Two sisters shot dead by LeT militants in North Kashmir

In the first major strike targeting civilians this year, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)militants have shot dead two sisters after dragging them out of their house in Sopore town of North Kashmir's Baramulla district.
Arifa and Akhtar, daughters of Ghulam Nabi Dar, were gunned down by three militants, including a Pakistani, at around 10 PM last night at Muslim Peer in Sopore town, 52 kms from here, superintendent of police Sopore Altaf Ahmad said.
According to preliminary investigations, the three Lashkar militants barged into the house and forcibly took the girls, aged between 16 to 18 years, police said.
"The girls were later shot dead by the militants near the Ziarat (shrine) Rahim Sahib. One of them was shot in the left eye," Ahmad said, adding their bodies were found near their house.
It could not be immediately ascertained why the militants had targeted the sisters.
The police officer said the local militants involved in the killing have been identified as Wasim Ganaie and Muzaffar Naikoo. Both the ultras were carry a cash reward on their heads.
This was the first incident of civilian killings by militants in the Kashmir Valley this year.

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Suspected militant arrested

KASHMIR: A suspected militant was arrested and a cache of explosives and live ammunition recovered from him in Baramulla district in north Kashmir on Tuesday, the police said.

Mohammad Maqbool Lone was arrested after the police received information from Kaw Check village in Kreeri, 35 km from here.

The police said eight hand grenades, eight under-barrel grenade launcher grenades, 11 detonators, 323 rounds of AK-47 and a wireless set were recovered.

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Eight killed

Eight passengers were killed and 40 injured when a bus fell into the Chenab river at Prem Nagar on Wednesday.

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Mention of Kashmir by Obama will be potentially explosive

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Monday directed the Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support programme (BISP) to explore the opportunities of financial support from the international donors to complement the government’s efforts in provision of relief to the poor.

He said the Ministry of Water and Power and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources had already been directed to evaluate the total cost of subsidy on electricity and gas to the recipients of this programme. He was talking to Chairperson BISP, Farzana Raja, who called on him at PM House here.

The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction over the BISP’s planning to expand its operations from the existing three million families to five million, soon after the completion of poverty survey. He appreciated the effective service delivery of the BISP to help the most vulnerable segments of the society.

The Prime Minister directed the Chairperson BISP to expedite the completion of poverty survey so that more deserving families could be approached through this social security net. He said the usefulness of the BISP income assistance programme has been acknowledged as a significant pro-poor initiative by the international institutions.

The Prime Minister said that Benazir Katchi Abadi scheme for low income section of society was also under consideration to fulfill the PPP’s manifesto of ‘Roti, kapra and Makan’.

The Prime Minister said the Ministry of Zakat and Usher will soon be devolved to the provinces and hoped that it would expedite the disbursement of funds to the needy.

Farzana Raja briefed the Prime Minister that poverty survey was expected to be completed by July, 2011, adding that she was already in contact with donors to form their partnership with BISP for the provision of assistance to the people trapped in poverty.

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Kashmir interlocutors to submit initial assessment report to Chidambaram today

New Delhi:  After completing their first visit to Jammu and Kashmir, the interlocutors appointed by the Centre will meet Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday morning and give him an initial assessment report.

As part of their brief to listen to different shades of opinion, the interlocutors met different groups including jailed stone throwers and militants.

Meanwhile, ahead of his meeting with the interlocutors, Chidambaram on Monday asked them to refrain from giving a "ball-by-ball commentary" about the progress made in their dialogue.

"I think...interlocutors should not give a ball-by-ball commentary about their dialogue. This is interlocution. This is not a cricket match," he told reporters when asked about interlocutor Dileep Padgaonkar claiming that a terrorist had promised to present to him a peace plan for the Valley.
The interlocutors on Kashmir have come under criticism for making controversial statements.

Dileep Padgaonkar and another interlocutor Radha Kumar had recently stirred a controversy by stating that Pakistan should be involved in finding a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue.

On criticism from BJP about remarks made by the interlocutors, he said if the party wants the dialogue process to succeed, it "should show restraint and not make these completely baseless allegations. They should give the dialogue process a chance to succeed."

The Home Minister said the interlocutors have, to some extent, changed the discourse in the state. "I sincerely hope that the people in the state will give peace a chance and give dialogue a chance," he added.

Noting that the situation in the Valley was gradually getting back to normal, Chidambaram however added that it is "too early" to say that everything is normal there."

