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Monday,
October 14, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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NC hints at staking claim to form govt Was NC choice of candidates wrong? Farooq made NC patron Panthers Party for coalition |
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Six ultras killed in J&K Jawan shot dead Srinagar, October 13 Six militants were killed and an Army Major was among five persons injured in separate militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir where militants exploded an IED and hurled grenades at security pickets since last night.
Temple deserted after Hindus’ exodus Grade ‘A’ status for Kashmir varsity Priyadarshini award for Batote institute
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NC hints at staking claim to form govt Srinagar, October 13 The stand of the party is in contrast with the statements made by outgoing Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and NC president Omar Abdullah who had conceded defeat and had said they would not stake claim to form government. Asked whether the party was in touch with some Independents and smaller groups to gain the number required to form a government, Mr Shah said, “Political wings talk to political wings. We have not closed the doors and in politics there are always surprises.” A defeated National Conference, which has emerged as the single largest party with 28 MLAs, added a new dimension, saying that the Governor was constitutionally bound to invite it to form the government.
PTI
J&K Assembly constituted Srinagar, October 13 |
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Was NC choice of candidates wrong? Jammu, October 13 Reports have reached the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and the NC president, Mr Omar Abdullah, that three ministerial colleagues of Dr Abdullah, who were members of the Parliamentary Board, ganged up to clear ticket for their favourites. The idea, according to an NC leader, was to prop up a group of MLAs in the new House which would not allow Mr Omar Abdullah to have his say in party and government affairs, especially in picking up legislators for his proposed ministry. These ministerial colleagues, some of them having worked with Omar’s grandfather Sheikh Abdullah, had been peeved over what they suspected a major shakeup in the new council of ministers by dropping the old guards. The NC leadership attributes tickets having gone to the wrong persons and allotment of tickets to candidates not from safe Assembly segments to the defeat of the ruling party in a bigger way than the anti-incumbency factor. The NC sources cited instances in support of their contention that had the right people been given the party mandate in the right constituencies, the NC would have bagged at least 10 more seats. According to the sources, Tangmarg was not a safe seat for Dr Farooq Abdullah’s brother, Dr Mustafa Kamal, and even intelligence agencies had conveyed to the ruling party that Dr Kamal be shifted to Beerwah and the Chief Minister’s sister Suriya, be given the NC ticket for Tangmarg. The idea was scuttled, with the result Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir of the PDP defeated Dr Kamal. In Habba Kadal and Bandipore constituencies, the NC fielded two members of the Legislative Council when there were better candidates available. Mr Raman Mattoo, son-in-law of the late P.L. Handoo, Law Minister, had been the block president of the NC and he had almost begged for ticket, but the party General Secretary, Sheikh Nazir Ahmed, opted for Ms Shamima Firdous who lost to Mr Mattoo. In another instance, though the NC had received reports that the sitting MLA, Mr Ghulam Rasool Naaz, had weak chances for a win, the party could have fielded a former legislator, Mr Khalil Ahmed Jowhar. But it gave the mandate to Mr Javed Shah, MLC, and a renegade militant, allowing one Awami League candidate, Mr Usman Majid, to wrest the seat from the NC. For the NC president, Mr Omar Abdullah, the Sonawar constituency in Srinagar would have been safer, but he was fielded from Ganderbal where the wind was highly unfavourable for the NC and he lost to the PDP. The selection of wrong candidates led to the loss of Amirakadal and Chadoora seats for the NC. In Amirakadal, the NC gave the mandate to Mr Ghulam Nabi Mir when he should have been fielded from his home area of Chadoora and he lost to Mr Mahammed Shafi Bhat, who had resigned from the NC after he was not given the party ticket and fought on the Congress ticket. Has the NC fielded Hakim Mohammed Yasin, it could have bagged the Khansahib seat in Budgam district. Hakim Yasin won the seat as an independent candidate. Mistakes were committed in a similar fashion in Shangus, Kokernag and Bijebehara. In the Jammu region, the NC refused to listen to the plea of Mr Aijaz Ahmed, son of a veteran Gujjar leader, Haji Buland Khan, MLC, who had approached the NC leaders for the party ticket from the Gool Arnas constituency. He successfully contested the election as an Independent candidate. Maulvi Abdul Rashid was a strong aspirant for the NC ticket, but after he was refused ticket by the NC, he contested as an Independent candidate and defeated the NC nominee, Mr Mohammed Farooq Mir. In Darhal, the ruling party should have fielded Mr Zulfikar Ali, son of Ch Mohammed Hussain, who had won from the Darhal constituency in Rahouri district five times. Mr Zulfikar could have cashed in on the sympathy vote after his father, a minister in the Council of Ministers headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah had passed away days before the polling. The result was that an Independent candidate Mr Puran Singh won the Darhal seat. |
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Farooq made NC patron
Srinagar, October 13 The decision was taken by the party Working Committee which met here to review the post-election scenario in the state besides the reasons for the party’s debacle in the elections. This was informed by NC spokesman Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah at the end of the meeting here. “The Working Committee has appointed Dr Abdullah as the patron of the NC in view of his unforgettable contributions to the party after the demise of his father Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah,’’ Mr Shah said. He said Dr Abdullah had managed the NC in the most commendable way during all years as the party President. Dr Abdullah had relinquished his party post in favour of his son Omar Abdullah on June 23 this year. Dr Abdullah’s mother Begum Akbar Jehan was the patron of the party till her death.
