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Saturday,
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22, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Border villagers fear the worst War no solution, says Yasin SPO killed in IED blast Detainees sending papers to
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Parcel bomb case: two postmen detained 12 let off after questioning
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Border villagers fear the worst Jammu, December 21 At several places from Pathankot to Akhnoor and then from Rajouri to Poonch and Kupwara to Uri Indians troops have been placed on high alert. Where-ever gaps in the security cover are found, these are being plugged by fresh Army deployment. Though people in R.S. Pora, Samba, Akhnoor, Kupwara, Baramulla have noticed movement of troops, artillery guns and tanks, there is no impact on their daily routine. According to a senior officer of the BSF, villagers continue to tend cattle and carry out farming practices in border villages. At the same time, scare is writ large on their faces. A visit to various border areas revealed that people were expecting trouble on the border following the military buildup across the LoC and the IB. Many referred to the setting up of new border observation towers in various areas and said that such activities had been witnessed just before the 1965 and 1971 wars. Joginder Singh, an ex-serviceman of R.S. Pora, said that the movement of troops and machines was “simply part of preparedness” which was called for in the wake of threats from across the border. During the past three days, shops in border areas close with sunset and in towns it is no longer late night activities in marketplaces. A majority of people in the Kashmir valley, who have fears that they may become fodder during any fresh Indo-Pakistan conflict, are not so scared as those in the Jammu region. People in Kashmir say they have been in the thick of a war-like situation during the past 12 years. While senior functionaries of the Army and BSF in Jammu, Udhampur, Nagrota and in the Kashmir valley have remained engaged in formulating a strategy if Pakistani troops mount an attack on “our side”, political leaders, including those belonging to the ruling National Conference, seem to be certain about American intervention in preventing the two sides from going to war. The Pakistani authorities have brought more troops and war machines across Poonch and Rajouri. In the exchange of fire between the Indian and Pakistani troops, Indian gunners destroyed over 12 Pakistani bunkers and post across Nowshera on Wednesday and Thursday. Unconfirmed reports said that the Pakistani troops had suffered heavy casualty. |
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War no solution, says Yasin Jammu, December 21 "Both countries should be under no illusion that war will resolve the vexed Kashmir imbroglio. Only a cool-headed dialogue between them could result in a peaceful solution,’’ the ailing JKLF leader said. “We have already condemned the Fidayeen attack on the Parliament and have demanded that an impartial probe be ordered to hunt down the culprits and nail them,’’ he said. In an earlier interview, Mr Malik had said his organisation believed that such acts only impede a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue. He praised the Americans for cautioning both India and Pakistan to observe restraint in view of the build-up of troops on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and the international boundary (IB). Mr Malik said, “The Americans are playing a constructive role in cooling the tempers on both sides of the
LoC. They have even offered their investigating team for a probe into the attack on Parliament, which speaks volumes about their sincerity.’’ Earlier, he had said with the dust settling in Afghanistan, there seemed to be positive changes in Pakistan that might help resolve the Kashmir issue sooner or later. He expressed the hope that the international focus on Kashmir would make India and Pakistan realise that peace would remain elusive as long as senseless violence continued to rock the state. The JKLF leader, who had recently returned from the USA after undergoing heart surgery there, said the impression he gathered from his meetings with leaders in America was that they were in favour of a lasting peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue.
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SPO killed in IED blast Jammu, December 21 The driver of a matador, carrying the SPO and his colleague, spotted a radio on the road near the Fatehpura area early today, the sources said. As the SPO picked it up, it exploded, killing him on the spot and injuring three others, including the driver, who was in a critical condition, the sources said. The deceased had been identified as Abdul Qayoom. The injured had been shifted to Rajouri hospital. Meanwhile, an SPO, Raj Kumar, committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon in the Nowshera area of Rajouri. A report from Srinagar said a Hizb-ul militant was among two persons killed in the valley while the security forces busted two militant hideouts and seized arms and ammunition since last night. The militant, Hilal Ahmad Sheikh, alias Shahbaz, was killed in an encounter with the security forces who also busted his hideout at Makhama in Badgam district last night, a police spokesman said today. Sheikh, a resident of Bonsheran-Tangmarg, was active in the area for the past several years, the spokesman said, adding that an AK assault rifle, three grenades and two magazines with 40 rounds were seized from him. The militants also shot a civilian at Bihibagh in the Kulgam area of Anantnag yesterday. The SOG of the local police busted a militant hideout at Hampathri forest in Baramula district last night and seized six AK assault rifles, six magazines, 217 rounds and three grenades. Meanwhile, the militants looted a bank at Akura in the Mattan area of Anantnag and decamped with Rs 37,000. Meanwhile, 17 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested when they crossed over to this side near the Abdullian border outpost along the international border in the Jammu sector early today, the sources said. The BSF naka party spotted a group of Bangladeshis in the R.S. Pura sector around 6.35 am and later arrested them, the sources said. The arrested group included nine men, four women and four children. Nothing incriminating was found from them so far.
