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Kashmir : No let-up in terrorist activities |
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Another car bomb blast shook Srinagar last week making it clear that Pakistan-backed terrorist elements are continuing their activities in the Kashmir Valley. At least nine jawans were killed and 19 injured in the blast which took place near the Nishat Bagh tourist spot in Srinagar on June 24. Three people died on the spot while six succumbed to their injuries in hospital. The dead and injured were in a bus moving as part of an Army convoy. The troops were going back to their unit after returning from leave when the blast took place.
This is the third such incident in the Valley in the last fortnight. In the first incident, at least 15 people were killed and over a 100 injured in Pulwama town on June 13. Twenty people were injured in a grenade explosion at Beejbahera, in Anantnag district on June 22.
Terror camps in far flung areas
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal has said that there are reports that some terrorist training camps are operating in far flung border areas of Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking in New Delhi after a three-day visit to the state, he said an intensive combing operation would be launched shortly to flush out the militants.
Meanwhile, the Hurriyat has indicated that it may participate in India’s mainstream politics in future elections in the state. During their proposed talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Hurriyat leaders are likely to express their desire to participate in the electoral process. But the offer may come attached with the demand for international monitoring of the polls, which is unlikely to be accepted by the Centre. The Hurriyat moderate faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has said that he and his colleagues want to talk to the Prime Minister and have asked the Union Government to schedule a date for the talks.
Observers say that the Hurriyat’s changed stand on taking part in elections and talking to the Centre is because of a direction from Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf. It is pretty clear that Hurriyat leaders have been following the dictates of the Pakistan government on the question of talks with the Centre.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Union Textiles Secretary Wajahat Habbibullah, an IAS officer of the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, met Maulvi Abbas Ansari and some other Hurriyat leaders in Srinagar last week. The next course of action to be adopted by the Hurriyat after their visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan is reported to have figured at the talks.
OIC drops Geelani from guest list
In a related development, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) has dropped hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani from its guest list. In his place, the organisation has invited moderate leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to attend its forthcoming Foreign Ministers’ conference in Yemen.
PDP targeting National Conference MLAs
Reports say that leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) close to Chief Minister Mufti Mohd. Sayeed have started working behind the scenes to get the support of legislators of the Opposition National Conference. Under the present power-sharing agreement with the Congress, the Mufti has to make way for a Congress nominee for the Chief Minister-ship later this year. If the PDP is able to get the support of a substantial number of opposition MLAs, it may be able to do without Congress support. But observers say that this will be a very difficult task. The PDP is targeting NC MLAs at a time when the Abdullahs, father and son, are both away from the state, unaware of the simmering dissent in their party.
Interestingly, the entry of NC stalwart and former Minister in Dr. Abdullah’s cabinet, Maulvi Iftikhar Ansari in the PDP has emboldened the PDP whose political leadership runs the risk of losing the chair in the event of the Congress taking over the reins of power from the Mufti.
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