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Tuesday,
September 16, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Mufti condemns Kukka Parray’s
killing Let Mufti decide on
Zargar, says Cong Break govt-militant nexus, BJP urges
Governor Bhim Singh asks Sonia to call meeting of alliance
partners |
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J&K gateway to get
facelift Protest held against custodial
death Mountaineering institute to be
shifted 3 killed, 25 hurt as vehicle rolls into
gorge
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Mufti condemns Kukka Parray’s
killing Srinagar, September 15 In a message, the Chief Minister said militants should realise that killings would not take the state anywhere except shedding blood in a senseless manner. He said Kukka Parray was a political leader who was in the Assembly for six years. He said militants should leave the gun and join others in addressing the problems of people. The Minister for Finance and Planning, Mr Muzaffer Hussain Baig and Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Gulam Hassan Mir, yesterday visited the residence of Awami League president Mohammad Yusuf Parray, alias Kukka Parray, to offer their condolence to the bereaved family. Parray was shot dead alongwith his three associates at his home village Hiajan on Saturday. JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Awami League on Monday said the killing of Kukka Parray was a setback to the democratic, secular and “Kashmiri” identity of the people of the state. “Parray had boldly articulated the longings of the suffering masses of Kashmir to be known for what they truly are — a progressive and liberal polity and not surrogates or mindless slaves. His death will embolden the politics of cultural servitude,” JKAL founder leader S.K. Tickoo said here in a statement. “It is but natural for his killing to have been the handiwork of non-Kashmiri mercenary terrorists masquerading as so called fidayeen and part of the blame must be shared by the Mufti government,” he said. |
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Kuka Parray’s aide shot dead Srinagar, September 15 Elsewhere in the state, four persons, including a village defence committee (VDC) member, were killed, a VDC member was kidnapped and four militants were apprehended since last evening. Babar, a top counter-insurgent activist of Kuka Parray’s Ikhwan outfit, was gunned down by the militants at Janglat Mandi, an official spokesman said. He said the militants took away the AK rifle of Babar, a resident of Chaklipora-Chittergul in Anantnag. Militants killed VDC member Yog Raj and kidnapped another in Doda district last night, the spokesman said. He said a militant was killed in an encounter with security forces at Chanj-Loo top at Banihal in Doda district. The spokesman said a civilian, who was caught in cross-fire between militants and security forces, was killed in the Puthkhah area in Baramula district. Residents alleged the 22-year-old man was shot dead by security forces while he was taking his cattle for grazing last night. Carrying the youth’s body, they took to the streets and blocked traffic on the Srinagar-Baramula highway demanding action against security personnel. A defence spokesman, however, said the civilian was killed when militants fired at an Army patrol in the Puthkhah area. Giving details, he said three militants in a Tata Sumo, on way from Sopore to Srinagar, took a different route when they saw an Army patrol. They abandoned the Sumo, hijacked a villager’s car and tried to escape from the area. But on seeing an Army patrol coming towards them, the militants fired at it resulting in the death of a civilian and injuries to a jawan, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, the police and the Border Security Force arrested two militants of the pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen from Pulwama district and seized some arms and ammunition from them, a BSF spokesman said today. Mohammad Ayub Reshi and Bashir Ahmad Lawey were arrested on Sunday from the Tral area of Pulwama district, he said and added that one AK 47 rifle, a pistol, two shells of UBGL, one RPG, a pouch, two electric detonators, four IED switches besides 10 kg of explosives and 5 kg of IED material was seized from them. Jammu: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday averted a mjor tragedy by seizing 10 kg of RDX in Dhampur district, while troops busted two hideouts and arrested an activist in Doda and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here on Monday. BSF troops launched a search operation, on specific information about the presence of militants in the Sahibgarh area on the Chinani-Sudhmadev road in Udhampur district on Monday, they said. During searches, troops seized 10 kg of RDX from the area, the sources said and added the RDX was to be used in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to target the security force vehicles in the area. A police constable was injured when militants opened indiscriminate firing on a police post in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir last night, official sources said here on Monday. A group of militants opened heavy firing on the police post at Nadvali (Marhote) in Poonch hills on Sunday night, the sources said. The police deployed at the post retaliated and in the exchange of fire, a police constable Mohammad Hanief was injured and later hospitalised, they said. —
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Let Mufti decide on Zargar, says Cong Jammu, September 15 The Deputy Chief Minister and senior Congress leader, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, said Zargar had always been a nationalist and it was for the Central Government and its agencies to state whether or not he was innocent in the Akshardham case. “Mr Zargar is a member of the PDP and it is for the Chief Minister to decide on his fate,” he said. On the allegation by another coalition ally Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh that more ministers in the Mufti government had links with terrorists, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “If he has knowledge, he should tell the alliance for true action to be taken.” He also denied that the PDP was “pro-militant,” and said that a large number of terrorists had been killed under the coalition government. —
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Break govt-militant nexus, BJP urges
