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Kashmir: Congress, PDP to fight elections together

	February 18, 2008

Despite differences over various issues, the Congress and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), coalition partners in Jammu and Kashmir are getting ready to contest the Assembly elections later this year together. Deputy Chief Minister Muzzafar Hussain Beig, who belongs to the PDP said the decision to contest the elections jointly had been finalized. Only the modalities like seat distribution needed to be worked out.



The State Assembly’s six-year term ends on November 20. The Congress and the PDP had contested the last elections separately but later forged a post-election alliance to form a government in the wake of a hung Assembly. The two parties had worked out a formula where each partner led the government for three years each, first it was Mufti Muhammed Sayeed of the PDP and later Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress, the present Chief Minister.



Beig said in New Delhi on February 12 that the level of infiltration in the state has come down and Pakistan was not orchestrating such attempts in the manner it was doing in the past. He said the militants trying to sneak into the state were mainly those being pushed in by the Lashkar-e-Taiba.



Answering queries on Pakistan’s support to militancy, Beig said it has diminished. “The state support has diminished. Some officers in the Army may be fundamentalists but it is not being officially orchestrated like before,” he said. Asked about the peace process, he said it would resume in a couple of months after a new government comes to power in the neighbouring country.



On the PDP’s demand of troop relocation, he said the State Government had taken steps to move out troops from orchards and school and hospital buildings. He said the PDP feels that troops can also be withdrawn from areas which have least risk of militant strikes.





Land lease by outside developers okay



A day after saying that private developers from outside the state were welcome to purchase property in Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy Chief Minister Beig has clarified that they cannot buy land but acquire it on lease. The PDP also clarified in Srinagar on February 13 that while it would strive hard to get investment it could not compromise the special status of the state.



Referring to the state’s Land Grants Act, a PDP spokesman said it has a provision for acquisition of land by private players on lease up to 99 years.

“We already have private projects in the state like Hotel Intercontinental Grand Palace in Srinagar, which is run by Bharat Hotels. Similarly, Hotel Centaur on the banks of the Dal Lake is run by Hotel Corporation of India,” said the spokesman.



“Besides, 50 per cent of the industry in Samba and Bari Brahmna in Jammu belongs to non-state subjects.”



Though initially the provision for lease was meant for industries and education, tourism also became eligible for it after being declared an industry in 1995.





Air Force carries out one of its biggest air lift operations



The Indian Air Force carried out one of its biggest air lift operations on February 10 and transported nearly 3,000 stranded passengers between Srinagar, Jammu and Udhampur cities to their destinations in the Valley. Traffic on the 300-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was reopened after remaining closed for a week.





Hizbul militant killed in encounter



In a major breakthrough, Jammu and Kashmir Police killed a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen in a fierce gunbattle on February 10.. The Hizb’s financial chief, Farooq Ahmad Dar, was killed in south Kashmir’s Tral town. The killing of its financial chief is a big blow to the state’s largest indigenous militant outfit that has lost several of its top commanders in the past month.

“His killing is a big blow to the Hizb,” said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police for South Kashmir, Hemant Kumar Lohia. The police, accompanied by the personnel of Central Reserve Police Force, cordoned off Noorpora village in Tral.



The cordon, police sources said, was laid after police got specific information that Dar and one of his associates were hiding in the village.

The police asked the militants to surrender. The militants, on the other hand, continued to fire at the security forces. As the joint party retaliated, both Dar and his associate were killed, after a fierce gunfight that continued for several hours.



JKLF strike hits life in Valley



Normal life was affected across Kashmir Valley on Feb.11 in response to the general strike called by the JKLF to commemorate its founder leader, Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, on his 24th death anniversary.



Protest demonstrations were held in Srinagar as the JKLF leaders took out a procession.



More than 30 leaders including its vice-chairman, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, were held by the police to prevent them from marching to the office of the UNMOGIP.



The police resorted to cane charge to disperse the protesters. The JKLF has been demanding the release of the mortal remains of Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, who was hanged in Delhi’s Tihar jail in 1984.





Valentine’s Day gift for General Musharraf

A Valentine’s Day gift was sent to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in a unique way by a group of Indian youth on Feb. 14 , while urging the other side to join in their efforts to strengthen the India-Pakistan peace process.

A boat was decorated with flowers and earthen lamps in the Chenab river, which flows near the town of Akhnoor. The initiative was taken by activists of the Social Democratic Party.

Holding the Tricolour in one hand, the activists floated the beautifully decorated and specially designed small boat in the river. The boat had a gun with beautiful red roses on its barrel and a decorated card which read: “Please stop sending us guns now, send us Love and we will reciprocate the gesture. This is to the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, on Valentine’s Day.”

The choice of the river accentuated the message of love. Chenab flows downstream from Jammu and Kashmir to Sialkot district of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The river occupies the centre-stage in the famous Sohni-Mahiwal romantic folklore of Punjabi literature and thus, has a historical significance for the region.



Srinagar airport to go international



International flights to and fro Srinagar airport will start operating from the summer. An official spokesman in Jammu said that the decision was taken at a meeting in New Delhi on February 12 between Chief Minister Gulam Nabi Azad and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. The airport would be ready for international flights after the completion of the new terminal building.



To start with flights will be operated to and fro the Gulf countries.





Kashmir to make bid for Winter Commonwealth Games



The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to bid for the Winter Commonwealth Games 2010. The government has decided on the bid after hosting of the National Winter Gamer in Gulmarg from this week.



The increasing number of skiers and tourists in the Valley has helped the state use the National Winter Games as a springboard for the international event.



Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Secretary Nayeem Akhtar said, “Last year,, has been a turnaround year for tourist arrivals in Kashmir. This winter has been the best for tourist arrivals – there have been what we call sustained arrivals.”



He said, “while 2006 saw targeted attacks on tourists, 2007 marked a turnaround,” Earlier, tourist arrivals were marked by seasonality, but with better air connectivity, the scenario has changed. The increasing number of tourists in the valley has boosted the confidence of the State Government.