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28 kids kidnapped from Leh rescued from Jammu hostel Read more: 28 kids kidnapped from Leh rescued from Jammu hostel

JAMMU: Twenty-eight children from Ladakh, including four girls, were rescued by the police from a Jammu hostel run by an NGO. Five members of Jammu-based NGO, Youth Movement for Peace (YMP), were arrested after parents complained that the children had been kidnapped.

The children are victims of flash floods in August following a cloudburst in Leh. A police team will take them to their houses in Ladakh. According to a senior police officer, ''The children will be handed over to their parents and the Ladakh Buddhist Council.'' Till then, the police have arranged for their stay in Ladakh-Kargil House near Jammu railway station.

According to police, YMP had visited Leh after the disaster to distribute aid and relief material like blankets. YMP members promised the children a better life and brought them to Jammu after the disaster, said police. They were kept in a rented accommodation in Jammu's Dogra Hall. Some parents complained to the police that the children had been taken away by YMP without their consent.

During a late night raid on Friday at YMP headquarters at Reshamgarh Colony and Dogra Hall, the children were rescued. Five YMP members, including its chairman Vikas Sharma, general secretary Gagandeep Singh and his wife Meenakshi who is a manager at YMP, were arrested.

According to sources, the children were probably brought to Jammu for religious conversion. Earlier, YMP had been accused of conversion and its funding had come under scanner. A police team led by DIG Farooq Khan had begun investigation. During the probe, YMP failed to give satisfactory reasons for bringing the Ladakh children to Jammu, said sources.

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Kashmir was never integral part of India: Arundhati

Activist Arundhati Roy, who created a controversy by questioning Jammu and Kashmir's accession to the Union, on Sunday said the State was never an integral part of India.

“Kashmir has never been an integral part of India. It is a historical fact. Even the Indian government has accepted this,” the Booker Prize winner said.

Ms. Roy alleged that India became “colonising power” soon after its Independence from the British rule.

She was speaking at a seminar on the theme ‘Wither Kashmir: Freedom or enslavement' organised by the Coalition of Civil Societies (CCS) here.

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BJP asks PMO to clarify Padgaonkar’s Pakistan comment

Mr. Padgaonkar on his part stuck to his remark and maintained that what he had said regarding Pakistan was “obvious” and there was nothing new. The three-member panel is on its first visit to the Kashmir Valley after it was set up 10 days back.

The BJP on Sunday slammed Dileep Padgaonkar, head of the interlocutors’ panel for Jammu and Kashmir, for his comment that Pakistan has to be involved for a permanent solution of the Kashmir issue and demanded that the PMO explain if this was part of the brief to the team.

The journalist also said a dialogue with Pakistan is “as necessary” as the dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to resolve the Kashmir issue which is a “bilateral dispute going on since 1947-48.”

The BJP said the comments sounded as if the panel was rationalising Pakistan’s stand on its “unfinished agenda” on Kashmir and that it was “arguing” from the Hurriyat angle in this matter.

“The BJP demands that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) immediately clarify if this was part of the brief given to the interlocutors,” party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said in New Delhi.

She expressed the fear that the comments by Mr. Padgaonkar even before it could start its assignment “is unnecessarily internationalising the process.” “What was the Pakistan dimension that the interlocutor was referring to? Is this part of the brief given or has he stepped beyond its (the panel’s) brief?” she questioned.

Mr. Padgaonkar had said on Saturday that the panel is in Jammu and Kashmir to look for a permanent solution to the Kashmir dispute but a permanent solution is not possible without the involvement of Pakistan.

Mr. Padgaonkar told PTI in Srinagar on Sunday that the panel had not been given any brief by the government and pointed to Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s statement that there are no red lines.

“What I have said with regard to Pakistan is the obvious. I have not said anything that has not been said before.

“I have not exceeded my brief as we did not get any brief. The Home Minister has said there are no red lines or boundaries. We know what we are doing,” Mr. Pandgaonkar said.

He recalled that Parliament had also passed a resolution on Jammu and Kashmir, asking Pakistan to vacate those areas which it has occupied. “This shows that there is a Pakistan dimension to these issues,” he said.

Ms. Sitharaman said “The comments sound as if they are rationalising Pakistan’s stand on its unfinished agenda on Kashmir. Furthermore, it seems as if the panel is arguing from the Hurriyat angle in this matter.”

Asked whether the party would seek recall of the panel, the BJP spokesperson said, “At this stage we want the Prime Minister to say whether this was (the statements) part of their brief.”

