Jammu And Kasmir

12-05-2005, 05:02 AM

QUOTEPost quake, terror firma shakes with more ammo 
Pioneer.com
Rahul Datta/ New Delhi
Since the earthquake on October 8 devastated areas around the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan-based terrorists have managed to smuggle in arms and ammunition in a big way into Jammu and Kashmir. This stockpile is feared to be the biggest since India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire in November 2003.

Taking advantage of the thin presence of the Army on the LoC after the earthquake, the militants managed to infiltrate into the State along with sophisticated automatic weapons including AK-47 rifles and light machine guns. It was also suspected that a couple of rocket launchers and sophisticated communication systems figured in this inventory, the Army's Northern Command said in its latest situation assessment report.

The report, which was submitted to the Ministry of Defence earlier this week, expressed the apprehension that the inflow of such a stock of weapons and ammunition could be the biggest ever in the last two years since the ceasefire on the LoC.

Moreover, the last two months also saw an increase in infiltration from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and this figure was also double the number of infiltrations in the last two years, sources said here on Sunday, adding that in the past the figure stood at ten to 15.

Before the earthquake, sources said the security forces had managed to cut off this supply line by bringing down the rate of infiltration, blocking the ingress routes and smashing the infrastructure within the State.

Smaller groups, which managed to sneak in, preferred to carry personal weapons and in many cases came without them. Their local contacts in Kashmir provided them with weapons but this too had declined due to sustained pressure from security forces, sources said.

Elaborating upon the situation on the LoC after the earthquake, sources said the Army was now working on a war footing to repair its fighting and living bunkers in the Uri and Tangdhar regions. The fighting bunkers are located on the LoC but the living bunkers are some distance away. Unfortunately most of the bunkers were flattened in the earthquake.

Reports indicated that more than 100 kms of the 750-km long anti-infiltration fence along the 750-km long LoC was badly damaged. The fence had helped security forces bring down the rate of infiltration by 75 per cent in the last one year. While the Army was busy rehabilitating the civilians and rebuilding its damaged infrastructure, terrorists exploited the situation, sources said.

Now Army engineers are building steel lined permanent defences (SLPD) on the LoC at a cost of more than Rs 100 crores. The SLPDS have been used in the last few years to withstand a direct hit from artillery fire and heavy shells thereby protecting the lives of soldiers manning these fighting bunkers, explained sources.

Unfortunately the SLPDS and living bunkers are located in remote areas and the local workforce, which used to ferry the building material from the nearest roadhead, was not available, sources said.

The reason for this paucity of manpower was that most porters had also been badly hit by the earthquake leaving the soldiers manning the posts to ferry the material. This has forced the Army to stretch its manpower to the limit thereby hampering the operational role of the units at the LoC.

The Army has also decided to go in for pre-fabricated huts to house the soldiers as an ad-hoc arrangement. The huts, however, were proving to be inadequate given the extreme weather conditions and snow in the upper mountain reaches, sources said.Â

12-08-2005, 04:02 AM

Kashmir: terror build-up triggers alarm QUOTEMany Lashkar operatives seem to have infiltrated in the wake of the earthquakeÂ
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 100 cadres have crossed LoC since October 8
Activation of new Lashkar cells in Jammu
Degradation in defences because of quake
............

12-17-2005, 12:58 AM

Y I Patel posted this fantastic article on BR. He said..

QUOTEIn all my years of reading about J&K (and believe me, they are many) this is the best article I have ever come across on the subject. I am deeply saddened that the author is not an Indian.

Read, and like me, learn a lot of new things on a subject you thought you were familiar with! 

http://www.smallwars.quantico.usmc.mil/sea...arksArticle.pdf

**acharya** · 12-19-2005, 11:10 AM

Monday, December 19, 2005

Moot rejects âUnited States of Kashmirâ

By Mohammad Imran

ISLAMABAD: Participants of a conference held to discuss the âUnited States of Kashmirâ proposal on Sunday called the formula ambiguous and a bid to divide the people of Kashmir. They also asked Kashmiris not to compromise on their right to self-determination.

