J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Auqaf Chairman, 4  others killed
SRINAGAR, Jan 8 — Jenab Sahib Soura Auqaf Committee Chairman Mohammad Akbar Wani was killed by unidentified gunmen at Soura in the afternoon while at least two security personnel were killed and two others, including an officer, injured in a militant attack at Sheenthan in north Kashmir today.

• High alert at Jammu, Srinagar airports

Indian paramilitary troopers escort Farooq Ahmad (3rd R) and Mohammad Saleem (2nd L) at a police station in Srinagar on January 7, 2001. Police said that Farooq, a militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba, was involved in a large number militant related incidents in Srinagar while Saleem was helping Farooq conduct militant activities in the area. A large quantity of arms and ammunitions were recovered from them, police added. Reuters/Fayaz Kabli photo

Jammu panchayat poll schedule notified
JAMMU, Jan 8 — The Chief Electoral Officer, who is the election authority for panchayat elections has issued the poll schedule for the panchayat election 2001 for blocks of Jammu district.

ABVP men gherao Health Minister
JAMMU, Jan 8 — Activists of the ABVP, led by its secretary, Mr Romesh Puppa, held a demonstration and gheraoed the Health Minister, Mian Altaf Ahmed, within the premises of the Jammu University today.

Open Baramula road to Pak: Mufti
SRINAGAR, Jan 8 — Describing the unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir as a “breakthrough and not mere tactics”, former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has sought the opening of Baramula road to PoK and free movement of people on both sides of the Line of Control.

Auqaf Chairman, 4  others killed

SRINAGAR, Jan 8 (UNI) — Jenab Sahib Soura Auqaf Committee Chairman Mohammad Akbar Wani was killed by unidentified gunmen at Soura in the afternoon while at least two security personnel were killed and two others, including an officer, injured in a militant attack at Sheenthan in north Kashmir today.

Elsewhere in the valley, two securitymen were among five persons killed since last evening.

An official spokesman told UNI that unidentified militants shot at and critically wounded Mr Wani at Buchpora Chowk in the downtown city at about 2.10 p.m.

Mr Wani, also one of the trustees of Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Auqaf Trust headed by Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, later died in the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura before doctors could attend on him.

Mr Wani, believed to be close to ruling National Conference, became a trustee of the Auqaf trust immediately after Dr Abdullah assumed office in 1996. Earlier, the All-Party Hurriyat Conference dominated the trust from 1990 till 1996.

Jenab Sahib Soura shrine houses the relic of Prophet Mohammad, which is displayed on special occasions.

A Defence Ministry spokesman told UNI that two security personnel were killed on the spot and two others, including an Army Major, injured when militants attacked an area-dominating party of security forces with automatic weapons early in the morning in sector V of Sheenthan.

Official sources said the injured were later admitted to an Army hospital.

A jawan was killed and another injured when suspected foreign mercenaries attacked a security force post at Dardpora in north Kashmir last evening.

The exchange of fire between the militants and security forces continued for about half an hour. However, the militants escaped to escape.

A joint patrol party of the Jammu and Kashmir police special operation group and the Army killed a foreign militant Khalil-ur-Rehman in an encounter at Wayloo in south Kashmir district of Anantnag last evening. One AK rifle, two grenades and a damaged wireless set were seized.

The beheaded body of Khazir Mohammad, who was kidnapped last evening by militants from his house at Panzalpora, was recovered this morning from nearby fields, the spokesman said.

A security jawan, who was injured in a mine blast on Khag road in central Kashmir yesterday, died in hospital. The condition of four other security personnel, including a JCO, was stated to be critical.

Dilshada, who was critically wounded in the grenade blast near Iqbal Market at Sopore in Baramula district yesterday, also died in hospital.

Meanwhile the vehicle, which was used by five Fidayeen of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba to unsuccessfully enter the high security Srinagar airport yesterday afternoon, was found abandoned at the bypass on Monday.

Official said the police had seized the vehicle and summoned the owner and driver of the vehicle.

JAMMU (PTI): Militants shot at and injured Bashir Ahmad, a panchayat poll candidate in Doda district last night and attacked several pickets in the Jammu region, official sources said here on Monday.