Mr. Padgaonkar, however, said Pakistan had been involved in the Kashmir issue since 1947 and the Indian government had recently stated it was “ready to walk more than half the distance” to settle all matters with Pakistan.

He said the usage of words to describe the problem in the state was not as important as to find a way out.

“We have to put the terrible situation that the state has suffered during the past 63 years behind us and the only way to do that is through a sustained dialogue, which can lead to a comprehensive solution,” he said.

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Curfew clamped in Srinagar again

Four persons were injured on Sunday when security forces allegedly opened fire on protesters in Shopian in south Kashmir, even as curfew was clamped in Srinagar and some other districts following a protest call by the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference.

File photo of security forces deployed in Srinagar.

Army troops cordoned off Nagbal village in Zainapora area, 75 kms from Srinagar, in the wee hours following information about presence of some militants in the area, official sources said in Srinagar. They said all the residents of the area were assembled in a field. However, some persons started raising provocative slogans against the army cordon.
The troops fired several rounds in air and also used batons to bring the situation under control, the sources said, adding that the security forces' action resulted in injuries to four persons.
Two of the injured -- identified as 18-year-old Salima Yousuf and 19-year-old Aamir Dar -- were referred to a hospital in Srinagar for treatment.
While the girl has been hit in the right arm, the boy received a bullet in the right leg, they said.
Two other persons, who were injured in lathicharge, were given first aid at Zainapora health centre.
"Curfew was imposed in the wee hours today in Srinagar, Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara districts as a precautionary measure," a police spokesman said.
He said security forces have been deployed in the remaining six districts -- Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulagm, Ganderbal and Budgam -- where severe restrictions have been imposed under section 144 CrPC, which prohibits assembly of four or more persons at any public place.
Curfew has been imposed to foil the plans of the hard line Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who had called for a march to Baronial district town in protest against the killing of several youth in security forces action in Pattan area of the district.
Authorities had yesterday lifted curfew from the Valley after Geelani suspended his protest calendar for the day. The day had passed off peacefully.
Shops, business establishments and private offices, which opened very early yesterday, shut their shutters today while roads and streets wore a deserted look.
Kashmir Valley has been in the grip of violent protests since June 11 when a 17-year-old boy was killed after he was hit by a tear smoke shell during clashes at Rajouri Kadal in the interior city. So far, 105 persons have been killed in the unrest in the Valley.

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Kashmir braces for more violence

The troubled Indian state of Kashmir was braced for renewed violence as separatist leaders rejected a government bid to defuse mounting civil unrest.
Indian ministers had pledged to work to release hundreds of young protesters arrested in recent unrest and to review the massive deployment of security forces in the disputed Himalayan territory.
Syed Ali Shah Gilani, a hardline leader who has considerable authority over youths who have been rioting for several months in Kashmir, described the package of measures offered by New Delhi as "a time-gaining exercise, unrealistic and mere eyewash".
As local security authorities moved to lift curfews in sensitive parts of the Muslim-majority state that have paralysed everyday life for more than two weeks, Gilani called for local people to show their anger through a general strike over the next two days. Observers said that further clashes seemed inevitable.
"It's a trial of strength. Now that the government wants to normalise things, the separatists are looking to make sure the mobilisation continues," said one senior Kashmiri journalist. Separatist politicians and demonstrators reject Indian rule and want independence or a merger with predominantly Muslim Pakistan.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, another separatist leader, said India's initiative was inadequate because not all parties were being consulted.
The package of Indian measures was announced after a high-level delegation of parliamentarians headed by the powerful home minister Palaniappan Chidambaram visited Kashmir last week. There has been widespread concern within the Indian political and security establishment that the local state government is incapable of curbing growing violence. In addition to the release of hundreds of detainees held for rioting, the new proposed measures include a review of the deployment of security forces with the aim of reducing military presence in civilian areas and a dialogue with all local political leaders.
Military authorities would also be urged to consider if deeply unpopular laws granting security forces extensive powers of search and detention as well as legal immunity might be lifted in some areas, officials said.
The steps "should address the concerns of different sections of people, including protesters," Chidambaram told reporters.
The Indian government announced today it would be also asking Indian companies to fund two-year internships for 50,000 young people from Kashmir. At least 107 people, mostly teenage boys and young men in their 20s, have died in a crackdown by security forces on often-violent demonstrations since June. Most have been killed when poorly-trained and badly-equipped security forces have opened fire on unarmed protesters. Security forces say they are acting in self-defence. The violence has brought a nascent economic recovery in Kashmir – one if India's richest states – to a halt and caused huge problems to local communities.
Thousands of people crowded markets to stock up on food and other essentials when authorities relaxed the curfew for several hours in Srinagar, the main city in the region, and seven other towns.
Professor Sheikh Shauqat, who teaches law at Srinagar University, said local people were tired of the violence and economic disruption but still supported agitation. "They do not want to stop the demonstrations until they feel their sacrifice has not been in vain. So any lull in the violence will just be temporary," Shauqat told the Guardian.
"The separatist leaders see nothing in the package of measures that tackles any of the political issues." Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan – and claimed by both – since the two states gained independence from Britain in 1947. Three wars have been fought by the hostile neighbours over the former princely mountain state.
Since 1989, Kashmiri extremists and other Islamic militants have waged a violent insurgency against Indian security forces in which an estimated 70,000 people have died. In recent years, the situation has improved in part due to a decline in support for such militants from Pakistan. Until June, this year had seen one of the lowest totals of civilian casualties for decades. Analysts fear the casualties sustained by protesters will lead to the radicalisation of a new generation of militants. In addition to the dead, many thousands have been seriously injured or beaten. The Indian foreign minister, SM Krishna, and his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, are expected to meet tomorrow at the United Nations general assembly. Kashmir and terrorism will be among the topics discussed, Indian government sources said.