Most speakers said formulas on Kashmir that appeared time and again were meant to confuse Kashmiris and the âUnited States of Kashmirâ formula was also ambiguous. They said it would confuse the Kashmiri nation.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Liberation Front convened the conference titled âFuture of the United States of Jammu and Kashmirâ.

JKNLF President Shaukat Maqbool Butt said the formula would complicate the Kashmir issue even more. âWe, the participants of this conference, are against Kashmirâs division and have agreed that every Kashmiri should be given the right to self-determination,â he said. Kashmiris would also not accept self-governance without sovereignty, he said, adding that President Pervez Musharraf should not wait for India and should go ahead with troop withdrawal from the Line of Control (LoC).

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Amanullah Khan also rejected the formula, saying Kashmiris should be let to decide their own future. He said Jammu and Kashmir could not be divided and Kashmiris had the right to make a decision about their future.

âWe want a federal, democratic, secular and independent Kashmir with good relations with neighbouring countries,â he added.

Sardar Khalid Ibrahim, Jammu and Kashmir Peopleâs Party president, said the âUnited States of Kashmirâ formula was based on Kashmirâs division.

He said the formula, which was totally ambiguous, would strengthen the recognition of the LoC. He said the formula did not have any point on the Kashmiris right to self-determination. âThe people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir reject this formula,â he claimed.

Noorul Baari, Azad Kashmir Jamaat-e-Islami naib amir, said nobody could divide Kashmiris by any formula.

Justice Â® Abdul Majid Malik, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation League president, said the Kashmir formula was not only ambiguous, but also a bid to change the minds of Kashmiris and divert their attention from the real issue.

Shahzad Agha, Giligt-Baltistan United Movement secretary general, alleged that Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, ISI and the US, thought up the formula. âWe reject it,â he said, adding that the people of Gilgit and Baltistan would decide their future on their own.

Mirza Nadir of the Gilgit-Baltistan Forum said American inspiration was behind the formula. âWe should understand the move behind it,â he said, alleging that state brutality continued in Gilgit and Baltistan. He demanded Gilgit and Baltistan be empowered like Azad Jammu and Kashmir and given the right to decide its future.

12-24-2005, 02:05 AM

J&K has the highest rural income in IndiaQUOTEA National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report on income, expenditure and productive assets of farmer households has said that the average income in the rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir, estimated at Rs 5,500 a month, was the highest across all rural areas in the country. Punjab and Kerala were placed at number two and three, respectively.Â
Â
Uttar Pradesh (Rs 1,630 a month) had the lowest average income in rural areas during 2003 and was preceded by Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa. With income from non-farm business and farming of animals being negligible, the report said that income from cultivation and wages contributed 85 per cent to the overall earnings of farmer households.Â
Â
The average monthly income from cultivation was Rs 969 and income from wages was Rs 819. The income from non-farm business, on the other hand, was a mere Rs 236. The income from farming of animals was a paltry Rs 91.Â
Â
The report shows that farmer households spent 81 per cent of the monthly expenditure on farm business and 13 per cent on non-farm business.Â
Â
Of the total average monthly expenditure of Rs 198, Rs 160 is spent on farm business and only Rs 13 for non-farm business.Â
Â
Farmers spent 23 per cent of their average expenses on cultivation or fertiliser and 22 per cent on labour. The report highlights the inter-state differences for the share of labour which varied from 49 per cent in Kerala to a mere 11 per cent in Rajasthan.Â
....................

Naresh · (This post was last modified: 01-05-2006, 06:04 PM by Naresh.)

Another confirmation from a Pakistani that Jinnah's Sanction of the Illegal Invasion of the State of Jammu & Kashmir had nothing to do with Religious Content of the Population but for the River Waters required by Pakistani Punjab :

Kalabagh dam

THE greatest danger to Punjabâs water resources is not posed by the non-construction of the Kalabagh dam, but by the possible political changes in Kashmir.

