakh and the Army’s role in providing succour to the affected people and restoration of connectivity along Zojila and Rohtang axis.

Later, Mr Antony conducted aerial survey of the devastated areas of the district to personally take stock of the damages and relief work. He appreciated the promptness of the Army in starting relief and rescue operations which resulted into saving of lives of hundreds of flash-floods affected people.

He stressed the need to continue the same as large number of people have been rendered shelter less in the nature’s fury and they still needed the Army’s helping hand.

Before leaving for the Union Capital, Mr Antony also had a meeting with the Minister for Tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora, representatives of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh and district administration.

In the meeting, Mr Antony assured that Army would consider the issue of extending assistance to the district administration in rebuilding of vital infrastructure under Operation Sadhbhavana. "We will extend every possible assistance to the natural calamity affected district", he added.

Earlier, the Defence Minister was urged to double the tonnage being allowed to the district during winter months in the defence aircrafts, ensure taking up of re-construction of major bridges under Operation Sadhbhavana, re-construction of infrastructure which was created under Operation Sadhbhavana and got damaged due to natural calamity, raising of force on the pattern of Ladakh Scouts to address the problem of unemployment among the females and giving preference to locals while filling up of vacancies in MES and other wings of the Army.

Mr Antony assured to sympathetically look into these demands.

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Geelani arrested, 12 injured in protests
Curfew in Srinagar, Anantnag, Bijbehara

Excelsior Correspondent

Srinagar, Sept 8: The summer capital of the State remained under curfew for second day today while Anantnag and Bijbehara towns in south Kashmir were brought under curfew even as over a dozen persons were hurt during clashes between protestors and security forces at many places in the Valley.

Srinagar city remained under curfew following late night and early morning protests at many places which led to clashes between protestors and security forces, official sources said.

The curfew orders were strictly being implemented across the city and only those with valid passes were allowed to move around after proper scrutiny. Concertina wires were laid at the exit points of trouble spots like Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Kawdara, Maisuma, Red Cross road and Koker Bazaar to prevent the protestors from pouring on to the streets.

Barricades were erected at all major intersections to restrict movement of the vehicles.

Although curfew remained in force through out the day, the restrictions were eased late in the afternoon to allow people to prepare for forthcoming Eid festival. Few shops, mainly bakeries, opened in the evening as customers started pouring in.

However, a group of youth forced the shop owners to down their shutters as the hard line faction of Hurriyat Conference had called for a general strike today as part of its weekly agitation schedule.

Anantnag and Bijbehara towns in south Kashmir were also brought under the ambit of curfew after stray stone pelting incidents were reported yesterday and district administration apprehended that separatist elements might incite trouble in these towns today.

Curfew was imposed in Srinagar city in the wee hours yesterday after four persons were killed in police firing in Pattan area of Baramulla district on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road on Monday. The killings had fuelled late night protests in the city during which mobs tried to set on fire two police stations - Nowhatta and Karan Nagar - by hurling petrol bombs.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said situation across the Valley remained by and large peaceful barring few incidents of stone pelting at Behama Chowk in Ganderbal, Main Chowk in Sopore, Habak crossing, Sabzi Mandi Soura, Telbal and Chatabal in Srinagar, Galwanpora, Hyderpora in Budgam.

"A mob of miscreants pelted stones and erected hurdles on the road near Telbal on Foreshore road in Hazratbal and pelted stones on the police and CRPF," the spokesman said.

He said the forces used mild lathicharge and tear smoke to disburse the mob. However, the miscreants did not relent.

"The police was forced to use pellet guns in which one person namely Bilal Ahmad Bhat son of Mohammed Ramzan resident of Telbal was injured and has been hospitalized. His condition is stable," he added.

Another miscreant, Showkat Ahmed Khan received plastic pellet injury in his leg when the mob did not relent and continued throwing stones and bricks at police at Beehama in Ganderbal district. His condition is out of danger, the spokesman said.

"A group of miscreants resorted to pelting stones near SDA complex Bemina. The unruly mob torched a truck bearing registration number JK01C-7236. Police chased them away using lathicharge and tear smoke shells," he said.

The spokesman said stone pelting was also reported from Chatabal in Srinagar. Police used tear smoke shells, and fired pellet guns to disperse the mob.

"One stone pelter namely Ubaid Ahmad son of Mehraj u din resident of Chatabal got injured in leg. His condition is stable," he added.

Meanwhile, police today arrested hard line Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and put him in preventive custody as he had announced that he would offer Eid prayers at Hazratbal, where Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is expected to offer prayers as well.

Geelani was whisked away from his Hyderpora residence minutes past afternoon and booked under Sections 107 and 151 CrPC. He was lodged at Humhama police station.

A police spokesman said Geelani had been arrested as the schedule of activities announced by him could lead to law and order problems.

Before being arrested, the hard line leaders said the future course of agitation would depend on the response of Central Government to his five conditions to starting dialogue for resolution of Kashmir issue.

Geelani last month had demanded that Centre should accept that Kashmir is an international dispute, withdraw AFSPA, PSA and Disturbed Areas Act, release all political prisoners, stop killing of youth and try the security force personnel involved in the recent killings.

He also urged people to offer Eid prayers at Eidgah where moderate Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is scheduled to address the gathering.