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| Curfew relaxed in six districts of Kashmir valley | | | Early Times Reporter
Srinagar | Aug 31
Authorities today relaxed curfew for varying periods in six of the ten districts of Kashmir valley.
Curfew was eased for three hours in all parts of Srinagar from 9 am this morning, a police spokesman said.
He said curfew was relaxed in Bandipora and Pulwama from 8 am while in Baramulla, Budgam and Kupwara districts from 10 am.
However, no relaxation was given in rest of the four districts of Shopian, Kulgam, Ganderbal and Anantnag districts, the spokesman said.
Curfew was clamped in all the ten districts of Kashmir valley to thwart the move of Hurriyat Conference to stage a sit-in at Lal Chowk in the heart of the city.
Top leaders of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, JKLF, Dukhtaran-e-Millat and other separatist outfits have been detailed.
"Yes," Narayanan said in an interview to Karan Thapar for 'India Tonight' programme when asked whether in the absence of Musharraf the threat from the ISI has become greater.
"In the last few months, the ISI has been hyperactive in many ways... And we are concerned that kind of activity could increase because that's what they know how to do best," he said.
"I think the ISI, even under President Musharraf, were not controlled to the extent we would have liked. If that is not the case and you now have a civilian administration that's still trying to find its feet and an army general who has stepped back and is not anxious to get involved in affairs of state, now (in those circumstances) what position could the ISI come to," Narayanan said.
"Intelligence agencies are like alsatians, they have to be kept under check. Musharraf was the president and chief of the army. Few people have held such authority.
"Kayani is, of course, the chief of the army and should be able to control the ISI. But if President Musharraf, wearing two hats, could not curb all their activities, then I don't know if Kayani can do very much better ... I think intelligence agencies tend to become very difficult when they have no real masters."
Pointing out that the incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistan have increased, he, however, said "they don't really add up to what we would call a major effort to roll back the ceasefire of 2003... Second, I don't think Pakistan is today really in a position to think of a major offensive.
"The point really is why is this happening? What does it mean? It's a function of the absence of strong central control. People are doing many more things than they would do if there had been tighter control."
Talking about Gen Kayani, he wondered whether he would "work against our interests or not."
"I don't think we have seen any evidence that he will work against our interests. The question we are interested in is (that) is he strong enough to take on those elements who we know (are against us)," he said, adding "there is no strong central authority" in that country.
On terrorist groups operating out of Pakistan, Narayanan said "I think, there's now total control by Al Qaeda elements in the jihadi camps ... And I think now the LeT is totally subsumed in the Al Qaeda macro structure."
As a result, he said the jihadi outfits in Pakistan are "now part of a wider terrorist structure. It certainly causes us concern ... Its now part of a wider enterprise."
Reverting to the Musharraf-era, Narayanan said "What we had with President Musharraf was a period of four years in which we made a fair degree of progress. I think the violations of the Line of Control were minimal. We made progress on the back channel and the various comprehensive dialogues on many matters."
Narayanan said there were several "half cooked" and "three-quarter cooked" ideas in the pipeline to improve relations between the two countries but it will require great statesm anship and courage to take forward these ideas.
"There are some ideas in the pipeline that would require a great deal of statesmanship...It would require somebody who has both confidence and the courage and the backing to push forward some of these. This applies on both sides. The question is on our side I think we could have it.
In Pakistan you have an entirely new leadership and I don't know if this is going to be the first act they can take on. I think it will be unfair to think this is going to be the first act."
"Kashmir isn't the easiest thing and India-Pakistan relations aren't the easiest things. So whether he (Zardari) is going to take it on as the first test of his leadership is a moot point," he said.
However, Narayanan refused to reveal these ideas saying: "I think you will have |
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