The Hindu : National : Militants renew threat, 2 passengers cancel journey

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 03, 2005

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National

Militants renew threat, 2 passengers cancel journey

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, APRIL 2. Hardening their stand vis-à-vis the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and rejecting the hard-line separatist leader, Syed Ali Geelani's appeal, four militant outfits today renewed their threat, even as two passengers cancelled their journey.

In a joint statement here today, the Al-Nasireen, Save Kashmir Movement, Al-Arifeen and Farzandan-e-Millat said: "We have asked several of the prospective passengers on telephone not to undertake the journey to Muzaffarabad which is anti-movement."

Stating that they had the computerised list of all passengers, the groups warned them not to play with their lives. The statement, signed by the `commanders' of the outfits, said the bus was a "luxury" and was being run at the cost of the "ongoing freedom movement in Kashmir."

On Wednesday, the groups said that those planning to take the first bus on April 7 were "traitors" and would have to face the consequences.

On Friday, Syed Ali Geelani, Hurriyat faction chairman, urged the militants to withdraw the threats. "The mujahideen (holy warriors), by indulging in these kind of steps, will create a wrong notion," he said. He, however, reiterated his stand that "the people of Kashmir had not made sacrifices for running a bus service." The Kashmir issue was being sidelined and it was not a question of divided families.

The moderate faction of the Hurriyat led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has welcomed the bus service and advocated opening of more routes to help the divided families.

Two passengers have cancelled their journey even as their names were cleared by both Governments. It is, however, not clear whether Abdul Haq Chaslee and his wife Hajra Begum decided to cancel the visit in the wake of the militants' threat. Police said their daughter had also applied for the permit, which was denied, and, hence, they decided not to go.

Security stepped up

Keeping in mind the security threat, the authorities have decided to step up the security arrangements along the route.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kashmir Zone, Javed Mukhdoomi, told The Hindu that a complete security cover would be in place.

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