BSF, police frame plan to stop migration
JAMMU, Aug 10 — The BSF and the police have framed a joint action plan for preventing people from migrating from the upper reaches of Udhampur and Rajouri.
Rights panel to hold inquiry: Farooq
JAMMU, Aug 10 — In a bid to make up for his 15-day absence, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who has returned from his sojourn in London, has been "omnipresent" during the past three days.
Bandh after militants abduct girl
JAMMU, Aug 10 — Residents of Badhal area in Rajouri district today observed a bandh in protest against the abduction of a Gujjar girl by militants yesterday, official reports here said.

Bandh in valley complete
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 10 — Life was disrupted in most parts of the Kashmir valley today in response to a strike call given by the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in protest against the "custodial killings" in Kashmir.

All shops and business establishments were closed today throughout the city. Traffic was off the road. However, private vehicles and autorickshaws plied normally. Educational institutions and banks also remained closed. Major towns in North Kashmir, including Sopore and Baramulla, also observed a strike. The police said inter-district transport plied normally.

Over six activists of the separatist Peoples League were held here while they were protesting in front of the office of the United Nations Military Observers Group (UNMOG). Led by the chief of the Peoples League, Nayeem Khan, once a close associate of senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, over 100 demonstrators marched to the office at Sonwar around noon today.

The protesters raised slogans and urged India and Pakistan to stop firing along the line of control.

Reacting to the response to the bandh call, the APHC Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, said the strike was complete throughout the valley. He expressed concern over the alleged custodial killings at the hands of the security forces across the valley.

Today's bandh call had been given in protest against the killing of three persons, including deputy supreme commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Ali Mohammad Dar, alias Burhanuddin Hijazi in an encounter with the special operations group of the police yesterday.

Addressing a press conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani alleged that three members of a family were killed by the security forces at Ganderbal last evening. However, the police claimed that the three were killed by militants.

BSF, police frame plan to stop migration
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 10 — The BSF and the police have framed a joint action plan for preventing people from migrating from the upper reaches of Udhampur and Rajouri. Under the plan, more BSF and police pickets are being set up in sensitive areas in different parts of the Jammu region to infuse confidence among the people so that they are not forced by militants to flee to other areas.

According to the Inspector-General, BSF, Mr B.L. Vohra, as a result of several measures taken by the BSF, migration from several areas had been stopped and 63 families, comprising 266 persons, had returned to their ancestral villages. He admitted that some groups of people from Mahore tehsil of Udhampur district and the migrants had shifted to Chassana, Rajouri and Jammu.

Mr Vohra said the BSF, the police and the civil authorities had tried to convince people that adequate security cover would be given to them and this had prompted them to return to their villages. Efforts were being made to persuade others to go back to their villages, he added.

At a high-level meeting, Mr Vohra reviewed the situation and discussed the issue with the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kuldeep Khuda, and it was decided to set up more pickets wherever there was need. The IG said his men were committed to providing security to people in order to "foil the gameplan of the ISI and the militants." He described the recent killing of civilians as a sign of desperation on the part of militants who had failed to measure swords with the BSF.

Mr Vohra apprised the BJP MP, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, of the steps the BSF had taken to defeat Pak machination of forcing migration from several areas of the Jammu region and stated that he had sent messages to the people in sensitive areas that in case of any need they should get in touch with the BSF authorities.

Rights panel to hold inquiry: Farooq
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 10 — In a bid to make up for his 15-day absence, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who has returned from his sojourn in London, has been "omnipresent" during the past three days. On Sunday and Monday he flew to the far-flung areas of Jammu to study the situation having risen after the killing of 19 persons in Sailan village in Surankot area of Poonch and later visited the remote areas of Uri, Kupwara and Tangdhar in west of Srinagar.

Dr Farooq drew large crowds wherever he went. In Surankot he assured the aggrieved that the massacre of 19 civilians would be referred to the State Human Rights Commission to inquire into complaints that the civilians were not killed by militants.

Whether in Surankot, Uri or Kupwara, the Chief Minister made it clear that his government was for strengthening village defence committees. He instructed the authorities to raise such committees in Surankot with members from all communities.

Meanwhile, Civil Secretariat employees are on strike since Wednesday. They are adamant that Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitley be replaced. The employees also demand action against a police officer who ordered a lathi charge on the employees within the secretariat premises in Srinagar.

The Chief Minister is upset as disgruntled ministers, legislators and senior bureaucrats have been allegedly lending support to the agitating employees. They are demanding an increase in house rent allowance.

Mr Jaitley is a trusted man of the Chief Minister. He is a stickler for rules. Those who lost key posts and portfolios during the recent reshuffle of the Council of Ministers and changes in the bureaucracy believe Mr Jaitley was the "author" of the same.

Bandh after militants abduct girl

JAMMU, Aug 10 (PTI) — Residents of Badhal area in Rajouri district today observed a bandh in protest against the abduction of a Gujjar girl by militants yesterday, official reports here said.

The reports said the people organised a procession and raised anti-government slogans over the rise in incidents of kidnapping in the district.

They demanded more security pickets for protection against foreign mercenaries who were harassing the community in the area.

Militants abducted the 19-year-old daughter of Mohammad Bashir of the Gujjar community near Mardom village in Budhal area yesterday.