The Hindu : Pak. files cases against Salahuddin aides

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 22, 2003

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Pak. files cases against Salahuddin aides

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD May 21. In what appears to be yet another signal to further the Vajpayee peace initiative, the Pakistan Government tonight registered cases against two lieutenants of the Hizb-ul- Mujahideen chief, Syed Salahuddin, on grounds of illegal display of weapons.

Mr. Salahuddin and a group of his supporters and armed guards were at a hotel in Rawalpindi on May 16.

It is for the first time that Pakistan has moved against the Hizb, a dominant militant outfit operating in Kashmir valley.

Two days ago, the Pakistan Interior Minister, Faisal Saleh Hayat, told The Hindu that though the Hizb was a "Kashmir based indigenous organisation", it would be treated on a par with banned militant outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammad if it indulged in any "illegal activities" on Pakistani soil. He had also clarified that Pakistan had no jurisdiction to ban the outfit.

Mr. Hayat had said that while there was no restriction on the movement of Hizb leaders, it could not organise rallies, demonstrations or carry arms. The decision has direct relevance to the Indian demand for a check on infiltration and "destruction of terrorism infrastructure".

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