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Monday,
August 11, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Hurriyat
calls for strike on August 15
Militant-police
nexus put cops under scanner College to
have 50 more MBBS seats |
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Enforcement
wing reactivated Militant
killed in custody, says Lashkar BJP
launches mass contact programme Wular to
get lease of life under project
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Hurriyat calls for strike on August 15 Srinagar, August 10 The tension in the area is palpable following a grenade explosion in the Lal Chowk here on Thursday in which two BSF men were killed and six others were injured. Such an incident had taken place for the first time after a long interval in the nerve centre of the city even though security had been increased ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. The security personnel ensure uninterrupted movement of vehicles and no roadside stopping in the area is allowed. There has also been a decline in the number of tourists, both domestic and local, around the Dal Lake area in the evening. The police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in large numbers in and around the venue of the main function. Regular checking is conducted in the surrounding areas, which have been sanitised. These measures are being taken to avert any attempts by the militants to fire rifle grenades and rockets to attack VIPs. The police and security forces have been put on full alert. Thorough checking has been intensified to prevent unscrupulous elements from sneaking into the city. The Hurriyat Conference has called for a general strike on August 15, saying that the ‘pro-freedom’ people of Kashmir were being subjected to harassment and inhuman attitude “in the name of security”. The APHC had last called for a general strike during the visit of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, on April 18. Several other separatist organisations have also expressed concern over the alleged harassment of the masses during search operations in view of the celebrations. The Muslim League, one of the APHC constituents, has expressed concern over the directives issued by the government to various schools for participation of students in large numbers in the celebrations. |
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Militant-police nexus put cops under scanner Jammu, August 10 Close to the heels of a magisterial inquiry having indicted some police personnel on their role in an incident of terrorists shooting dead a minister from point blank range, the BSF has arrested a chief coordinator of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit who was reportedly friendly with some police officers. The security forces were investigating into the growing nexus between the police and the terrorists which was fatal to restoration of peace. There were reports that the (LeT) militant had been
visiting various cyber cafes in the Kashmir valley and also had a satellite telephone. During interrogation, he also admitted that he was instrumental in looting two vans of a bank and also killing some Amarnath pilgrims at Pahalgam last year. This was not for the first time that such a nexus has been exposed in the state. The killing of a minister of the Farooq Abdullah regime by terrorists in full view of over 60 policemen who did not react by firing even a single shot had created fear among those who were enjoying the privilege of police cover. The report was learnt to have pointed out that some of the terrorists had close links with certain police personnel. A spate of killings of family members of those considered as informers of the police by terrorists, particularly in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, had raised the question as to how the militants were able to identify such persons whose names were supposed to be kept top secret by the police. Such incidents had definitely demoralised those villagers near the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan who had been brave enough to inform the police about the activities of the militants. Recent allegation by a minister that a senior police officer was behind a murderous attack on him had caused ripples in the state. However, various political parties had described the allegation as a political vendetta against the police officer. An incident had come to light of a Pakistani national having been recruited in the police force in the sensitive border district of Jammu. The recent incidents of virtual rebellion by the SPOs who remained out of their bunkers along with the arms and ammunition in the Doda district was a serious matter. However, following persuasion they returned to their duty of protecting villages from terrorist attacks. Not realising the sensitivity of the situation in this terrorism-torn state, certain leaders had reportedly been politicising the police force. Much noise had been raised on the issue of banning the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the police which was established during the regime of Dr Farooq Abdullah to tackle militancy. The PDP of Mufti Sayeed, Chief Minister, had made an election promise of banning the SOG after coming to power as there were allegations of high-handedness against the force. Not only during militancy, but even earlier also the state police force had remained a pampered lot by the successive governments. However, incidents showing nexus between the police and the militants which came to light called for a thorough de-weeding of such elements. |
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College to have 50 more MBBS seats
Srinagar, August 10 Announcing an increase of 50 seats in the MBBS course in Bemina Medical College from the next session, the Chief Minister promised that the government would soon appoint a full-time Principal and a Medical Superintendent. Interacting with faculty members of the SKIMS and Bemina Medical College Hospital at separate meetings here yesterday, Mr Sayeed said the new governing body of the institute would soon be constituted. The functioning of the prestigious institution was in a shambles and had lost its past glory, he said, adding that the government would make serious effort to provide patient care facilities of the level of the best national medical institutes. Setting at rest speculations following the taking over of the institute by the government, the Chief Minister said his government had adopted a conscientious policy of fair play and justice, without resorting to ‘witch-hunting.’ Mr Sayeed said the leading doctors of the state serving in prominent health institutions within and outside the country would be persuaded to return and help in serving the ailing people of the state. For infrastructure improvement a five-member committee of the faculty had been constituted to suggest short-term measures, which would submit its report within 15 days.