Governor Jammu, September 15 In a statement here, Mr Hari Om, spokesman for the BJP, said the Centre should also act ro retrieve the situation by removing a “militant friendly” government. He warned that the failure on the part of the Governor to take cognisance of the fast-deteriorating environment in the state and ignore the “misdeeds” of the PDP- led coalition anymore would be fraught with dangerous ramifications. The BJP urged the people to come forward and join its ongoing crusade against those who were exploiting their political position to help the militants and fundamentalists. The political situation in the state had now climaxed to a point that the ISI saboteurs and their followers were conducting their anti-India activities all over Jammu and Kashmir with utmost ease and causing irreparable damage to the state polity and civil society. The law and order apparatus had collapsed and feeling helpless due to an indifferent attitude of the healing touch dispensation to the gory and terrorist related incidents, he alleged. Mr Hari Om alleged that what was serious was that restrictions had been imposed on the Army and the para-military forces by the Mufti-led government under the garb of the so-called human rights and peace with dignity slogans. He alleged that certain ministers provided shelter to the terrorists who attacked the Akshardham temple in Gujarat. This had been revealed by a terrorist during his interrogation. |
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Bhim Singh asks Sonia to call meeting of alliance
partners Jammu, September 15 Mr Bhim Singh, who was talking to mediapersons here, accused the Mufti-led government of having miserably failed to create a sense of security among the common people. Counter insurgents like Kukka Parray and Javed Shah, who played a leading role in fighting the Pakistan ISI-sponsored terrorism, had been shot dead in the past fortnight. Although both of them were on the hit list of terrorists, but the state government scealed down their security. They had fallen prey to the “healing touch” policy of the Mufti government. He said the meeting of the coordination committee should be convened by Ms Gandhi before the situation went out of hand. The Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed, and the Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Beig, should also be invited to the meeting. Mr Bhim Singh said only the ruling PDP activists had been provided a proper security cover whereas leaders of the other coalition partners, including the Congress and the Panthers Party, were unable to move around in the interior areas as their security had either been withdrawn or considerably scaled down. He said they agreed to the CMP in the hope that the democratic process would be initiated. Providing security to the people was one of the major points in the document which was signed in the presence of Ms Gandhi. |
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J&K gateway to get
facelift Lakhanpur(Kathua), September15 The plan provides for a pleasing environment in place of the unhygienic and stinking area that one faces soon after entering the J&K territory from Pathankot in Punjab. An artificial lake, restaurants, kiosks, a trauma centre and a sales tax plaza are among the amenities that will be provided here. The proposal to develop this gateway was initiated sometime in the early 1990s, but no work has been undertaken in this direction so far. The Finance Minister, Mr Muzaffar Beig, has said Rs.25 crore will be spent for developing the area as a tourist spot and giving a people-friendly look to the entry point. A mini-museum and a handicrafts shop will also be set up here. There will be computerised bay windows and separate channels for trucks and buses. Motorists will follow different channels for entering the state. The project has been designed by Mr B.V. Sharma, an architect. It is proposed to set up a veterinary unit of the Sheep Husbandry Department to check the inflow of diseased cattle. A shelter for truck drivers will also be provided. A trauma centre is proposed to be constructed to provide immediate treatment to victims of accidents on the highway. The banks of the river Ravi will be developed by constructing a protection bundh 500 metres long. |
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Protest held against custodial death Srinagar, September 15 The demonstrators alleged that Tahir Ahmad Peer was arrested by the security forces last week and killed in custody. They said the youth was innocent. They raised slogans against the security forces and demanded a probe into the incident. However, officials said the youth was killed in an explosion during a search operation. Traffic resumed on the highway after the district authorities assured that the incident would be investigated. —
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Mountaineering institute to be
shifted Srinagar, September 15 The Jawahar institute, founded in 1983 at Aru, was shifted to Batote in 1990 due to turmoil in the Valley. In 1997, it stopped many of its activities. Even the previous meeting of its executive council was held in 1997. Mufti Sayeed insisted on full revival of the institute and said the state government would give over 100 acres of land at Aru for the re-establishment of the institution. As shifting to Aru was dependent on creation of infrastructure, it was decided that for the time being it would be shifted to Pahalgam and conduct its activities from there, an official spokesman said. A four-member group was set up to finalise the construction plan of its building at Aru that would harmonise with the environment of the area, the Chief Minister said. The institute was also asked to coordinate its activities with the Jammu and Kashmir Directorate of Youth Services and Sports so that students of the state could benefit from its adventure courses. It was decided that the institute would undertake all courses, including skiing and winter sports, in the Pahalgam and the Aru areas. The courses planned for the institute include a 26-day basic and advanced mountaineering course, a 15-day adventure course and a 20-day rescue course, skiing, a seven-day exposure course, a 15-day skiing certificate course and a 15-day skiing intermediate and advanced course. The Chief Minister said shifting the mountaineering institute to Aru would itself create a lot of tourist activity. |
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3 killed, 25 hurt as vehicle rolls into gorge Jammu, September 15 A Matador on its way from Poonch to Chandok rolled 90 feet into a gorge at Kazi Mohra, 2km from Poonch. Three passengers died on the spot and 25 others were injured. The injured have been shifted to the district hospital at Poonch. A rescue operation is also on. —
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Lakhanpur(Kathua), September15
