Move to revive Pak NSC
JAMMU, Nov 26 — Senior officers of Pakistan armed forces, including four corps commanders are said to have revived the idea of setting up national security council so that the civil administration had the direct backing and assistance in resolving social, economic and political maladies that have afflicted Pakistan endangering its internal security.

8 militants arrested
SRINAGAR, Nov 26 — Eight militants were held in Jammu and Kashmir, where ultras killed one person and made unsuccessful attacks on security pickets and patrols since last evening, according to official spokesman.

166 entrepreneurs get Rs 4 crore loan
JAMMU, Nov 26 — The State Financial Corporation has sanctioned loans amounting to Rs 9 crore to 201 entrepreneurs and disbursed Rs 4 crore to 166 entrepreneurs during the first seven months of the current financial year.

Move to revive Pak NSC
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 26 — Senior officers of Pakistan armed forces, including four corps commanders are said to have revived the idea of setting up national security council so that the civil administration had the direct backing and assistance in resolving social, economic and political maladies that have afflicted Pakistan endangering its internal security.

Reports reaching here from across the border said the Prime Minister, Mr Nawaz Sharif, had been upset over the way the demand for allowing the armed forces’ direct involvement in running the country’s administration through the national security council has gained ground in the higher echelons of the army. Mr Sharif had to ease out Gen Jehangir Karamat, the Army Chief, for his statement favouring setting up national security council in which representatives from the armed forces could have a say in the management of the country’s internal and external problems.

The reports said that notwithstanding assurance given to Mr Nawaz Sharif by the Army Chief Gen Parvez Musharaff, that the armed forces have no desire to step in for tackling social, economic and political ills that plague Pakistan, senior Army functionaries have restarted their exercise of mounting pressure on the Pakistan Government to establish a national security council. Several retired Army Generals too have voiced their favour for the council after they blamed the civil government for its failure to check ethnic bloodshed, economic crisis and political intrigues leading to internal crisis.

According to these reports, senior Army functionaries enraged over the way Mr Sharif forced Gen Karamat to hang his boots have started manifesting their displeasure by demanding establishment of the national security council and by casting strong aspersions on the failure of the Nawaz Sharif Government to check ethnic disorder, economic distress and criminalisation of politics.

Observers here are of the opinion that the revival of the demand for setting up national security council is aimed at preventing Mr Nawaz Sharif from tightening his grip on the armed forces with the help of Gen Parvez Musharaff and at discouraging him in implementing his plan of forcing stiff-necked corps commanders and other senior Army officers to resign. It is aimed at pressurising Pak Prime Minister to desist from resorting to supersession in the higher echelons of the armed forces as had been done while asking Gen Karamat to resign.

According to these observers, the Army has immediate plan of stepping in and to take in hand the reigns of the government because senior Army officers are aware of the current mess which has shrouded Pakistan. It is believed that if the armed forces venture to place Pakistan once again under the military rule it could create an awkward and difficult position for the Army in a situation in which Pakistan is yet to come out of the economic crisis created by economic sanctions imposed by the USA and the IMF.

Reports said it is out of a tussle between the government headed by Mr Nawaz Sharif and a section of senior Army functionaries that Pakistan had to remain content with what is called skeleton winter Army exercise that are underway across the Shakargarh sector. These reports said men of one brigade have been asked to take part in these exercises in which the troops have not moved heavy weaponry, including tanks and anti-aircraft guns close to the border.

Another report said that the Pakistan army has distanced itself from the infiltration and arms smuggling plan of the ISI. The ISI sleuths have, on their own, brought several groups of militants including foreign mercenaries across Poonch, Rajouri, Kupwara and Uri sectors for being pushed into Jammu and Kashmir. The report said that the Pak soldiers on duty have conveyed to the ISI that giving fire cover to the militants infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir was no longer fruitful. They have informed the ISI that such a plan had proved counter productive after the Indian troops retaliated with Bofors guns, small range missiles and artillery fire in which more than 100 bunkers across Kupwara and Kargil had been destroyed and scores of Pak soldiers had been killed.

According to these reports, senior Army functionaries have refused to allow regular Pak soldiers to be sent into Jammu and Kashmir for assisting the militants in giving teeth to the ongoing anti-India armed campaign on the plea that scores of their soldiers had been killed in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months after Indian security forces launched an offensive against insurgents.

8 militants arrested

SRINAGAR, Nov 26 (PTI) — Eight militants were held in Jammu and Kashmir, where ultras killed one person and made unsuccessful attacks on security pickets and patrols since last evening, according to official spokesman.

Three militants, Mohammad Ashraf Bhat — an arms dump holder of Hizbul Mujahideen, Shabir Ahmad Kawa — a self-styled group commander of Harkat-ul-Ansar and Sajad Ahmad Wani of Lashkar-e-Toiba were arrested today from different areas of the city, he said.

Two more ultras were arrested at Ajar-Bandipora in Kashmir and Cheerhar-Kishtwar in the Jammu region, the spokesman said, adding that three suspected militants were nabbed at Nowhatta and Rainawari areas of interior Srinagar for interrogation.

One person, who was among the 11 injured in yesterday’s grenade explosion at the house of National Conference Block President Abdul Khaliq Dar at Jaggerpora-Handwara in Kupwara district today succumbed to his injuries at a hospital here, he said. The dead was identified as Ghulam Hassan Sheikh.

A Pakistani soldier was killed across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector in a heavy exchange of fire with Indian troops yesterday, Defence officials said here today.

Pakistani troops resorted to heavy firing on forward Indian posts of Keri, Jhangar, Kalal, Sarla and Noushera in Rajouri and Poonch sectors since yesterday to early this morning, officials said.

The Pakistani soldier was killed during the firefight opposite the Keri post in the Poonch sector, they said.

166 entrepreneurs get Rs 4 crore loan
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Nov 26 — The State Financial Corporation (SFC) has sanctioned loans amounting to Rs 9 crore to 201 entrepreneurs and disbursed Rs 4 crore to 166 entrepreneurs during the first seven months of the current financial year.

The loans have been sanctioned and disbursed to so many persons after a gap of seven years which indicates that the industrial climate in the state has started picking up.

This information was given to the Finance Minister, Mr Mohammad Shafi, who is also the chairman of corporation at a meeting with the Managing Director and other functionaries of the corporation.

Under the rehabilitation-cum-settlement scheme the corporation approved relief to the extent of Rs 18.06 crores by waiving off penal, compound and additional interest charged in loan accounts.

In addition 50 per cent of the simple interest was kept in recoverable head till the time the Central and State Governments announce some package of relief for the industrial sector in the state. The balance amount so payable has been rescheduled and would now be repayable in 20 equally monthly instalments. The scheme is in operation till December 31, 1998.

Under the one time settlement scheme launched by the corporation earlier, 716 loan accounts have been provided relief to the extent of Rs 7.43 crore. The corporation had been able to recover an amount of Rs 11.12 crore under this scheme.