As matters stand today, if New Delhi does decide to stop or reduce the flow of water from Indian-held Kashmir, we can take a variety of measures, such as going to an international court, involving the United Nations, or even taking direct military action. However, if Kashmir were falsely made "independent" like Iraq, with foreign forces having their presence there, we would not be in a position to do much.

The other danger posed to Punjab by the Kalabagh Dam hysteria is the rise of nationalists in Sindh and Balochistan. These elements can render Punjab landlocked. In such a case the province will be more helpless than Afghanistan.

The dam is going to take years to construct and maintaining political stability for such a long period would be difficult. Finally, to use the Kalabagh dam to divert attention from the clash between secular and religious factions in the coming elections is a dangerous gamble for Pakistan.

We should draw lessons from our history. By imposing Urdu on Bengalis we lost an important part of Pakistan. By imposing Kalabagh on the three smaller provinces we may lose the rest. Sindhi, Phushtun and Balochi sentiments are surely more precious to the people of Punjab than one dam or any foreign dictate.

M.I. SHAIKH â Islamabad

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

Naresh · 01-17-2006, 08:49 PM

Admin : Please delete if inappropriate.

From the Lota Deaf & Dumb.com Forum :

Section : Pakistani Military & Strategic Discussion.

Thread : Erasing Kashmir From Pakistan . . . <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /> What is happening to Pakistan's Map???

Hi,

Watching the Pakistani channels over the last year I have noticed one very worrying development. The map of Pakistan is changing. When I was in Pakistan in the 1990s whenever the map of Pakistan was shown it showed all of Kashmir included in Pakistan. Now however Indian occupied Kashmir has disappeared. When I watch ARY News they only show Azad Kashmir!
If you look at the Indian channels they continue to show the full Kashmir with India.

Just go to google and type âmap of Pakistanâ in the images section . . . or click below
http://images.google.co.uk/images?svnum=...f+pakistan

As you can see in some maps Azad Kashmir is included and in some even that is not included.

Now look at âmap of indiaâ in the image section . . .or click below
http://images.google.co.uk/images?svnum=...p+of+india

Now as you can see in the majority all of Kashmir is included in india. There are some where only Indian occupied Kashmir is included and only 2 where Kashmir is not included!!!

This is just an observation that I have made. I believe that this will have very serious consequences in the future as the world will grow more accustomed to seeing Kashmir with india rather then Pakistan!!

What do you guys think?
Please, please, please keep your language clean J

Ehsan

Hai allah Ub Kya Ho Ga

Cheers <img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' />

01-17-2006, 10:43 PM

QUOTEYesterday, in news they were saying, Pakistan had given US full authority to attack any terrorist within Pakistan territory and US required no permission from Paki authority, but after attack they have to inform Pakistan authority.
According to report they trust Mushy but they don't trust ISI or its operatives.


Trend started after Kargil downhill slide by Paki Army and Mushy's grand plan came down crumbling.
To bad dumb woke up just now.

01-27-2006, 12:40 AM

QUOTEhttp://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/06jan26/news.htm#1
New terror camps along LoC: Lt Gen Kapoor 
Excelsior Special Correspondent
AKHNOOR, Jan 25: General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor has said that despite October 8 earthquake, new terrorists training camps have come up in certain areas on that side of the Line of Control (LoC).
Talking to media persons after investiture ceremony here today, Lt Gen Kapoor said that there was no apparent change in attitude of Pakistan on cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the infiltration was going on and several training camps have surfaced after earthquake and massive devastation in PoK in October last year.