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Detainees sending papers to ISI Jammu, December 21 “During the screening of outgoing letters and documents, it was found that some of the detainees were sending letters to the ISI in Pakistan”, the sources said. The security agency, during the screening of mail at the railway station, found two prosecution orders by the court, detention papers and some letters addressed to people in Pakistan who reportedly had links with the ISI, they said. In addition to giving the details of jail and other detainees, the letters also pleaded for legal measures like arrangement for top lawyers to fight their cases, the sources said, adding that there was no possibility of these detainees sending the letters and documents from the jail directly. “It is only possible when they go to courts for hearing the dates,” they said. Though tough security measures were being taken to stop this type of communications, there were cases when overground workers (OGWs) helped these detainees in sending their mails across the border. “Frisking is done both at the time of detainees leaving the jail for court and returning”, they said. Asked what kind of people come to meet these detainees, the sources said lots of people give addresses of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). They passed on sweets, clothes and religious books to the detenus, they said, adding that some items were checked if they looked suspicious. “We know that the addresses given by their visitors are mostly false but we cannot do much about it except being cautious,” the sources added.
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Parcel bomb case: two postmen detained Srinagar, December 21 On receiving the packet, Ikhwan men got suspicious and informed a bomb disposal squad which found that the packet contained a powerful explosive device which could blow up the camp. The packet was booked at Buchpora post office in Srinagar but was not carrying the sender’s address, the sources said. Following the incident, the postmen, Ghulam Nabi Shah and Ghulam Hassan Hajam, were picked up by the police from Anantnag district last evening. The in charge of the camp, who identified himself as Tahir, denied having any knowledge about the packet. “We have no information about this,” he said. However, a senior Postal Department officer confirmed that two postmen had been picked up by the police. “We have approached the police and have been told that they will be released after questioning.” Meanwhile, the security has been beefed up in all post offices across the valley, including Srinagar’s general post office. The security forces deployed there have been asked to keep vigil and check all parcels with explosive detectors, the sources said.
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12 let off after questioning Srinagar, December 21 A senior police officer today said all arrested except Afzal and Shoukat, who were taken to New Delhi, have been released. “We have released almost all the persons picked up for questioning in connection with the attack on Parliament after detailed questioning did not prove their involvement in any way in the attack,” Deputy Inspector-General of Police S.R. Vaid said. The police had picked up 14 persons, mostly from Baramula and Srinagar since last week. All but two of them have been let off after questioning, he said. While four persons were released yesterday, others were let off earlier. The four released yesterday included Mufti Abdul Rahim Geelani, brother of arrested Delhi lecturer A.R. Geelani, Mr Vaid said. “Our force is the best police force in the country and we have proved it by arresting the main accused, Afzal and Shoukat, within hours of the attack,” the DIG said, adding that “at the same time, we do not want anybody to be harassed unnecessarily.” Two persons with identical names Ashiq Hussain Khan — a computer engineering student and a cable operator — who were the first to be arrested in connection with the December 13 attack from their Sopore residence in Baramula district, were also released, Mr Vaid said. Hakim Abdul Khaliq, picked up by the police during a raid on the Tawheedgunj residence of Mufti Abdul Rahim at the time of his arrest in Baramula, was also let off yesterday, he said. Mr Vaid said police was still looking for three persons, including Tariq. “We suspect their involvement in the conspiracy on the attack on Parliament,” he said but did not identify the two wanted persons other than Tariq saying that “it will hamper the police investigation.”
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