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Kashmir: Schools reopen, Chidambaram warns stone-pelters

Srinagar:  It was a big day for kids in the Kashmir valley with schools reopening after a 100 days. The attendance was nowhere near 100 per cent perhaps because of hardline separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani's call asking parents not to send children to schools.

But at least the schools were all open.

"I have come to school after three months," said Huzaifa, an excited student.

"There is fear, but we have to go the school. Without school our life is getting disturbed," said another student.

 There were three incidents of stone-pelting at school buses but more damage was done by rumours of firing - that schools have been attacked and set on fire.

At Srinagar's prestigious Burn Hall, the Principal said 30 per cent children attended classes which the government says was the average for urban areas.

In rural areas the attendance was better, almost 80 per cent.

"In some places miscreants threw stones on students and tried to harass them. They tried to resist the opening of schools. Despite this students came and schools were opened," J&K Education Minister Peerzad Mohammad Sayeed said.

Home Minister P Chidambaram issued a stern warning to stone-pelters, after a few incidents of stone-pelting on school buses were reported.

"There was a call by one of the Hurriyat leaders to parents asking them not to send their children. Happily, parents have disregarded that call. There were a few minor incidents of stone-pelting on school buses. How can any right thinking person pelt stones on school buses? The J&K government has assured that every effort is being made to ensure that all schools and colleges reopen, and security will be provided to students," the Home Ministry said in a statement.

The Home Minister also said government was happy to learn that most schools and colleges have reopened in Jammu and Kashmir and most students have gone back to schools and colleges today.

"I am confident that the few schools and colleges that remain closed today, presumably out of caution, will reopen tomorrow. I am also confident that the attendance will improve significantly tomorrow. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has assured us that every effort is being made to ensure that all schools and colleges reopen and function normally and that security will be provided to enable the students to attend schools and colleges.

Both the Centre and the state government celebrated the reopening of schools, but Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was careful not to tom-tom it as a victory over separatists. He reiterated his request to keep education out of the conflict.

"It's nobody's victory and nobody's defeat, its only the victory of those children who have been able to come back to schools and been able to resume their education. We hope that more and more children come back to school," Omar said.

"I appeal to all sections of the people of Jammu and Kashmir especially parents, to cooperate with the State Government and ensure that all schools and colleges function normally," the Home Minister said. (Watch: Can't kneel before separatists, says BJP's Arun Jaitley)

No one has any problem with the functioning of health sector, Public Distribution System (PDS), power or water supply. Then why the children's education has become a point of confrontation between separatists and the government in Kashmir? Will both sides of divide rise above their political considerations and facilitate children to go back to schools without further hardships?

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/back-to-school-in-kashmir-after-4-months-54980?cp

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CCS likely to discuss all-party team's report next week

Keen to hold on to the brief spell of peace in the Kashmir Valley after the visit of the all-party delegation to Srinagar and Jammu, the government is likely to announce some confidence building measures (CBMs) for the people in Jammu and Kashmir, who have witnessed incidents of police firing, stone throwing, protests and strikes since June.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is likely to meet here next week under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the report of the all-party delegation. It is being finalised by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who had led the 39-member delegation. The CCS met on Friday, but it only discussed and approved the second phase of the Coastal security scheme, which would cost Rs. 1,100 crore and begin next April, sources said.