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Panthers Party for coalition Jammu, October 13 This was contained in a resolution adopted by the Working Committee of the Panthers, which met here today under the chairmanship of Sardar Mushtaq Khan. It said the state would have a chance to demonstrate and strengthen Kashmiriyat and secular traditions if the coalition government was headed by a Chief Minister belonging to the minority community. Since 1947, the state had governments headed by persons belonging to the majority community and the fragmented verdict had imposed a moral duty on the political parties to facilitate the installation of a leader belonging to the minority community as the Chief Minister. The working committee supported the Panthers Party legislators’ idea of installing Dr Bhim Singh as Chief Minister with the support of the Congress, PDP and NC. |
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Former minister joins PDP Srinagar, October 13 Party vice-president Mehbooba Mufti welcomed Mr Mehmood and his supporters into the
partyfold. PTI |
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Six ultras killed in J&K Srinagar, October 13 Three militants, including two foreign mercenaries were killed and a Major injured in an encounter at Warwan village of Doda district last night, an official spokesman said today. Two local militants identified as Sajad Ahmed and Jaan Boura were killed in another gunbattle with security personnel in the Chamba Nain area of the district. Security forces gunned down a militant at Ratawajina in the Karnah sector of Kupwara district during the period. A number of arms and ammunition were seized from the slain militants. Militants fired four rifle grenades at a BSF picket at Kathidarwaza here last night but no one was injured, the spokesman said. A civilian Gulab Din was injured in an IED blast at Lassan in Surankote while one Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh sustained gunshot wounds in militant firing at Nowpora in the Sopore area of Baramula district. Militants hurled a grenade and fired on the house of a civilian Bodh Raj at Behota village in Doda district injuring him, his wife and another relative. Security forces apprehended a militant at Zalwan in the Bandipora area of the district and seized an under-barrel grenade launcher, its four cells, four grenades and an IED. They seized a pika gun and some ammunition from a hideout at Gajandhar in Udhampur, he said. Meanwhile, panic gripped the Hari Singh Street area here today after militants killed a Special Security Bureau (SSB) jawan shooting at him from point-blank range, police sources said. The jawan Amar Gangoo was shot dead when he was buying vegetables, the sources said, adding that one person was injured in the firing but his identity was yet to be ascertained. Elsewhere, militants shot at and critically injured a National Conference worker Abdul Rehman at Shopian in South Kashmir Pulwama district this evening, they said. JAMMU: Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged motar shelling for seven hours in Kargil district and small arms firing at several places along the Line of Control and international border in Jammu and Kashmir in which no casualty was reported, defence sources said on Sunday. Pakistani troops began shelling the Yaldor sector in Kargil from 5. 15 p.m. yesterday, following which Indian troops retaliated, the sources said, adding that shelling continued till 1 a.m. Small arms exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani troops along the LoC took place at Siachen glacier, Drass sector, the Tanghar area of Kupwara district, the Bhimbergali area of Poonch district and the Noushera sector of Rajouri district. Sporadic intermittent exchange of fire between the two sides took place along the international border at old/new Kanachak, Gole Pattan, Chargali, Chinor Farm, Garkhal, Pargwal and Pallanwal in Jammu district and Mangu Chak and Sadhay Chak, Regal, Chachwal, Chalarian, Khawara and Dulma Chak in Kathua district.
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Temple deserted after Hindus’ exodus Srinagar, October 13 The 5th century BC stone temple has also started looking weather-beaten because due attention is not being paid to its maintenance by the Archaeological Survey of India although it has been declared a monument of national importance. The priest of the temple, Mr Zail Singh, who belongs to the Ramban area of Jammu, said the stones of the “parikarma” were recently replaced, but nothing had been done in the main building. He said prior to beginning of militancy in the valley in 1990, there was a stream of devotees visiting the temple throughout the day but now hardly 50 to 60 persons, mostly personnel of the security forces, come to the temple to pay obeisance. The open ground in front of the temple has now been turned into a camp of the CRPF because attempts were made by miscreants to blow up the temple and the television tower nearby. The priest said there was a good rush of devotees who come to the valley for performing the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine. Some Hindus working in government offices do come to the temple on the day of Rakhi and Shivaratri. A view of every nook and corner of the town, including the Dal and the Nagin lakes, can be had from the temple premises. |
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Grade ‘A’ status for Kashmir varsity Srinagar, October 13 A spokesman said that all recognised universities of the country were required to get accredited and assessed by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) by this year-end. The University of Kashmir had submitted a self study report detailing its academic achievements, research activities and infrastructure and facilities. The NAAC had sent a nine-member committee to make an on the spot assessment of the achievements and weaknesses of the university in September, 2002. The team accredited the university of Kashmir with A grade — an institutional score from 85 to 90 per cent. The accreditation with grade A will enable the university to enter into collaboration with other institutions, both at the national and international levels. It would also facilitate greater funding for academic and research programmes being run by the university. This will improve the employment prospects for the students of the university at the global level, he asserted.
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Priyadarshini award for Batote institute Jammu, October 13 The award carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh and a memento was received by the Principal of the institute, Group Captain S.S. Puri, at a ceremony held in Bangalore recently. The institute has been established by the Ministry of Defence and the Kashmir Tourism Department for training defence personnel and civilians in mountaineering, skiing, rock climbing, para sailing and para gliding. Group Captain Puri has played a key role in preventing alpine degradation and environmental pollution by teaching the mountaineers and civilians in the area the techniques they should adopt in keeping the mountains clean. |
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