SRINAGAR: A massive hunt has been launched in the troubled northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to trace Nahid Imtiaz the abducted daughter of National Conference legislator Saifuddin Soz.
Jammu and Kashmir has been placed under a red alert and army help has been sought to trace Imtiaz who was abducted Feb 27 from Channpora area here. However the authorities have so far failed to establish any contact with the Jammu and Kashmir Students Liberation Front which was claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
A caller claiming to speak for the JKSLF telephonically informed a local journalist that Nahid would be released if the government let off five militants whose names would be furnished after a positive response from the administration.
The administration was prepared to have a dialogue with the persons concerned with the abduction of Nahid Imtiaz and “communication from the group is awaited” a police spokesman said adding that militants Thursday afternoon had also kidnapped sub-inspector Ram Krishen and a A S I Faroog Ahmed of J and K police from Bughi and Sopore in North Kashmir.
Search operations to locate them are afoot he added.
Soz his wife and another national conference M P Mohammad Shafi Bhat rushed here to be present for any likely negotiations with the militants fighting for the secession of Kashmir from India.
Soz told reporters that “it is a family problem for him and he will act as an ordinary citizen”. But he hoped better sense would prevail upon the militants and they would release his daughter.
In other incidents 15 suspected militants were arrested from different areas of the valley overnight Wednesday.
The spokesman said two Pakistan trained militants one each from Srinagar and Kupwara wete arrested on Wednesday. Five suspected subversives were apprehended by securitymen from Anantnag.
Eight suspected militants six from Pulwama and one each from Srinagar and Anantnag districts were arrested on Thursday the spokesman said
Meanwhile the timely discovery of mines planted by militants on the Sangrama-Sopore road in Baramulla district prevented a major tragedy. The mines were removed by the bomb squad the spokesman said.
He said shopkeepers of the Lalchowk locality here alleged that security forces roughed them up and broke the glass panes of their shops after a grenade attack on the securitymen by militants Thursday afternoon. He said the allegations were being inquired into.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 8, 1991