Four delegation members, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury, already met Mr. Chidambaram and held broad discussions on various points of the report. The delegation also saw differences among its members on meeting separatist leaders and withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

Though the views of the BJP and the Left parties on AFSPA withdrawal are known to clash with each other, the government, the sources said, was likely to find release of political detenus and young boys in the Valley as an immediate measure. The Home Minister has favoured revisiting some of the provisions of the AFSPA but the Armed forces have demanded its retention so they may have legal protection for their actions during operations.

Consolidation of goodwill

The sources indicated that the government would like to consolidate the goodwill generated during the visit of the delegation and the atmosphere built. The CCS is expected to assess the report of the Home Minister as well as the views given by the members of the delegation and see how best normality and peace can be restored in the Valley.

The Left parties have already stated that the Centre should talk to all sections of the people in the State and take calculated risks in restoring normality, peace, order and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are prepared to reach out to every section to work out a solution within the Constitution. All matters can be resolved through dialogue,” said Mr. Yechury.

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Centre announces more talks, advises release of stone-pelters

Announcing an eight-point Kashmir formula, the Centre on Saturday said a Group of Interlocutors led by an eminent person will hold “sustained dialogue” with all sections of Jammu and Kashmir and also review deployment of security forces in the Valley, especially in Srinagar.

Unveiling a package of measures approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) at its meeting in New Delhi in a bid to deal with the civil unrest in the Kashmir Valley, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the State government will be advised to review the notification of areas as “Disturbed Areas”.

In a bid to reach out to the masses, the Centre also advised the State government to release students and youth who have been arrested or detained for stone-pelting and similar violations of law during the unrest, and withdraw all charges against them.

The unrest has claimed the lives of 105 persons since June 10.

The 30-minute CCS meeting was presided by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Mr. Chidambaram did not elaborate whether the review of the Disturbed Areas notification was a prelude to any phased withdrawal of the contentious Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from certain areas of the Valley.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the Centre’s initiative saying it is a positive development and must lead to a resolution to all political issues of Jammu and Kashmir.

The CCS decisions were taken after it reviewed the situation in the Valley and considered the report of the recent visit of the 36-member all-party delegation to J&K submitted by Mr. Chidambaram, who had led the team.

The State governmetn has also been advised to review cases of all Public Safety Act (PSA) detenues and withdraw detention orders in appropriate cases.

“Government will appoint a Group of Interlocutors under the Chairmanship of an eminent person to begin the process of sustained dialogue with political parties, groups, students, civil society,” Mr. Chidambaram said.

However, he did not say the exact composition of the group and skirted the question and said “it can be either one plus two or one plus three... we will see.”

The CCS decided to advice the State government to immediately convene a meeting of the Unified Command and review the deployment of the security forces in Kashmir Valley, especially at Srinagar, with particular reference to descale bunkers and check points in the summer capital and other towns, the Home Minister said.

Mr. Chidambaram said the government will grant an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh to the family of each of those killed in civil disturbances in Kashmir since June 11.

The all-party team had met many delegations in the Valley who had laid a special stress on reducing the presence of security forces at least in Srinagar and other major towns.

Sources said if the State government decides to withdraw the Disturbed Areas Act from some areas, the AFSPA will have to go automatically.

On the issue of releasing people detained during the unrest, Mr. Chidambaram made it clear that there were only 245 people arrested or detained by the State government out of whom 84 were in judicial custody, 110 in police custody and 51 detained under the PSA.

With education taking a hit during the three-and-a-half month unrest, the Centre requested the State government to take steps to immediately reopen all schools, colleges and universities.

Special classes should be also conducted and efforts should be made to ensure examinations are conducted on schedule for the current academic year, the Home Minister said.

Mr. Chidamabram said a Rs. 100 crore additional central assistance would be made available to the State government for improving infrastructure in educational institutions.

