USA urged to form body on Kashmir
SRINAGAR, Nov 25 — The separatist All-Parties Hurriyat Conference has urged the USA to take "concrete measures" by constituting an international body "to solve the Kashmir dispute".

2 Pak soldiers, four militants killed
SRINAGAR, Nov 25 — Eleven persons were injured four of them seriously when militants lobbed a grenade at a marriage function in the Handwara area of Kupwara district last night, the police said.

Cooperative panel holds meeting
JAMMU, Nov 25 — The select committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Jammu and Kashmir self-reliant cooperatives Bill 1998, held a meeting here today under the chairmanship of the Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development, Mr Abdul Rather.

USA urged to form body on Kashmir
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Nov 25 — The separatist All-Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has urged the USA to take "concrete measures" by constituting an international body "to solve the Kashmir dispute".

Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq, former Chairman of the APHC said here today while addressing mediamen on his recently concluded visit to the USA during which he also participated in the OIC meeting. During his two-month-long visit abroad he "apprised the international community of the Kashmir issue". He also addressed the OIC Foreign Ministers' conference and some of the leading US educational institutions.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, also the leader of the Awami Action Committee, said during his meeting with officials of the US National Security Council he made some proposals for a "permanent solution to the Kashmir problem." He urged the USA to form an international body to assist India and Pakistan in "resolving the issue".

He proposed the name of South African leader Nelson Mandela, former British Prime Minister. Margaret Thatcher and former US President Jimmy Carter to be included in the international body. "Now the time of Indo-Pakistan talks is gone and international assistance is needed to make things fruitful", Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said.

Thirdly, he said "the bilateral talks between India and Pakistan should he time-bound."

He said the OIC contact group on Kashmir had accepted its proposals of constituting a fact-finding mission and apprising the world community of the situation in Kashmir.

Reiterating the APHC stand on tripartite talks and the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir, the APHC leader said that the Hurriyat wanted the USA to bring India and Pakistan on the negotiating table. "The recent talks between India and Pakistan were due to the pressure exerted by the USA." Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq said.

He also referred to his talks with Pakistan Prime Minister in New York adding that Mr Nawaz Sharif had agreed to the Hurriyat view on the inclusion of representatives of Kashmir in talks on Kashmir.

He said the APHC was the representative body of Jammu and Kashmir and added that Pakistan would continue to extend political and moral support to Kashmiris.

In reply to a question, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that Kashmir had "ceased to be a bilateral issue". Kashmir is now an international issue", he added. Nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan early this year "highlighted the Kashmir issue" what should be resolved peacefully." We have to work on both local and international levels to resolve the dispute", Mirwaiz Umar Farooq added.

2 Pak soldiers, four militants killed
TNS and agencies

SRINAGAR, Nov 25 — Eleven persons were injured four of them seriously when militants lobbed a grenade at a marriage function in the Handwara area of Kupwara district last night, the police said.

The four seriously injured persons have been admitted into a hospital. The police said that militants hurled a grenade at the residential house of Abdul Khaliq Dar at Jagarpora near Handwara in Kupwara district during last night. A marriage ceremony was going on at the house, in which at least 11 persons received injuries.

Three others were injured when militants opened fire on some persons at Karfali Mohalla in Habbakadal area of capital city last evening.

Militants hurled a grenade on an STD PCO of Mohammad Amin Shah at Gojwarai here last evening. The shop was damaged due to the explosion. However, no one was injured in the explosion, the police said.

JAMMU: Two Pakistani soldiers were killed across the Line of Control (LoC) opposite Kathi area of the Baramulla sector in Kashmir valley during an exchange of fire with Indian troops last evening, Defence sources said here today.

Pakistani troops, using light and medium machine guns, opened unprovoked fire on Indian positions in the sector forcing Indian troops to retaliate, the sources said.

During the exchange of fire, which continued between the two sides for several hours, two Pakistani soldiers were killed at a post opposite Kathi area, they said.

Exchange of firing between Indian and Pakistani troops also took place at Sarla, Noushera and Kalal areas of Rajouri and Poonch sectors of Jammu division last night.

Pakistani troops fired around 7,500 rounds at these places and Indian Army retaliated by firing 3,500 rounds, the sources said, adding that no casualty had been reported from the Indian side in these areas.

Pakistani troops also fired around 18 artillery shells and 30 mortar shells in Kaksar and Batallick areas, respectively in Kargil sector on Monday evening without causing any loss to the Indian side, the sources said.

Four militants were among six persons killed in militancy-related incidents in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday, official reports said here today.

Two militants and a non-commissioned officer (NCO) were killed in a fierce encounter in Mahu Mangat area of Banihal town of Doda district yesterday, they said.

Troops recovered two AK-47 rifles, five grenades and a wireless set during search operations in the area.

In another encounter at Chhatru area of Kishtwar in Doda district, a Pakistan-trained militant was gunned down by Rashtriya Rifle troops last night, the reports said, adding one AK-47 rifle and some ammunition had been recovered from the spot.

One militant was killed during an encounter with Army troops in Chandigam area of Lolab valley in Kupwara district in Kashmir last night.

A surrendered militant of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit, Gulam Hussain Khan, was killed by militants at Hassanpora in Anantnag district of South Kashmir, the reports said.

The spokesman said two militants were killed in separate encounters with security forces at Bugladhar and Handigam-Chatroo areas of Doda district in Jammu region last night.

Two AK assault rifles and some ammunition were recovered from the killed militants, he said.

He said security forces also recovered some arms and ammunition from an abandoned militant hideout during search operations at Kishiwan in Kishtwar area of Doda district.

Three persons, including a teenaged boy, were wounded when some unidentified gunmen opened fire at Karfali mohalla area of downtown Srinagar last night, the spokesman said,

A group of unidentified militants snatched three rifles from the members of village defence committee at Saterbarnu in Udhampur district of Jammu region yesterday, the spokesman said.

Cooperative panel holds meeting
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 25 — The select committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Jammu and Kashmir self-reliant cooperatives Bill 1998, held a meeting here today under the chairmanship of the Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development, Mr Abdul Rather.

The proposed legislation was introduced in the last session of assembly and had been referred to the committee for consideration and submission of its report during the ensuing session of the House.

The Bill provides for the formation of cooperatives as self-reliant, autonomous, democratic, business enterprises owned, managed and controlled by members.

The Cooperative Minister said cooperatives were presently governed by Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Societies Act, 1960, though in the 1989 Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Societies Act 1989 was passed by the state legislature but it could not be enforced as it envisaged holding of elections of the cooperatives within a period of six months after its enforcement. He said the rules to be formulated under the Act were not formulated. After a gap of 10 years it was thought advisable to examine the matter afresh keeping in view the new cooperative legislations at the national level.

He said on the recommendations of the expert committee a law was formulated. He highlighted the main provisions of the proposed legislation.

J&K to switch to unleaded petrol from January

JAMMU, Nov 25 (PTI) — Jammu and Kashmir will switch to the use of unleaded petrol from January in a bid to check vehicular pollution.

Public sector oil companies will set up two more pollution checking centres in Jammu and Srinagar increasing the number of such centres to seven in the state, Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitley said at a meeting of the Pollution Control Board here yesterday.

The meeting decided that all non-hazardous industries which do not discharge polluting effluents would be exempted from getting a ‘no objection’ certificate from the board.

Campaigns will be launched to create awareness among the people against air and water pollution, he said adding that steps would also be taken to relocate, in a phased manner, such stone crushers which were causing pollution.