J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Mufti against permit system
for Ladakh
Srinagar, August 18
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has assured the people of Nobra in Ladakh that he will take up with the Prime Minister and Defence Minister matter relating to abolishing of the existing system of inner-line area permit for tourists to visit certain beautiful places in the region.

Top Harkat militant killed
Srinagar, August 18
At least 13 persons, including eight militants, were killed and six others injured in separate incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday. The police here said five militants, including a commander of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Gajnatop, Sildhar in Udhampur district yesterday.
Video (28k, 56k)

Mohammed Yousaf (left) sits besides an armed policeman inside a jeep in Katra, north-east of Jammu, on Sunday. The police said it had nabbed the prime suspect responsible for the Kara bomb blasts on July 21. — Reuters photo

Mufti against permit system for Ladakh
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 18
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has assured the people of Nobra in Ladakh that he will take up with the Prime Minister and Defence Minister matter relating to abolishing of the existing system of inner-line area permit for tourists to visit certain beautiful places in the region.

While addressing a function organised to felicitate him and some of his Cabinet colleagues on their first visit to Nobra yesterday, the Chief Minister said the far-flung area in Ladakh region had high tourist potential.

The Chief Minister said he would take up the matter during the ensuing inter-state council meeting in Srinagar later this month. He said while the issue of dispensing with the inner-line permit system would be pursued to the logical end, the administration must ensure that such permits were issued expeditiously without any bureaucratic delay. The issue was raised by the locals who sought Chief Minister’s intervention.

Mufti Sayeed said while his government was seeking opening of borders at Suchetgarh and Uri to facilitate visits of people on both sides, similarly border should be opened with China from Ladakh on the North-East pattern for trade.

Referring to the tourism potential in the region, the Chief Minister said besides the Nunkun and K-2 peaks, the area leading to the Siachen glacier was ideal for trekking and other adventure tourist activities. Once the restrictions on the visits of tourists without permits in the area were removed, the region could expect good tourist traffic.

The Chief Minister said he would take up the matter with the Centre for formulating a multi-crore mega project to train the Shoik river in the area.

The Chief Minister announced a special dispensation of Rs 1 crore to the LAHDC, Leh, for improving the infrastructural facilities in Nobra. He announced a higher secondary school for Diskit and said another higher secondary school would be set up at a mutually agreed site between Turtuk and Bogdang. 

Top Harkat militant killed
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 18
At least 13 persons, including eight militants, were killed and six others injured in separate incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

The police here said five militants, including a commander of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Gajnatop, Sildhar in Udhampur district yesterday. An Army jawan was also injured in the incident. Those killed were identified as Tamoor Hyder, commander of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami, Masud-ul-Haq, Hyder Ali, Zubair-ul-Islam and Rizvi Ahmad. Four AK rifles, 595 rounds, 16 magazines, 11 grenades, two wireless sets, eight hand grenades were found from the site.

Three persons, including a militant, a security force jawan and a civilian, were killed in an encounter at Arah, Kulgam, in Anantnag district yesterday. Three others, including two security force personnel and a civilian, were injured in the incident, a police spokesman said.

A foreign militant of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Surankote area of Poonch district yesterday. One woman, Shah Begum, was injured in the encounter.

A militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit was killed when he tried to enter the house of a village defence committee member at Dalhouri in Rajouri district yesterday. The member resisted and effectively retaliated killing the militant on the spot, police here said. One wireless set and 10 pencil cells were found on the slain militant.

Unidentified militants shot dead Shariefuddin, (44) at Ghambir Mughlan in Rajouri district on Saturday night, police here said.

The police recovered the bullet-ridden body of Hans Raj from Bhim Rakhi Nullah in Doda district. While the body of Bashir Ahmad Magray was recovered from forest area of Gowas in the Acchhabal area of Anantnag district today.

Holiday in J&K tomorrow
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 18
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has declared the holiday on account of Janamashtami on August 20. Earlier, the holiday had been announced for August 19, an official spokesman said.