Referring to the militancy related situation along the Line of Control, the GOC-in-C said Pakistanâs attitude has remained unchanged on the cross-border terrorism issue as infiltration continues despite the fact that majority of the terror infrastructures on other side of LoC were destroyed in the quake. New terror camps have come up on the other side as per reports, he maintained.
" Only a minor fall in terrorist infiltration was seen during a short period. Due to border fencing and alertness of our jawans along the LoC, the infiltration has been contained," Gen Kapoor added.
Responding to a question Lt Gen Kapoor said " It is not possible to achieve zero-infiltration as terrorists enter the State via different routes. It is true that militants enter via other countries as well, including Nepal. The security forces keep a close watch over infiltration from all routes."
Regarding Hizb-ul-Mujahideenâs threat to youth in the State not to take part in Armyâs recruitment rallies, Lt. Gen. Kapoor said " We will definitely protect those who join the Army in Jammu and Kashmir".
Claiming that there was better security situation in Jammu and Kashmir as large number of tourists and pilgrims visited Kashmir valley and other places last year, Gen Kapoor said the credit for it goes to security forces, police and civil administration who were partners in bringing peace and development in the State.
He further said that due to success in security forcesâ operations, militants were demoralised and were on the run. They have changed their modus operandi like causing grenade attacks and car bomb explosions in the State for the past some time.

In response to yet another question, Lt Gen Kapoor said there has been three-tier security along the borders and it is not very easy to cross the borders due to fencing along LoC and many areas of International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir. However, the terrorists some times manage to cross over to this side. And after October 8 devastation, when majority of the security forces were involved in relief and rescue operations, several terrorist groups managed to sneak into this side after crossing Line of Control.

01-28-2006, 07:29 PM

QUOTEMusharraf rules out âindependenceâ for Kashmir

Press Trust of India
Posted on! line: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 1517 hours IST

Islamabad, January 25: Ruling out independence as an option to resolve the Kashmir issue, President Pervez Musharraf has said a âminor step backâ was required by India and Pakistan from their ârigid positionsâ to evolve a solution based on his proposals of self-governance and demilitarisation.

There was crucial need for showing flexibility to resolve the lingering Kashmir issue and demilitarisation and self-governance proposals offered a good arrangement, Musharraf said addressing an interactive gathering at the Nobel Institute in Oslo yesterday.

"If we keep going rigidly on our stated positions, we will never reach peace. We have to ste! p back, all of us (India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris)," the country's state-run APP news agency quoted him as saying.

Answering a question, Musharraf said he did not support the idea of independent Kashmir on the grounds that it might not be achievable as both India and Pakistan were opposed to it.

Describing his proposals of self-governance and demilitarisation of Kashmir as the kind of solution that require a âmi! nor step backâ, for both sides, he said, "we have to come out with something which is acceptable to the people of Kashmir who demand independence. We need to see what are the ingredients of self-governance and give them maximum including demilitarisation and security to the people."

Musharraf said that autonomy within the Indian Constitution was not acceptable to either Pakistan or the "Kashmiri people".

Similarly, a solution has to be found within the limitations of the Indian stance of no change in boundaries and to Pakistan's position against changing the LoC into a permanent border. Any solution that is not acceptable to one of the stakeholders would never succeed, Musharraf said.

In view of this India and Pakistan have to see what "we cannot give to them (Kashmiri people) and that what residual powers would be left with the joint management mechanism, which should have people from Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris."

He said the joint management syste! m was a "good arrangement, which provides for self-governance, security of people" under the joint supervision of Pakistan, India and Kashmiris.

Noting the thaw in Pakistan-India relations, Musharraf said the two countries were moving on two tracks of Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) and dispute resolution. But while the CBMs were going very well the progress on the conflict resolution has been disappointing.

"When we talk of dispute resolution, it is the Kashmir dispute which is at the heart of the dispute between Pakistan and India," he pointed out.

Musharraf said peace in the region was not only in the interest of the two countries but also in the interest of the region and the world. "Pakistan would not be found wanting in its desire to bring peace." the Pakistani leader is currently on an official visit to Norway. He held talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and had lunch with King Harald yesterday.

