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Kashmir : Panchayat elections put off over militant violence |
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The Jammu and Kashmir government has put off panchayat elections citing militant violence in the state. Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the elections could be held either with the Assembly polls scheduled for October next year, or after that. He said providing security for elections to over 4100 panchayats across the state is a Herculean task and the government does not want to put the lives of candidates at risk.
Hurriyat wants return to pre-1953 status
As a starting point for negotiations in Jammu and Kashmir, the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference has said that it is prepared to accept a solution that restores the pre-1953 status of the state. Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Nov. 15 that his outfit wants complete devolution of power to the state and a President and Prime Minister as the state had until 1953.
Between Jan. 1950, when a presidential order relating to Jammu and Kashmir was issued and August 1953, when the Sheikh Abdullah government was dismissed and Abdullah himself detained, Kashmir enjoyed far more autonomy. It had its own head of state and PM, its own Constitution and flag. Its Assembly had powers to legislate on all subjects barring defence, communications and foreign affairs.
National Conference corporator killed
In the first political killing in the Kashmir valley in two years, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists gunned down a corporator of the National Conference in the heart of Srinagar on Nov. 14. Corporator Ghulam Nabi Wani was shot dead soon after he stepped out of his house to go to the Municipal Corporation. The last political killing took place on Oct. 18, 2005 when terrorists shot dead Minister of State Ghulam Nabi Lone. Observers see the killing as part of the recent spurt in terror-related violence. Sources said the terrorists hand become more active after the imposition of emergency in Pakistan. The terrorists appear to have activated their sleeper cells in the valley to step up attacks.
Intelligence sources say ahead of winter, infiltration from the Pakistani side of the line of control has increased. Pakistani intelligence agency ISI is reported to be planning to send the maximum number of Pakistani trained militants into the valley to carry out militant activities before snowfall closes all passes on the line of control.
The Army has stepped up vigilance in the frontier areas to check infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir. The Vice Chief of the Army Staff Lt. General M.L.K. Naidu said this in New Delhi on Nov. 12.
No troop cut in J & K : Army Chief
The Army Chief, Gen. Deepak Kapoor has said that there is no possibility of a troop cut in Jammu and Kashmir at present as the terror infrastructure across the Western border is still very much alive and kicking. He said in New Delhi on Nov. 13 that there has been a spate of infiltration bids and violent incidents in Jammu and Kashmir over the last two months. He said India is concerned that if there is a strong crack down on Jehadis in Pakistan, one of the options for them could be to head towards India.
12 militants killed in encounter
Twelve militants including a self-styled divisional commander of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and two soldiers died in encounters across the Kashmir valley last week. One of the major encounters was in the Lolab area of Kupwara.
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