Security tightened for I-Day celebrations
SRINAGAR, Aug 14 — Security has been further tightened up around Bakshi stadium, venue of main Independence Day celebrations here, to foil attempts of the militants to disrupt the golden jubilee celebrations.
CM: killings against Islam tenets
SRINAGAR, Aug 14 — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, in his message to the state on the eve of the 51st Independence Day, said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had discarded the two-nation theory and chosen to join secular India.
Amarnath yatra: Army’s role lauded
JAMMU, Aug 14 — Mahant Varindera Nand Giri, president of the Rajasthan Sadhu Samaj, lauded the Army for ensuring the security of yatris during the Amarnath yatra and making other arrangements to make the pilgrimage successful.
Effigies of Sharif, Advani burnt
JAMMU, Aug 14 — Activists of the Jammu Joint Students Federation today burnt the effigies of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Home Minister L.K. Advani and Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

Pak flags hoisted, pulled down

SRINAGAR, Aug 14 (PTI) — Ten militants, including three Pakistani intruders and five foreign mercenaries, were killed in separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday even as the state was put under an unprecedented security cover on the eve of Independence Day.

Pakistani troops today resorted to firing on Indian positions in Karnah, Tangdhar and Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir.

No loss of life or damage to property was reported, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

Meanwhile the Chief Minister, Mr Farooq Abdullah, today visited Kargil to take stock of the situation in the wake of the shelling by Pakistani troops.

Security has been beefed up all over the state in view of intelligence reports warning of militant attacks to disrupt Independence Day functions and a call by the All Party Hurriyat Conference to observe the day as "black day".

Troops have been deployed in full battle gear at all the venues of official Independence Day functions in the main towns and district headquarters, official sources said.

Police and paramilitary forces have intensified house-to-house searches, checking of vehicles and frisking of pedestrians for the past few days causing lot of inconvenience to public. Patrolling has been also intensified in the city, particularly in the areas close to Bakshi Stadium.

Meanwhile, Pakistani flags were hoisted at a number of places in the city to celebrate Pakistan’s independence day, sources said. However, the flags were immediately removed by security forces.

An official spokesman said security forces shot dead three Pakistani intruders at Nanga Majara village in the Rangarh sector of Jammu late last night while four foreign mercenaries were shot dead in a village in Kupwara district last evening.

Two Pakistan-trained militants, identified as Abdul Majid Mir and Shabir Hussain, were killed in an encounter near Lachipora-Gujar Nallah in Uri town in Baramulla district last evening.

Two AK assault rifles, two hand grenades and some ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, he said.

He said one person was injured when the special operations group of the local police opened fire during a raid on his house at Safakadal in downtown Srinagar last evening.

The cops opened fire when some unknown militant hurled a grenade on the raiding party which did not explode. Later during search of the house three hand grenades were found, the spokesman said.

An improvised explosive device (IED) was exploded by militants near Bohu-Awantipora in Pulwama district last evening. However, no loss of life or damage to property was reported in the blast.

Militants also fired upon security forces at Darhal in Rajouri district last evening. Security forces returned the fire, but no one was hurt, the spokesman said.

Security tightened for I-Day celebrations
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 14 — Security has been further tightened up around Bakshi stadium, venue of main Independence Day celebrations here, to foil attempts of the militants to disrupt the golden jubilee celebrations. Searches to flush out suspects have been increased in the past two weeks while patrol parties have intensified vigil on the movement of people on the streets in this capital city.

With increase in such operations, main roads and streets here today looked deserted with lesser number of people moving on the streets and main markets of the city. A number of people, mostly youth, have been picked up during the searches. All passenger vehicles moving in the city as also on the inter-district routes are checked after frisking the passengers. City buses here were also subjected to security checks and frisking of the passengers. A number of shops on the Residency road were closed down during the past three days following the arrest of a businessman from this plush shopping area, during the searches.

Night patrols by security forces have also been increased whereby the securitymen have been checking the identity of the inmates of the houses in various localities around Bakshi stadium. Those living close to the Bakshi stadium, venue of the main Independence Day celebrations, also had tough time while being subjected to the intensified searches for any trouble makers.

Meanwhile, arrangements for the celebrations were finalised at a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of the Divisional Commissioner, S.L. Bhat here yesterday. A full dress rehearsal was held at Bakshi stadium on Thursday morning. Contingents of the BSF, the CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP), Jammu and Kashmir Police, Fire Services and NCC participated.

Various programmes have been conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of Independence. Similar programmes were also conducted by the State Information Department. These programmes have been conducted at various district headquarters and shall be concluding tomorrow with the final celebrations.

More than 2500 persons witnessed the exhibition of photographs of the Information Department captured during the past 50 years, that was entitled "Glimpses of 50 years".

The exhibition organised for the first time for the public, portrayed the events starting from the accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh on October 26, 1947 culminating with the return of the elected government of Dr Farooq Abdullah in 1996 and the process of normalcy set in after a traumatic phase of militancy. It also portrayed the achievements made in different fields of development in the past half century. This has been projected through graphics and photographs.

An important section of the exhibition was the photographs of the pages of newspapers of 1947 and 1948 carrying information about the mass support to the accession of the State with India.

CM: killings against Islam tenets
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 14 — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, in his message to the state on the eve of the 51st Independence Day, said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had discarded the two-nation theory and chosen to join secular India.

Pakistan, after having failed to get Kashmir in three wars with India, pushed in mercenaries and indoctrained some of our youth to further their "gameplan". He said many were killed, property destroyed and schools, bridges and other infrastructure created over the years, ruined by the militants during the past eight years.

Dr Farooq pointed to the brutal massacres at Wandhama, Prankote, Dhakikote, Chamba and Doda and said all killings were against the tenets of Islam.

He said the people of the state and the country wanted good neighbourly ties with Pakistan for trade and cultural purposes.

The Governor, Mr Girish Chandra Saxena, in his message said the challenge posed by the foreign mercenaries in parts of Jammu would be effectively tackled by the security forces and the police. The security situation in Kashmir had improved considerably and signs of normalcy were discernible.

The Governor said the massacre by foreign mercenaries in Doda, Udhampur, Poonch and Rajouri were aimed at creating a communal wedge between communities.

Amarnath yatra: Army’s role lauded
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 14 — Mahant Varindera Nand Giri, president of the Rajasthan Sadhu Samaj, lauded the Army for ensuring the security of yatris during the Amarnath yatra and making other arrangements to make the pilgrimage successful.

He said the Army had arranged langars and chbabils en route Pahalgam to the Amarnath cave. At Pahalgam various free and social organisations had organised free langars for the yatris.

The mahant, however, criticised the Jammu and Kashmir Government for making inadequate arrangements. Several yatris were allegedly harassed at different points of yatra by the state police.

Effigies of Sharif, Advani burnt
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 14 — Activists of the Jammu Joint Students Federation (JJSF) today burnt the effigies of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Home Minister L.K. Advani and Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

While Mr Sharif's effigy was burnt in protest against Pakistan's continued support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, those of Mr Advani and Dr Farooq were set on fire for their "failure" to contain the "menace of military" in the state.

The JJSF activists forced a half-day bandh on the city during which skeletal transport services were functional. Most shops remained open. However, because of the disruption in passenger services in the early hours, attendance in government offices was thin.

Mr Rajinder Jamwal, president of the JJSF, blamed Pakistan for abating insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. He blamed the state and the Central Governments for their "inability" to control the situation which had worsened as a result of the step-up in the insurgency.

Meanwhile, police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in strength in Jammu on the eve of India's Independence Day. A round-the-clock patrolling has been ordered in the city and adjoining areas.