About the controversy over the ! recent US missile strikes on village near Afghanistan targeting al-Qaeda militants, Musharraf said al-Qaeda fighters were probably killed in the attack.

"Now that we've started investigating the reality on the ground, yes, we have found that there are foreigners there. That is for sure." Pakistan protested to the US over air strikes and the loss of civilian life.

"There is indication that there were some people, also al-Qaeda people, who have
gotten killed. Now we need to ascertain that. I'm not 100 per cent sure of that," he said, adding Islamabad is in touch with the US after the air strike on Damadola village in Bajore agency.

"Yes, indeed, they do assure that they will not act against Pakistan's interest. My regret is that these foreigners are there and we need to eliminate (them)," he said, adding Pakistan's armed forces are capable of combating al-Qaeda militants without outside interference.

"We don't want interference in Pakist! an ... Only Pakistan forces will act," he said and dismissed criticism by Opposition leaders that his government was too servile in allying itself with the US war on terror. He said Pakistan was acting in its own interests. "We are first of all doing something for ourselves."

01-31-2006, 10:34 AM

http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/06jan30/news.htm#6

A multi crore Cancer Hospital near Katra

While top Shrine Board officials are busy in identifying location for the multi-crore project, the sources pointed out that the Board was interested in having the prestigious project near Katra, the headquarters of the Board and base camp of widely revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Accordingly, the land is being identified between Domel and Katra.

To acquaint himself with infrastructure required for the hospital, which would be first of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir and only second in North India, Lt Gen Sinha is scheduled to meet top cancer specialist Dr Ashok Vaid, who incidentally hailed from Jammu and is posted in Rajiv Gandhi Institute, at New Delhi on February 10, the sources said.

The Board proposed to post top cancer experts in the hospital from different parts of the country for treating the patients of deadly disease not only from Jammu and Kashmir but from other parts of Northern India as facilities for the disease are very rare in Medical Colleges and other Institutes in J&K, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

The Shrine Board, which came into effect in 1986 after the then Governor Jagmohan had taken over the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi throwing out the notorious baridars, a decision widely welcomed in the country, had already undertaken a series of development works at the Bhawan, 13-km track and Katra.

It was only due to the Boardâs development works that pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine had gone up from 13 lakh in 1986 to 62 lakh in 2005.

01-31-2006, 11:41 PM

Excellent use of money. Board is doing a very good job.

01-31-2006, 11:43 PM

QUOTEJ&K village refuses burial to LeT commander 
Pramod Kumar Singh / New Delhi
In a heartening incident, angry villagers of Dul in Doda district refused to allow the burial of an area commander of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba killed in an encounter in their village graveyard. They were not willing to accede space to the body of a Pakistan national who had terrorised the entire district with his mindless killings, rapes and forcible abduction of youth.

The Lashkar commander identified as Akram alias Abu Maaz was a Pakistani national and instrumental in many ruthless murders, extortions, rape of hapless women and forcibly abducting innocent youth and taking them across the border for terrorist training.

Abu Maaz had been on the radar of the Indian security forces for the last five years for his role in creating mayhem in Doda district. They were not alone; Jammu and Kashmir Police was also chasing him for his involvement in several criminal cases. A joint patrol of army and Jammu and Kashmir Police was tipped off about the movements of Abu Maaz who was cornered and killed in a fierce encounter in Kishtwar on January 14.

As Pakistan refuses to accept the bodies of their own nationals involved in terrorist activities and killed by security forces in the Valley, the Doda district police took Maaz's body to the graveyard at Dul.

When the locals got wind of this, a large crowd gathered to protest the burial of Abu Maaz. Ultimately his body was taken to an undisclosed destination for burial.

This development has definitely warmed the cockles of the hearts of the armed forces involved in a relentless battle against terrorist groups. Since the army pulled out all the stops to aid and rehabilitate earthquake victims, they say this change in the people has been discernible.

