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Farooq’s rallies attract crowds Follow
Punjab Police example, Mufti
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Militants may step up activities Pak shelling
in Rajouri BSF committed to stamping out militancy
from Kashmir Army builds road to link remote villages Heroin worth
1 crore seized from truck
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Farooq’s rallies attract crowds Jammu, October 21 According to the National Conference Provincial President, Mr Ajay Sadhotra, Dr Abdullah has “started detailed discussions with party legislators and other leaders in order to enable him to chalk out a strategy for reviving the National Conference in the state.” The failure of the PDP-Congress government to tackle unemployment, the anti-encroachment drive and high power tariff are said to be factors that have smoothened the road for the NC to emerge as a main opposition force. Though a section of senior NC leaders were for reinstalling Dr Abdullah as the party President, they were silenced when the former Chief Minister appreciated the role his son, Mr Omar Abdullah, performed in keeping the NC flock together during a critical period. Supporters of Mr Omar Abdullah have conveyed to Dr Farooq that had not Mr Omar as President of the party toured various areas of the state during the past six months, the National Conference would have lost ground for good. A senior NC leader told this correspondent that for the time being there was no plan of installing Dr Abdullah as the party President. Instead, Dr Abdullah would formulate a long-term plan for the organisation to set its house in order under the leadership of Mr Omar Abdullah. Supporters of the National Conference admit that “the only hurdle in our progress is the non-controversial image of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who continues to receive support from the people.” |
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Punjab Police example, Mufti tells cops Srinagar, October 21 He said the police had to play a role similar to the Punjab Police to restore complete peace and normalcy in the state. Speaking on the occasion of the Police Commemoration Day parade at the Armed Police Complex, Zewan, near here, this morning, the Director-General of Police, Mr Gopal Sharma, paid rich tributes to 110 police personnel in the state and 990 throughout the country who laid down their lives between September last and August this year. Floral wreaths were laid on the memorial by the Chief Minister and the DGP. The Chief Minister, in his address, said the police and security forces had exhibited utmost restrain and discipline while tackling the situation and safeguarded civilians. Referring to the recent attack on his residence here and the hostage drama by militants in a village in Pulwama yesterday, the Mufti said the police and security forces exhibited utmost restrain and patience, adding that safety and security of the common man was paramount. The Mufti said situation in the valley had changed a lot with the people’s desire for peace as they were the “fountainhead of power”. There was a need to deal with the people in a proper way. The people wanted peace as they had suffered immensely during the past 14 years of militancy. He said the people desired peace but not peace with silence of a graveyard. They wanted peace with dignity and honour. Lauding the role of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Chief Minister asked the DGP to encourage dedicated police personnel through promotions by relaxing rules. He said the basic qualification for recruitment as constables in the state police was being increased to the matriculation level to make the force peoplefriendly as it was the constable who faced people everyday. |
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Militants may step up activities Jammu, October 21 In fact the recent militant strike near the Kashmir Chief Minister’s official residence in Srinagar was part of the strategy evolved at the convention where emphasis was laid, by the its chief, Mohammad Hafiz
Syeed, on intensifying the ongoing “Jehad” in Jammu and Kashmir. According to field reports, after the
Jash-e-Mohammad rebel outfit suffered reverses following the killing of Gazi Baba and busting of 12 hideouts from where large quantities of arms and ammunition were recovered by the security forces in recent weeks, the activists of
Laskhar-e-Toiba have been under pressure from agencies across the border to step up the level of violence in the troubled state. In this connection the activists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba have set up bases in various parts of the state, including the city of Srinagar, for carrying out multidimensional operations against the security forces and against pro-India elements. Official sources confirmed reports that to enlarge the manpower and weaponry system for Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit agencies across the border have brought thousands of militants on the launching pads across Poonch, Rajouri, Gulmarg, Kupwara and Uri sectors. Their plan is to push in as many militants as possible before the border routes got buried under deep snow after a couple of months. Official sources said that activists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba have assumed the command of “Jehad” after dissensions in the
Jash-e-Mohammad in Pakistan have brought Jash chief, Maulana Masood
Azhar, in conflict with his rivals. At the sametime official agencies in Pakistan have started helping the activists of the
Jash-e-Mohammad by equipping them with latest weapons and high grade explosives. |
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Pak shelling in Rajouri Jammu, October 21 Targeting forward defence locations and fencing areas, Pakistani troops fired more than 150 82-mm mortar bombs and light artillery shells in Bhawani, Kalsian, Laam, Jhangar and Rumlidhara areas of the sector from 8 p.m. yesterday to today early morning, the sources said, adding Indian troops also retaliated. However, there was no report of any loss or damage on Indian side while casualty or damage on the other side, if any, could not be ascertained, they said. Pak troops from across the Line of Control have been targeting areas in Nowshera with the object of disturbing fencing work and also to push in armed militants, the sources said. Pakistani troops also continued overnight small arms fire in areas of the RS Pura sector of Jammu district targeting fencing in that area, they said. Two civilians were hurt and three houses were partially damaged when Pakistani troops resorted to heavy artillery fire on the border villages and Indian posts in Poonch sector today. Five border villages, including Digwar, Kalsa, Malti and Ajot witnessed heavy artillery firing between 9 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. Later there was sporadic firing from across the LoC. Official sources said that the men of the Poonch Brigade “retaliated suitably” damaging more than five Pakistani bunkers. Eyewitness accounts said that labourers engaged in raising the fence on the LoC, fled to safer places with the result work on the project got stalled for several hours. The official reports said that yesterday the Pakistani troops resorted to heavy mortar shelling in the border villages of Mendhar sector but there was no casualty on this side of the border. |
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BSF committed to stamping out militancy New Delhi, October 21 “Today, if peace is returning to the trouble-torn Kashmir the credit goes to the BSF,” Mr Sharma said speaking at a function held to observe police commemoration day here. He asserted that the force was tirelessly working for permanent peace in Jammu and Kashmir and that it was committed to work for the country’s unity and integrity. “The BSF has been successful in thwarting the designs of the militant groups trying to create further disturbance in the valley,” Mr Sharma said. Highlighting the sacrifices made by BSF jawans, Mr Sharma said: “We will ensure that the sacrifices made by the BSF personnel not go waste”. The police commemoration day is observed on October 21 every year by police forces across the country in memory of 10 CRPF personnel who laid their lives while fighting the Chinese forces in Ladakh Hills on the same day in 1962. |
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Army builds road to link remote villages Srinagar, October 21 “In a bid to address the feeling of alienation among the people in the Kashmir valley, the army has constructed a 2-km long road for the convenience of residents in remote villages of Tangdhar sector”, a defence spokesman said here today. Besides facilitating movement of people in the area, the road is expected to give a boost to commerce and education, the spokesman said. Brig Rajinder Singh of the Tangdhar Brigade dedicated the road to villagers yesterday at a function attended by the local MLA and other officials. A medical camp was organised which was attended by over 2,000 residents of the area, the spokesman said, adding free medicines were distributed among the patients. The events are part of the Army itenerary to bridge the gulf between the troops and the people. —
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Heroin worth
1 crore seized from truck Jammu, October 21 During a routine check, the sleuths yesterday intercepted a truck which was on its way to Delhi from Kashmir. When they asked the driver to produce documents, the driver ran away abandoning the vehicle, Deputy Commissioner Excise, J.P. Singh said. On checking they found 1 kg of heroin in three small bags concealed in the truck. The truck has been seized and a case registered in this connection, he said. —
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