Pandits against no
work, no pay
JAMMU, Sept 7 — Panun Kashmir, a premier organisation of displaced Kashmir Hindus, has strongly decried the recent state government decision, to stop paying salary to those migrant employees who did not join duties in the valley.

Pandits against no work, no pay
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Sept 7 — Panun Kashmir, a premier organisation of displaced Kashmir Hindus, has strongly decried the recent state government decision, to stop paying salary to those migrant employees who did not join duties in the valley.

At an emergency meeting held here today under the chairmanship of Dr Agnishekhar, Convenor, Panun Kashmir adopted a resolution condemning the Chief Minister's announcement of "no work no pay" rule for migrant employees.

The resolution also blamed the central government for lending 'tacit support' to the National Conference's "hidden plan to cleanse the miniscule minority" of Kashmiri Pandits by "perpetuating blackmail of every sort on the community in exile."

Dr Agnishekhar said that by adopting coercive tactics against displaced employees the Chief Minister and the Centre were "harassing" the minority community. For the state government and the Centre were aware of the ground realities, which did no favour return of the migrants at this juncture.

He said when over three lakh Hindus, including several thousand employees fled the valley in 1990 they had not done it out of choice. Migration had been forced upon them when militants started targeting members of the minority community.

He expressed pain over the plan and said no attempt had been made to discuss the issue with representative bodies.

Dr Agnishekhar said displaced Hindus were ready to settle in a separate homeland within the valley, which would have union territory status.

Panun Kashmir pledged to fight the government's policy of "blackmail" and observer martyrs day on September 14 as a protest day.

2 soldiers hurt in rocket attack
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Sept 7 — At least 12 Indian Army vehicles were damaged and two soldiers wounded when pro-Pak Hizbul Mujahideen rebels launched a rocket attack on the divisional headquarters of the 14th Engineering Regiment of the Indian Army in the border town of Rajouri, 177 km west of Jammu on Sunday night.

The Defence Ministry officials confirmed that at least 10 rockets were fired.

The police said that the entire town was rocked with the firing when most of the people, including Indian troops, had gone to sleep.

The Indian troops have cordoned off the hilly belts overlooking headquarters to flush out rebels who are said to have fired the rockets from the alpine forest belts.

PTI adds: A self-styled platoon commander of outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen has been arrested from Karfali Mohalla in downtown Srinagar early on Monday, a BSF spokesman said in Srinagar.

Nazir Ahmad Bhat alias Fayaz, a resident of Chota Bazar of interior Srinagar, was arrested by BSF troops following a tip off, the spokesman said.

Terming the arrest of Bhat as a "prize catch", the spokesman said he had been evading arrest for the past eight years after getting arms training in Pakistan.

During interrogations, Bhat confessed that he had taken part in several murderous attacks on security forces in Srinagar since 1990.

Besides 25 rounds of ammunition, two packets of yellow explosive, two audio-cassettes of Islamic propaganda and a diary were recovered from the militant, the spokesman said.

SRINAGAR (UNI): At least five persons, including a special police officer (SPO), were killed in militancy-related incidents and a woman injured in heavy shelling from across the border on Indian positions in the Poonch and Keran sectors during the past 24 hours.

Official sources told UNI that militants shot dead a PSO at Vacharnag this afternoon near a workshop.

Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing on Indian forward positions in the Degwar-Terwan areas of the Poonch sector last evening. Mrs Manyerna Bi, wife of Zakir Hussain was injured by a bullet fired by the Pakistani troops.

Pakistani troops also resorted to unprovoked artillery and mortar shelling in the Keran sector in north Kashmir from across the border last evening. However, there was no report of any casualty or damage to property in the region.

The spokesman said one militant, Mohammad Ashraf Makanji, who was injured in a shootout at Ongam Bandipora recently succumbed to injuries in the hospital last night.

He said unidentified militants shot dead Ghulam Nabi Malik at village Kupwara, while body of Abdul Kabir Dar, who was abducted by militants recently was recovered at Katha village in Anantnag this morning.

Militants entered the house of Abdul Hamid, a chowkidar in Darhal village and shot him dead last night.

The Jammu and Kashmir police and security forces captured eight militants and recovered arms and ammunition.

At least five powerful blasts rocked Drass area, about 60 km from Kargil in the Ladakh region today.

Five powerful improvised explosive devices exploded between Matayan and Drass road around 8.30 a.m. while an Army convoy was crossing the area.

However, he said there was no report of any loss of life.

Official sources said one vehicle was slightly damaged in the blast.