It has also resulted in information inflow about the movement of terrorist groups. The result is there for everyone to see as the success ratio has gone up from four to one to eight to one. In the current month alone, 27 misguided youth have surrendered before the security forces. "What was more encouraging is the fact that mothers forced their sons to shun violence and surrender. The wind has started to blow for a change in the Kashmir valley. It is a far cry from the past when terrorists were eulogised as martyrs by their sympathisers," a top security official told The Pioneer.


Expected behavior from Paki Army-
1) Refuse to accept the bodies of their own nationals/Fauji
2) mindless killings, rapes and forcible abduction of youth.

02-22-2006, 11:40 PM

Four youths killed in crossfire at Kupwara QUOTEThe incident occurred in village Doodipora in Handwara area, 95 kms from here, when the troops were returning to their camp after an area domination patrol, the sources said.

As they signaled one person, moving under suspicious circumstances, to stop for checking, he started running provoking the troops to open fire, they said.

02-23-2006, 11:23 PM

Hurriyat seeks complete troops removal in J&KQUOTEThe moderate Hurriyat faction on Friday said the whole state should be demilitarised -- a suggestion made by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Hurriyat demanded revocation of "unlimited" powers "enjoyed" by troops in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of killing of four youths.

"For resolution of Kashmir and lasting peace in the region it is imperative to ensure complete withdrawal of troops from Jammu and Kashmir," Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said.

Sure! so that boys can play with grenade again.

**acharya** · 02-26-2006, 08:29 AM

http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/feb/25spec.htm

The Rediff Special/ Aditi Phadnis

How wrong Mufti was

February 25, 2006

Recent events in Jammu and Kashmir prove that when power is the biggest glue holding an organisation together, the organisation falls apart very quickly when it goes out of power. Witness the goings on in the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led People's Democratic Party.

For more than three months after Mufti had to step down from the chief ministership as part of an agreement with the Congress, he didn't address a press conference, didn't issue a statement, didn't hold a rally. At the end of January, while the Congress celebrated 100 days of being in office, his party's executive met.

The only concrete decision that came out of the meeting were three resolutions: one supporting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's proposal of self-rule for Kashmir, the demand that a Saarc university be located in Srinagar and the demand that Pakistan open a consulate in Srinagar to issue more visas, especially for the families hit by the earthquake.

Immediately after, one of the more important leaders of the PDP, Ghulam Hassan Mir, announced he didn't agree with the self-rule proposal of the general. It was not the proposition of self-rule, it was the manner in which the resolution had been passed that he differed with, he said. He charged that there had been no discussion in the meeting and merely a fiat by Mehbooba Mufti didn't make it the official line of the party.

So all is not happy in the Mufti dovecote. His MLAs feel the ministers are all sold to the Congress, the ministers keep compromising on core promises made in the halcyon days of 2002 when the PDP swept to power and there is no real visible politics. This is usually dangerous in Jammu and Kashmir -- where there is no visible politics, it probably means it is happening behind the scenes with those underground.

02-27-2006, 05:49 AM

QUOTECome clean on Kashmir, BJP tells PM 
Pioneer News Service/ New Delh
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday dubbed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's round-table conference on Jammu and Kashmir as "a strategic blunder" and expressed "deep concern" at Mr Singh's remarks about autonomy and self-rule during Saturday's meet.Â Â

The party has decided to raise the issue in Parliament on Monday and demand a clarification from the Prime Minister.

The BJP leaders feel that the round-table on J&K was hurriedly called without any preparation or homework. "This had led unwittingly to Kashmir becoming unnecessarily an issue of international importance, just a few days before the visit of President Bush, which Pakistan wanted too," a senior leader said.

After a meeting at the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee on Sunday evening, senior party leaders accused Mr Singh of encouraging secessionism through his inept handling of such a sensitive issue bearing on national security.

The party leaders also asserted that by the convening of the round-table a few days before the visit of US President George Bush, the UPA Government was "unwittingly internationalising" the issue, which Pakistan wanted as well.