— UNI |
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Enforcement wing reactivated
Srinagar, August 10 “We are happy that tourists have started coming to Kashmir. It is the responsibility of the government as well as traders connected with the tourist trade to ensure that holidaymakers are not cheated”, Deputy Director of Tourism Enforcement Wing Abdul Hamid said. The department organised an awareness campaign in the Dal Lake to generate awareness among the dwellers engaged in tourist trade activities and instil confidence among the tourists, he said. Hamid said Rs 33,000 had been collected from the dwellers as fine for malpractices during the past two months. They were advised not to pollute the water of the world famous lake as its existence was the mainstay of their economy, he said. To provide guidance and assistance to the tourists, the department had set up posts at Jammu, Katra, Patnitop, Srinagar and Gulmarg and temporary posts at Pahalgam and Sonamarg, Hamid said. The unexpected rush of tourists, mainly domestic, has brought cheers to the houseboat owners and hoteliers as violence had shattered tourism industry. On an average 1,000 visitors, including foreigners, visit the Kashmir valley daily. Improvement in security situation and lessening of tension between India and Pakistan has improved the tourist traffic to the valley, according to officials. Tourists throng Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Mughal Gardens on the banks of the Dal Lake where the infrastructure has been improved. — PTI |
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Militant
killed in custody, says Lashkar Srinagar, August 10 A spokesman of the outfit, Abu Huzaifa told local newspaper offices here that Manzoor Choudhary, a deputy chief for the Budgam district had been “killed in custody” by the security forces. The spokesman strongly denied the charges levelled against Manzoor Choudhary. The “killing in custody” was an attempt by the police and security forces “only to save themselves”, he said. The spokesman further stated that the chief coordinator of the outfit was “safe and sound”. The DIG, BSF Frontier Headquarters, Mr K. Srinivasan, here on Friday had claimed that the militant was killed in an encounter at Bugam in Budgam district. Mr Srinivasan made several disclosures about the involvement of the militant in Akshardham temple attack, Nadimarg carnage and other major incidents in the valley. The police here have also denied the LeT claim that he had been killed in custody. |
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BJP launches mass contact programme Jammu, August 10 Highlighting the failure of the Congress and the Panthers Party in fulfilling their poll promises, the BJP’s programme has received appreciable support. During the past seven days the BJP leaders held public conventions at more than eight places, including Naushehra, Akhnoor, Khour, Nagrota, Chinore and Domana, where Dr Nirmal Singh and his party colleagues castigated the Congress and the Panthers Party for failing to remove discrimination against the people of the Jammu region with regard to the Wazir Commission recommendations, under which three more districts had to be carved out in the Jammu region. Accusing the Congress and the Panthers Party of being power hungry and continued hegemony of bureaucracy, the BJP leadership said
unemployment among the educated youth in the Jammu region was on the increase. Dr Nirmal Singh’s charge that the Mufti’s healing touch had covered only people from the Kashmir valley was greeted with cheers when he referred to the plight of the border migrants, who had been kept “out of the purview” of the healing touch policy. |
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Wular to get lease of life under project Srinagar, August 10 Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed discussed the features of the project and measures required to conserve the water body in the valley at a high-level meeting held here yesterday. He called for prioritising various components of the 10- year project formulated for the conservation of the water body, which has been declared as a site under the Ramsar convention. Mufti Sayeed said, besides funds from the Central Government, possibilities need to be explored to arrange external funding. He emphasised that the people of the adjoining areas should be made aware about the objectives of the Wular lake development project and be involved in it a big way. The Chief Minister ordered the Deputy Commissioner concerned not to allow any plantation in and around the lake. He said steps should also be taken to demarcate the area of the lake and asked the revenue, wildlife, environment and other concerned agencies to work in a coordinated manner for the purpose. He also ordered the issuing of the notification regarding the declaring of the lake as a site under the Ramsar convention. The project envisages the protection of the lake body, correct land usage and flood control strategy, proper sewage disposal, etc. A presentation on the status, management and conservation of the lake was also arranged on the occasion, highlighting the reasons for the shrinking of the lake area and steps required to restore it. |
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