3 April, 2005	Sunday	23 Safar 1426

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SRINAGAR, April 2: Kashmiri militant groups on Saturday repeated a threat to attack passengers of the bus service to be launched next week across the line of control (LoC) despite a plea from a hard-line separatist group to avoid violence. The four guerrilla groups repeated a threat made earlier in the week that those planning to take the first bus on April 7 were “traitors” and would have to face consequences if they travelled despite being warned.

“This service is a sell-out of martyr’s blood and will prove to be an end to Jihad in Kashmir,” the statement faxed to news agencies in Srinagar said. “It will also end up handing over Kashmir permanently to India.”

The statement said many of the passengers scheduled to take the bus had been called on phone and told they would be attacked at home or elsewhere if they took the journey.

The repeated threat from the militants came after Syed Ali Geelani, head of the hard-line faction of Indian Kashmir’s main separatist alliance the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, condemned a similar statement released Wednesday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was quoted by newspapers on Saturday as saying it was responsibility of both the countries to ensure that passengers on the bus service were protected.

While condemning the threat of violence, moderate Kashmiri separatists warned the bus service was not enough to bring peace to the region and repeated their call for Kashmiris to pursue independence.

“No peace can happen in a bus. We will have to address the basic issue of Kashmir,” said Abdul Gani Bhat, an APHC leader.—AFP