Indo-Pak dialogue; Freedom Struggle; Role of J&K Police; NC government; and killing of former Minister for Law, Mushtaq Lone, raised much hue and cry in the Assembly. These events shared prominent space in the Urdu dailies in the Kashmir Valley.

• Indo-Pak Talks

Pakistan Prime Minister, Mir Zafar-u-llah Khan Jamali, will be invited to visit Delhi, reported the daily Uqaab (23 June 2003), in its lead news, “according to reliable sources, in line with the peace diplomacy between India and Pakistan, Pakistan PM will be invited to visit Delhi in the first week of July. It is believed that Indo-Pak dialogue performa would be prepared by Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha. Sinha after his return from Cambodia and is likely to meet Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President A.P.J Abdul Kalam to give final shape to the dialogue process.”

Meanwhile, Vajpayee has called the chief ministers of 28 states on Sunday. It is said that 19 chief Ministers would participate in the meeting and 9 Chief Ministers would be involved in the discussions. Pakistan, too, is preparing the ground for talks and in this connection high level meetings are being held.

Bilingual Alsafa (20 June 2003) gave prominent space to the statement by Chief Minister Mufti Mohd. Sayeed who said that people of the state would provide all possible support to prepare the ground for talks between India and Pakistan. “Kashmiris are the worst hit due to hostile relations between India and Pakistan. They are at the receiving end of increasing violence and bloodshed; they would show extreme readiness to prepare the ground for talks between the two countries.”

While referring to unscrupulous elements who do not want peace to prevail in the Valley, the CM said “people with vested interests do not want peace to prevail in the Valley. We will not allow them to succeed in their mission. Common people are yearning for peace.” He continued, “The families who got divided and reside on both sides of Line of Control (LoC) should be allowed to meet each other.”

• ‘Freedom Struggle’

The weekly Chattan (16 June 2003) in its editorial, “Kashmiris fight for what?” took strong notice of the statement issued by Hizb Chief Syed Salah-u-din in an interview with the Newsline magazine in which he stated “Kashmiris are fighting for defending Pakistan.”

“Kashmiris are being slaughtered, killed and are victims of increasing violence and bloodshed. Does this mean that they are involved in a struggle aimed at defending others (Pakistan) and have no goal of their own?” the editorial questioned. It continued, “a few days before the attack on Afghanistan, Pakistan had diplomatic, political and economic ties with the Taliban and Mullah Omar was portrayed as a hero in the Pakistani media. Even General Musharraf in his address to the nation vowed to advocate Taliban’s cause in every forum. But the moment America started its onslaught on Afghanistan, Pakistan not only snapped all ties with the Taliban but also handed over supporters of Taliban and its commanders to the US. Even Mullah Ab.Salam Zaeef, Taliban ambassador in Islamabad, was handed over to the US in a very dramatic fashion. It is a sorry state that despite knowing all this, Hizb declares that Kashmiris are fighting to defend Pakistan.”

The Kashmiris have sacrificed their lives in a freedom struggle for an obvious cause and are fighting since independence. It is intolerable that a responsible militant outfit like the Hizbul Mujahideen viewed the freedom struggle as aimed to protect Pakistan and not liberate Kashmir, summed up the editorial.

• J&K Police

The police were considered to be an ideal force ensuring protection of human rights and maintaining law and order, but for the last many years there was a contradiction in the role of the police in the Jammu and Kashmir state – the bilingual Alsafa (19 June 2003) observed in its editorial.

“For the last many years, there is a noticeable contradiction in the role of police in discharging its duties in the violence-ridden Valley. It is yet unclear where the role of the police lies. Sometimes, they are termed as enemies of patriotism; at times they are referred to as forces involved in freedom struggle in a subtle manner. However, many a times, the police became target of militant attacks and sometimes they were screwed under Indian law.”

The police department was being accused of unlawfulness, corruption and large-scale irregularities. It is the same force (police) that was known for its outstanding reputation, maintenance of law and order and people used to think a hundred times before they speak anything bad about the police. But today the situation is quite contrary. Many irresponsible and morally bankrupt people have entered the department and have made hell of it, summed up the editorial.

• NC Government

The National Conference was thrown out of power by people due to its immoral, undemocratic and unrealistic ways of functioning. Even as an opposition party its arguments are denounced by people who still remember its abysmal performance that gave rise to numerous ills, observed the daily Aftab (21 June 2003) in its editorial.

“The coalition government cannot be termed as government being able to provide good governance. Human rights violations still continue, unemployment, corruption are on the rise. Without missing any opportunity, members of the opposition party NC in the assembly sessions criticize Mufti Government on various counts like human rights violations, unemployment, demolition drive etc. But people denounce this criticism, although they know all about the government. People still remember that NC itself was a morally corrupt government and did nothing for the welfare of masses,” summed up the editorial.

• Mushtaq Lone’s Killing

Srinager Times (17 June 2003) in its lead news reported the statement of Minister for Finance, Planning, Law, and Parliamentary Affairs, Muzaffar Hussain Beig, in the assembly. He said that some members of the previous government cannot absolve themselves from the blame for killing former Minister for Law and Parliamentary affairs, Mushtaq Ahmed Lone. “The hands of law can reach to anybody’s neck and the NC is not an exception.”

Defending the press conference of the DGP, the Minister flayed the opposition for politicizing the issue of the DGP’s press conference on the killing of Mushtaq Ahmed Lone and said that they should have instead lauded the police for solving the assassination that took place during their tenure.