Jammu panchayat poll schedule notified
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 8 — The Chief Electoral Officer, who is the election authority for panchayat elections has issued the poll schedule for the panchayat election 2001 for blocks of Jammu district.

The filing of nomination papers for elections to panchayats in Samba, Vijaypura, Bishnah and Purmandal blocks shall begin from January and will continue for three working days — 1 January 10, January 11 and January 13. The date for scrutiny has been fixed on January 15 while the last date for the withdrawal of candidature will be January 17. The polling in these blocks will be on February.

For Satwari, RS Pura, Dansal and Bhalwal blocks of the Jammu district, the nomination papers can be filed on January 15, January 16 January 17 (three working day) while the scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on January 18. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature for these blocks will be January 20. The following will be held on February 4.

The dates for filing nomination papers for Marh, Khour and Akhnoor blocks shall be on January 18, January 19 and January 20 while the scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on January 22. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature for these blocks will be January 24 and the polling in these blocks will be February.

ABVP men gherao Health Minister
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Jan 8 — Activists of the ABVP, led by its secretary, Mr Romesh Puppa, held a demonstration and gheraoed the Health Minister, Mian Altaf Ahmed, within the premises of the Jammu University today.

The demonstrators were protesting against the admission of 54 students belonging to a private and unrecognised medical college in two government medical colleges in Srinagar and Jammu. These 54 students belonged to the first batch of the private medical college.

The ABVP activists shouted anti-government slogans and gheraoed the Vice-Chancellor too. The angry demonstrators smashed the doors and windowpanes of several buildings in the university.

The gherao ended only after the Health Minister assured the demonstrators that the issue would be discussed with them in the Civil Secretariat.

The ABVP protesters alleged that senior functionaries of the state government and the rulling National Conference had charged several lakhs of rupees from these students to regularise their irregular admission.

Mr Romesh Puppa said that even the guidelines and rules framed by the Medical Council of India had been violated by giving backdoor admission to students belonging to a private college.

The ABVP announced that its activists would disrupt the work in Government Medical College and the Civil Secretariat if the admission of these students was not cancelled. It expressed deep resentment over the way students from the Kashmir valley had been adjusted in Jammu Medical College in the MBBS course when meritorious candidates from the Jammu region had been left out.

Open Baramula road to Pak: Mufti
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Jan 8 — Describing the unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir as a “breakthrough and not mere tactics”, former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has sought the opening of Baramula road to PoK and free movement of people on both sides of the Line of Control.

Addressing mediapersons at his Nowgam residence this afternoon, the former Union Home Minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said people on both sides of Kashmir be allowed to move across like through Wagah border. He said Kashmir had been a bone of contention for 53 years between the two countries, adding that the ceasefire and related developments “should be a catalyst for reconciliation.”

The Mufti appealed all militant organisations operating in Jammu and Kashmir to extend positive response “for the restoration of peace with dignity and honour” in the trouble-torn state. He urged the Indian Government to issue passports to all leaders of All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and allow them to visit Pakistan to meet the leadership there. “The ceasefire is a means to an end.... and now modalities have to be worked out so that people are informed about” what is in store for them”, he said. He said when APHC leaders were allowed to visit Pakistan, “then problem can be solved through evolutionary process”.

The Mufti said the fate of Kashmir would finally be decided by Kashmiris only. He however, denied that he favoured the “right of self-determination” like the APHC. He said the Prime Minister Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s offer of ceasefire was on the basis of “peoples’ feeling”, adding that Pakistan’s response was also “positive”.

“It is a transition phase now. Unless there is a positive response from the militants, peace cannot be restored”, the Mufti said. He appealed to all local and foreign militant organisations to understand that people wanted peace.

Earlier, a day-long convention of the executive members and functionaries of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), hailed the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s initiative on Kashmir. Reaffirming its support to the Government of India’s declared policy of dialogue and subsequent positive measures, the PDP convention favoured a dialogue with a view to finding a just and equitable solution to the problem by addressing its fundamentals.