Aslam supports Mufti’s demand
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 2 — The Pradesh Congress chief Mr Mohammad Aslam, has supported the demand of Mufti Mohammad Syed that talks should be held with Hurriyat leaders and militants to find a settlement to the ongoing turmoil in Kashmir.

Mr Aslam told newsmen here today that "gun is no solution to the current problem." He said if talks were held with all separatist leaders they could be persuaded to join the national mainstream. In this connection he referred to the statement given by the Youth Congress chief, Mr M.S. Bitta, and said his statement was "irresponsible". Mr Bitta, who had visited Jammu recently, had said Mufti’s demand for holding talks with militants was dangerous and should not be accepted.

Mr Aslam who announced expulsion of Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, Housing and Urban Development Minister, from the Congress for a period of six years said Maulvi Ansari had been indulging in anti-party activities. He said he had violated the party discipline by joining the cabinet headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah. He said the Congress would not tolerate any indiscipline.

The state Congress president demanded Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s resignation following the BJP’s rout in the recent Assembly elections in four states.

He wanted the National Conference government to improve its performance in failing which it would meet the same fate the BJP Governments met in Rajasthan and Delhi. He blamed National Conference minister for having institutionalised corruption.

13 killed in J&K violence
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 2 — At least 10 persons, including four militants, were killed in separate militancy related incidents at five places in the Jammu region during the past 24 hours. Three persons, including a CRPF jawan were killed in the valley.

Official reports said that militants barged into the house of one Bagh Hussain at Bhatidaar village in the Mendhar area of Poonch and opened indiscriminate fire in which Hussain, his wife, Sharifa and daughter Naseema were killed on the spot.

The militants are said to have suspected Hussain of being a police informer. Reports said that militants avenged the killing of three rebels in Army operations in the area on November 2 last. They had suspected that Hussain and his family members had informed the troops about the militant hideout.

At Bafliaz and Mughal Maidan in Poonch four militants were killed in Army operations and large quantities of arms and ammunition recovered from the slain militants, which included four assault rifles, 15 magazines, four hand grenades and about 3,000 rounds of ammunition.

Militants killed one special police officer (SPO) Abdul Wahid in a village of Kishtwar yesterday. One Abdul Qadir, who was suspected to be a militant been taken into custody for interrogation by the security forces is said to have died in custody. This resulted in protests in Arnas area of Udhampur.

Reports said that in the encounter between militants and the Army at Mughal Maidan, where the two rebels had been killed, an Army jawan succumbed to his injuries last evening.

Defence sources said that the security forces had launched a major seek-and-destroy operation in Poonch where the militants had started attacking security pickets and convoys with mortars and rockets during the past couple of months. The sources claimed that militants had come under pressure and several groups had moved to higher mountains in both Poonch and Rajouri districts.

SRINAGAR (PTI): Militants shot at and critically wounded two CRPF jawans in Karan Nagar locality of Srinagar today. One of them later died.

The jawans were fired at from point blank range by two pistol-carrying militants, who fled the scene immediately after the shooting, the spokesman said.

He said an unidentified militant was killed in an armed clash with security forces at village Telwani in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, today.

The body of a counter-insurgent, Ishtiyaq Ahmad, associated with Ikhwan was recovered by the police from Machdoora in Anantnag. The former militant was reportedly kidnapped and subsequently killed by militants, the spokesman said.

6 killed in road accident

SRINAGAR, Dec 2 (PTI) — Six persons, including a constable were killed when their jeep and a truck collided in Anantnag district on the Srinagar-Jammu highway today, an official spokesman said here.

The accident took place near Qazigund, about 80 km from here, he said, adding the deceased included the driver of the jeep.

One passenger was admitted to hospital in a serious condition, he added.