"The BJP firmly believes that entertaining any idea of autonomy and self-rule would encourage secession and separation," BJP president Rajnath Singh told reporters after the meeting.

"The BJP would never support any effort which seeks to weaken the complete integration of J&K with India. We need not forget that J&K is an integral part of India," he said.

"The Prime Minister, instead of dismissing outright the idea of self-rule and autonomy, has sought to evolve a common understanding on these in the J&K meeting held on Saturday," Mr Singh said. "Decentralisation of power in favour of states for faster decision and quicker delivery is completely different, which need not be confused with autonomy and self-rule," the BJP leader said adding it was unfortunate that Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), an ally of Congress, has raised the issue of self-rule.

"This is a great strategic blunder," he said adding, "instead of internationalising the burning issue of terror and cross-border terrorism, the Government has made Kashmir an issue of critical importance, which has serious long-term implications for national integrity."

The BJP has also objected to PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti's call for self-rule in Jammu and Kashmir and asked the UPA Government to reject the suggestion.

Speaking to journalists in Jammu, BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley said that the Prime Minister's exercise had turned futile in the wake of the absence of separatists on the round table. It is amazing that the invitation given to separatists and other concerned parties was turned down by them and the separatists did not participate, he said adding efforts should have been made to involve them as well

03-11-2006, 12:59 AM

Omar Abdullah, son of Farooq Abdullah, demands demilitarisation of urban Kashmir and criticises India for denying travel permit to hardcore Islamist Geelani:

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.a...ItemID=42&cat=1

Thousands of Indian soldiers have died, thousands have fallen victim to the bullets of terrorists, in order to protect snakes like Omar Abdullah.

The Indian government financed his security, provided him security guars, financed his father's party and government, and what does he give in return?

He struts about in the Pugwash conference in Islamabad and criticises India.

**acharya** · 03-11-2006, 06:07 AM

Saturday, March 11, 2006
Kashmiri leaders differ on solution

By Mohammad Imran

ISLAMABAD: Kashmiri leaders appeared to disagree on the solution to the Kashmir issue as the three-day Pugwash Conference began on Friday.

Media persons were not allowed to attend the closed-door sessions of the conference, which has been organised by a Washington-based think tank and is also being attended by Kashmiri leaders and intellectuals from Indian Held Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman Amanullah Khan told Daily Times that National Conference President Omar Abdullah opposed self-rule and demilitarisation of Kashmir, saying that such a course would not grant autonomy to the Kashmiris. However, the Peopleâs Democratic Party representative Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain supported the proposals as the âbest solution to the disputeâ, saying that the âground realities should not be ignoredâ.

âOmer Abdullah said that his party was trying to the get maximum autonomy from New Delhi, though not in an ideal situation,â Khan told Daily Times after the meeting.

Farooq Kathwari of the Kashmir Study Group said that the US would also be willing to play a role to resolve the issue. He also briefed the participants about the Dixon Plan, Chenab Formula and another proposed religion-based solutions to the Kashmir issue.

Amanullah Khan said that he had suggested that his compatriots in Jammu and Kashmir unite on a one-point agenda. âLet the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir determine the future of the state,â he said. âIndians and Pakistanis must realise that the rhetoric of Kashmir being their âintegral partâ and âjugular veinâ have fallen into the dustbin of history.

âI appeal to distinguished Indian and Pakistani participants of the conference to support my suggestion and call upon their respective people, media, intelligentsia and the governments to support this suggestion, which is in the best interests of the entire subcontinent,â he said.

03-11-2006, 09:30 AM

J&K, Is there any issue left? Mushy is still holding tiny end of tail. Omar is thinking about next election. Kothari had lost one son in Jihad and others may not be interested to be a king of Kashmir.
US is more interested to have Billion dollars business deal then getting involved in Mushy's tantrums.

But my sixth sense says Mushy may try some spectacular show in Valley or Jammu/Katara/Vaisheno Devi. Winter is over and so is peace. Lot of earthquake victims need job.

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