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Shah Mehmood Qureshi tones down on US involvement in Kashmir

After pitching for US intervention to resolve the Kashmir problem, Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi today appeared to tone down his earlier remarks, saying Washington can play a "facilitating role" in resolving Indo-Pak tensions.
Noting that Kashmir was an "outstanding issue" between India and Pakistan, Qureshi stressed that bilateral talks between India and Pakistan on Kashmir was always the first preference.
"I know India is allergic to third party intervention," the minister told PTI, in response to a question at the Asia Society where Qureshi was speaking, and further added that intervention did not mean "dictating terms."
"They (US) can play a facilitating role but ultimately it us and we have to see what Kashmiris want," he continued.
"The US is a friend and ally of India," the minister pointed out, noting that the previous day, President Barack Obama, speaking at the UN, had mentioned his visit to India and called the country a "thriving democracy."
Qureshi and Krishna are here to attend the opening week of the General Assembly but plans of a bilateral between them have not been firmed up.
Today, however, Qureshi told PTI that "arrangements are under negotiation."
Qureshi and Krishna had a "chance encounter" on yesterday at the UN where they greeted each other warmly and talked about the floods in Pakistan.
The possibilities of a meeting between the two leaders are still being explored through diplomatic channels though "there is no decision as yet."
During his visit, Qureshi has been consistently calling for US intervention in Kashmir but Washington has showed no inclination to get involved in what India maintain are "internal matters."
Addressing a small gathering at the Asia Society today, Qureshi described Kashmir as the "festering sore of South Asia."
"The United States, as the world leader, has special responsibility towards finding a just and peaceful solution of Kashmir," the minister said.
"Occupation and persecution cannot kill Kashmiri spirit. They are demanding their right to self-determination," he added. This follows his remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York based think tank, where he said, "We call upon the United States particularly, which is pressing so responsibly for peace in the Middle East, to also invest its political capital in trying to help seek an accommodation for Kashmir."
At the same time, Qureshi underscored that the need for peace between Pakistan and India, and underlined that there existed several areas of potential cooperation between the two countries including combating climate change, terrorism and poverty.
Describing Krishna's last visit to Pakistan as "useful," Qureshi stressed the importance of resuming the "composite dialogue" and get the peace process on track.
Krishna is in New York till September 29 and Qureshi is here till the 30th.

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All-party team leaves behind hope, fear in J&K

The all-party delegation led by union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday wrapped up its three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and returned to New Delhi from here, leaving behind a gleam of hope and a cloud of fear. The 39-member delegation met almost 1,000 people from a cross section of society in the state and heard people until the midnight. But some people, including commoners and the Kashmiri Hindu leaders, were annoyed at not being given time to interact with the visitors.

The highlight of the visit, however, remained the meeting of some delegation members with the separatist leaders.

The members met hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani twice Monday evening and Tuesday morning and also visited moderates -- All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front's (JKLF) Yasin Malik in Srinagar and jailed president of the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party Shabir Shah in Jammu.

This was being touted as a "success" of the visit by some delegation members, especially Communist Party of India-Maxist (CPI-M) leader Sita Ram Yechury, who described the interaction with  separatists as a "meaningful exercise".

Separatists, who had reiterated their known positions during the meetings, are learnt to be waiting as to how the delegation on its return would respond to their suggestions. 

"Let's hope that this time you understand things better," Shabir Shah told the delegates who called on him at a nursing home, where he was temporarily shifted Tuesday, from Kot Bhalwal jail near here, to facilitate his meeting with the delegation members.

It was also a message of hope for some, like Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who felt that the delegation's visit was a "significant step". He hoped that there would be "movement forward" in addressing problems faced by the people in the Kashmir Valley.

More than 100 people have been killed in the valley in over 100 days of renewed unrest and the situation is being kept under control by an almost round-the-clock curfew and heavy deployment of security forces.

Omar Abdullah's National Conference party demanded withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and also greater autonomy to the state - a semi-sovereign status in which the state has all powers except those for dealing with communications, defence and foreign affairs and designation of head of the government as prime minister and that of the head of the state as "sadar-e-riyasat".

This very hope of some was a source of fear for many in Jammu. "We are afraid that the delegation, the way it has reached out to separatists responsible for the trouble in the Kashmir Valley, would do something unacceptable to us," BJP leader Ramesh Arora said.

The BJP was apprehensive that the delegation might "fall into the trap of separatists" and  announce "some concessions which would have serious repercussions", Arora said.

Some of the Congress leaders here, including former deputy chief minister Mangat Ram Sharma, were clear in their assertion that neither the AFSPA should be revoked nor was there any need to revisit and grant more autonomy to the state.

"For us, the unity of the state is more important," he told reporters on Tuesday.

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