SRINAGAR, 9 October 2007 — Muzaffarabad-based United Jihad Council (UJC) yesterday announced a three-day unilateral cease-fire coinciding with the Muslim festival of Eid Al-Fitr.
A spokesman of the UJC told a local news agency that a meeting of the various constituents chaired by its chairman Syed Salah-ud-Din had “decided to observe complete cease-fire on 12, 13 and 14 of this month so that Muslims here could celebrate Eid Al-Fitr.”
“All the outfits have been instructed to observe complete cease-fire on Oct. 12, 13 and 14 in view of the Eid Al-Fitr,” UJC spokesman Syed Sadaqat Hussain said.
The UJC is a conglomerate of various militant groups headed by Syed Salahuddin, supreme commander of the front-line militant group, Hizbul Mujahedeen.
Earlier, the Hizbul Mujahedeen had announced a unilateral cease-fire in July 2000, which was later revoked by Syed Salahuddin.
The Indian central government also announced a unilateral cease-fire in November 2000, which was also later withdrawn, because of a spurt in militant activities and intelligence reports that militants had regrouped
Meanwhile, the sex scandal that rocked Jammu and Kashmir last year, took a new turn yesterday, as the state high court directed the CBI to place all records relating to eight persons including one senior minister and two MLAs before the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) for judicial action.
The case which had by now been forgotten, was suddenly resurrected yesterday with the high court direction causing ripples in political, administrative and social circles.
In its 210-page long direction, the division bench of the state high court comprising Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani and Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain said, “Magisterial proceedings for consideration of taking cognizance of offenses under penal laws in appropriate cases is required to be ordered.”
