J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Hurriyat hope gets setback
Attack on Parliament delays US intervention
Jammu, December 16
The hope of Hurriyat leaders, including the Chairman, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, and the JKLF Chief, Mr Yasin Malik, of possible immediate American intervention for the settlement of the Kashmir issue has received a serious setback following the terrorist strike on Parliament House in Delhi.

‘Pak can’t deny involvement’
Jammu, December 16
The Union Minister for Food Processing, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, has said after the completion of the inquiry into the terrorist strike on the Parliament House, Pakistan should have no reservations about banning the Jash-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba and in freezing their bank accounts.

Declare Pak terrorist state, says Panun Kashmir
Jammu, December 16
The Panun Kashmir, an organisation of Hindus displaced from the valley, has called upon the Government of India to declare Pakistan a “terrorist state” to convey to the world Delhi’s concern over continued terrorist strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas of the country.

Geelani innocent, says brother
Srinagar, December 16
The brother of A.R. Geelani, who has confessed his links with militants who attacked Parliament on December 13, here today alleged that the Delhi-based academic was “falsely implicated” in the case and whereabouts of four members of his family were not known.

Hurriyat hope gets setback
Attack on Parliament delays US intervention
M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 16
The hope of Hurriyat leaders, including the Chairman, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, and the JKLF Chief, Mr Yasin Malik, of possible immediate American intervention for the settlement of the Kashmir issue has received a serious setback following the terrorist strike on Parliament House in Delhi.

Though these hopes, according to sources, were ill-founded, Mr Malik had an “illusion” that favourable response to his suggestion of a plebiscite in Kashmir from some American diplomats and intellectuals indicated that the US Government was planning to intervene and resolve the Kashmir issue.

It is in this context that Mr Malik had told newsmen in Srinagar, his first meeting after his return from the USA where he had undergone a brain surgery, that major developments were expected within a short time.

Finding itself in soup following erosion in its strength with more and more people distancing themselves from the 23-party conglomerate and on account of growing internal dissensions, the Hurriyat has started experimenting with varied ideas. It's first experiment of sending a Hurriyat team to Pakistan for discussions with the government and leaders of different militant outfits failed to show any result after Delhi refused to issue travel documents to them.

It's another experiment of boycotting the government negotiator, Mr K.C. Pant, during his visit to Srinagar four months ago, caused hardly any ripples in Kashmir.

Later, the Hurriyat leaders floated the idea of meeting leaders from Delhi provided the talks were comprehensive and Pakistan was involved. Again people’s support or lack of it was not discernible anywhere in Kashmir.

Some Hurriyat leaders have started pleading for unity among various militant outfits so that it could launch a political movement. There have been no takers of this idea from the militant groups. Pakistan has deliberately floated different militant groups to prevent anyone of them from striking a deal with the Government of India.

Islamabad’s known strategy is that even if one or two militant groups enter into an agreement, there are many to oppose it and sustain the level of violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

Critics of the Hurriyat Conference are of the opinion that the plan of launching a political movement of the militant closed their ranks was part of the Hurriyat plan to come to the centre-stage and keep militants under their control.

Indications are that the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen or other outfits are not prepared to work under the Hurriyat umbrella.

The Democratic Freedom Party chief, Mr Shabir Ahmed Shah, has voiced criticism of fellow travellers for their refusal to forge unity. Without naming the Hurriyat Conference leaders, Mr Shah has blamed the separatists for promoting disunity as each one of them had a “vested interest”.

The Hurriyat Conference had not responded to Mr Shah’s suggestion that different constituents, except Jamait-e-Islami, should shut their shop and merge in the All-Party Hurriyat Conference. He had offered to rejoin the APHC once its constituents were united.

In the wake of dissensions within the Hurriyat-fold, some of the leaders were being accused of hobnobbing with men who matter in Delhi and those who run the show in Pakistan. The APHC leaders continue to be under the Hurriyat umbrella not out of conviction but out of convenience and as such they have to maintain an equal distance between Islamabad and Delhi.

‘Pak can’t deny involvement’
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 16
The Union Minister for Food Processing, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, has said after the completion of the inquiry into the terrorist strike on the Parliament House, Pakistan should have no reservations about banning the Jash-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba and in freezing their bank accounts.

