INDIA: VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN KASHMIR

(23 Dec 2000) Urdu/Nat
XFA
Violence continues to mar the unilateral ceasefire by the Indian government against Islamic rebels in Kashmir .

At least 68 people have been killed since India first ordered a ceasefire on November the 28th and then announced its extension for a month on Wednesday (Dec 20).

The militant groups have renewed their call for three-way peace talks that would include India, Pakistan and Kashmiris.

The peace initiative by Prime Minister Vajpayee has however been welcomed by Kashmir's main separatist alliance - the All Party Hurriyat Conference.

Hurriyat leaders have now decided to send a delegation to Pakistan .

With Friday prayers underway in Srinagar an unexpected appearance outside the city's main mosque by Islamic guerrillas waving semiautomatic weapons, two days after India extended a ceasefire with the militants in Kashmir.

The masked militants fired some pistol shots in air and hoisted banners outside the Jamia Mosque demanding Kashmir's merger with Pakistan.

On Wednesday, India extended the ceasefire against the Kashmiri rebels by another month until January the 26th and Pakistan responded with some troop reduction on the frontier.

Nearly 100-thousand people had congregated at the mosque for prayers on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

Among them were leaders from Kashmir's main separatist alliance, the All Party Hurriyat conference.

SOUNDBITE: (Urdu)
"History will never forgive us. This chance will not come around again."
SUPERCAPTION: Yasin Malik, chairman of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front

Indian security forces didn't intervene as the militants appeared in public in Srinagar after a gap of almost three years.

Abdul Basit, claiming to be the Srinagar district commander of Hezb-ul Mujahideen, told reporters that the only solution of the Kashmir dispute is the Himalayan territory's merger with Pakistan.

He said the ceasefire was a farce.

SOUNDBITE: (Urdu)
"We are completely against the ceasefire. It is only to deceive the people. The basic issue is that of Kashmir, and the ceasefire will not solve it."
SUPERCAPTION: Abdul Basit, Srinagar district commander of Hezb-ul Mujahideen

In a statement circulated in Srinagar, Majid Dar, the chief commander of the Hezb-ul Mujahideen, said his group has a role in the permanent solution of the Kashmir dispute, which cannot be neglected.

Though his outfit doesn't support the ceasefire declared by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dar said the initiatives taken by India and Pakistan were "serious and important decisions."

The statement said the two nations have understood the gravity of the situation and are craving for a peaceful solution of the problem.

The Hezb-ul Mujahedeen is the biggest militant group fighting for Kashmir's secession from India since 1989 and its leadership is currently based in Pakistan.

Extension of the truce by another month and Pakistan's response of pulling back some troops from the 1972 ceasefire line has been welcomed by the All Party Hurriyat Conference .

The earlier cease fire offered by the government in August fell apart after India refused to enter into three-way peace talks that included Pakistan.

At a meeting held on Thursday , the Hurriyat conference decided to send a delegation to Pakistan to talk to the militant groups.

Though the rebel groups have rejected Vajpayee's ceasefire, Pakistan has welcomed it and both sides have stopped shelling across the border, easing tensions along the disputed border.

For the troubled Kashmir valley, the ceasefire has rekindled hopes of peace.

SOUNDBITE: (Hindi)


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