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Wednesday,
December 26, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Curbing of funds by Pakistani groups worries APHC Gazi Baba still at large Groupism plagues J&K BJP Jawans celebrate Christmas
in J&K
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Curbing of funds by Pakistani groups worries APHC New Delhi, December 25 They said some of the “moderate leaders” of the 23-party conglomerate had made frantic calls to their party workers across, asking them to impress upon the “authorities” to release the funds immediately. However, under Pakistan ISI’s new gameplan, some of the militant outfits have been asked to rein in Hurriyat leaders by publicaly asking for the accounts of funds allegedly misused by them. In this context, Al-Barq had issued statements to the vernacular press in the Kashmir valley alleging that Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Gani Lone owed the organisation nearly Rs 4.5 crore. This was followed by a series of allegations and counter-allegations amid which the militant outfit levelled severe charges against Mr Lone. Hurriyat insiders said some of the moderate leaders were getting in touch with the representatives across the border to clear the allegations and ensure free flow of funds from Pakistan. Hurriyat insiders said some of the hardliners within the amalgam had also recommended blocking of funds to the moderate leadership in the conglomerate by doubting their sincerity towards the so-called “Kashmir cause”. Piqued by this, the moderate leadership within the amalgam was now conveying to the “deciding authorities” that funds used by hardline leaders were being used to broaden their own public image rather than helping the poor and needy Kashmiris. The moderate leadership has objected to the construction of a mosque in north Kashmir which they claim has been built by a Hurriyat leader with the money that was meant for needy Kashmiri people. Much to the worry of the amalgam leadership, now even some other overseas organisations other than those in Pakistan have also started asking for records from the Hurriyat leaders about the utilisation of money meant for disbursement among the needy, the insiders said, adding that none of them had been able to give a clear picture so far. The insiders said some organisations had even threatened to stop all remittances and expose them if they failed to give the expenditure account. Hurriyat Conference leaders are believed to have contacted some of these organisations over phone asking for a review of their stand.
PTI |
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Gazi Baba still at large Srinagar, December 25 The police has fanned out “all sources’’ to locate Gazi Baba, a Pakistani national, Mr Kumar said. Security forces and intelligence agencies have also mobilised their resources to arrest Gazi Baba and Tariq, who arranged a meeting between Baba, Afzal and the terrorists who attacked Parliament. “Militants operating in the valley are given a particular category and the most wanted are in ‘A’ category. The anti-insurgency machinery of the forces are always in their search.’’ He said Baba and Tariq were listed militants and the police had been after them for quite some time. But the December 13 incident had made it intensify its efforts. The IGP said: “We have been raiding the suspected hideouts of Baba and Tariq but so far no success has been achieved. They would be in the net soon.’’ It was Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel who arrested Afzal and two others following a tip-off that they transported arms, ammunition and militants to Delhi from here in trucks carrying fruit. Afzal told the state police that one of the five terrorists killed in the retaliatory action by security forces during the attack was Mohammad, alias Baba, who was among the four hijackers on the Indian Airlines plane from Kathmandu to Kandahar in 1999. Baba has also told Afzal that he killed Rupan Katyal, one of the passengers in the flight, when he tried to show some resistance. Mr Kumar said 450 to 500 militants belonging to the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad were active in the Kashmir valley alone. He said 40 to 60 of them would be in the capital city of Srinagar and its outskirts. “Those in Srinagar are just using the hideouts,’’ he said. Others across the valley were attacking security forces and indulging in other killings. He said most of the militants belonging to these
organisations were foreigners. UNI |
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Groupism plagues J&K BJP Jammu, December 25 Mr Kotwal a Sangh Parivar worker, has not been able to tame those who keep the pot of dissension boiling. As a result, the BJP is almost a leaderless organisation in Jammu and Kashmir. Initially, the party was plagued by groupism, with one group headed by the late Vaid Vishnu Dutt, MP, and the other by the Union Minister for Food Processing, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta. Now the organisation is divided into several groups and the eight-member BJP Legislature Party is also a divided house, with two to three legislators having preferred to be by the side of the Chief Minister. The RSS is said to have played a role in keeping the senior BJP leaders at loggerheads. However, this trick has proved to be counter-productive and both the BJP and the RSS are fast losing their ground fast in the Jammu region. Their failure to enlist support from a large number of Muslims in the Kashmir valley only made matters worse. When Prof Chaman Lal Gupta was the president of the state unit of the BJP over three years ago, he had succeeded in wooing some Muslim politicians as also members of the Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes. Instead of strengthening the hands of Professor Gupta, who has large pockets of influence in the Jammu region, the dissidents, with the backing of the RSS, have floated parallel block and district committees in Jammu and Kathua districts. Though senior leaders from Delhi had visited Jammu for ironing out differences in the BJP unit, their efforts were were not supplemented with a mediation from either the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, or the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani. Owing to lack of unity the party leaders are yet to start preparing for the byelection to the Jammu Lok Sabha seat and the Assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir which are not far away. In comparison, the ruling National Conference, Congress and BSP have launched their poll campaigns by holding rallies and conferences. Senior BJP leaders, including several sitting MLAs, are trying to secure the party ticket for contesting the Lok Sabha byelection in the Jammu-Poonch constituency. The RSS backed anti-Gupta lobby too is trying to get the party ticket for a sitting MLA who has been in the forefront of the campaign against the Union Minister for Food Processing. Supporters of the BJP are of the opinion that the only way to resuscitate the party in the state is that Professor Gupta a be given a free hand in the reorganisation of the party. |
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Jawans celebrate Christmas
in J&K Jammu, December 25 At several churches and make-up camps people offered prayers in connection with the Christmas. Several Christian leaders, including Master William Gill, president of the state Christian Welfare Association, led the prayers seeking Christ’s blessings for the restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir. Master Gill appealed to the people of all ethnic groups to maintain communal amity to foil the nefarious designs of Pakistan. He also urged the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to give representation to the Christians in the Council of Ministers. Senior officers of the Army and the BSF joined the jawans in celebrating Christmas. Jawans and people were seen enjoying song and dance at the functions organised to celebrate Christmas. |
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