Talking to a large number of border villagers who have been facing hardships owing to Pakistan firing, he said Pakistan could no longer deny its involvement in the attack on Parliament.

Prof Gupta said India had the right to take action against the terrorists after this attack.

He took a dig at the state government saying that instead of fighting militants within the state the ruling National Conference was suggesting to the Centre to attack terrorist camps across the border. He said it was the duty of the state government to launch effective counter-insurgency measures and provide relief to the border villagers.

Declare Pak terrorist state, says Panun Kashmir
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 16
The Panun Kashmir, an organisation of Hindus displaced from the valley, has called upon the Government of India to declare Pakistan a “terrorist state” to convey to the world Delhi’s concern over continued terrorist strikes in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas of the country.

In a statement yesterday Chairman of the Panun Kashmir, Dr Ajay Chrungoo, said that in the past 12 years India had acted against Pak-sponsored terrorism in a way which showed Delhi’s inability to handle the situation and comprehend the serious implications of militant activities.

Dr Chrungoo said that terrorist attack on the Parliament House, continued firing by Pakistan on the border including the Siachen glacier should open the eyes of the BJP-led NDA Government and in the absence of a clear support from the US Government and other countries, Delhi should declare Pakistan a terrorist state which would deprive Pakistan the status of being the “most favoured nation.”

The Panun Kashmir Chairman said that what the militants were doing was nothing less of a war against India and expressed dismay over contradictions in India’s foreign policy. He said once Pakistan was declared a terrorist state it would resolve these “contradictions” in India’s foreign policy.

Dr Chrungoo urged the Government of India to discard “self imposed inertia” and meet challenges posed by Pakistan’s military regime and fundamentalists.

Geelani innocent, says brother

Srinagar, December 16
The brother of A.R. Geelani, who has confessed his links with militants who attacked Parliament on December 13, here today alleged that the Delhi-based academic was “falsely implicated” in the case and whereabouts of four members of his family were not known.

Immediately after Delhi Police Commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma’s press conference in New Delhi giving details of the breakthrough in the case, Abdul Rahim Geelani told reporters at his Tawheedgunj residence in Baramula that his brother was “innocent” and falsely implicated by the police in the case.

“We have no news about Geelani’s wife, two children and a brother who were staying with him in New Delhi,” Rahim said.

He said efforts to contact them did not succeed and “there is no news about their welfare. We are worried about their fate.” PTI

J&K Cong unity hopes brighten
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 16
Hopes of reconciliation between dissidents and loyalists in the state unit of the Congress have brightened as the AICC leadership has decided to further expand the PCC and the executive committee to give representation to those dissidents who were not included in the set-up constituted five months ago.

At present, the PCC and the executive committee are jumbo-sized bodies, with 84 Congressmen occupying one post or the other.

Inside reports said a formal meeting between AICC President Sonia Gandhi and some senior dissident leaders, including Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, Peerzada Mohammad Syed and Mr Ayub Khan, was being arranged by AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad in Delhi within the next week.

It is learnt from senior Congress leaders that after the AICC President refused to accept the demand of the dissidents to replace PCC chief, Mohammad Shafi Qureshi by some other leader, the dissidents were advised to close ranks in view of the Assembly poll being round the corner. The dissidents were promised that the PCC and the executive committee would be made broadbased so that important persons from the dissident camp could be given party posts.

Under the new reconciliation formula, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma will be made in charge for the Assembly poll and his voice will carry weight as far as selecting party candidates for the elections is concerned. Mr Sharma will head a special team of the Congress leaders which will formulate the party’s poll strategy. Though Mr Qureshi will continue to head the PCC, he will be asked not to interfere with the plans and the programme finalised by the team headed by Mr Sharma.

Mr Qureshi will be asked to reinstate Mr Amrit Malhotra as the party spokesman. Mr Malhotra had been sacked by Mr Qureshi four months ago. Mr Malhotra might be inducted into the new PCC.

Meanwhile, several Congress leaders have gone to Delhi to make a final bid for convincing the AICC leadership about the need for replacing Mr Qureshi. Though they have not received any definite promise, they have been assured of their entry into the PCC provided they accepted Mr Qureshi’s leadership with a defined and limited role.