 |
|
16 injured in grenade attack in Pulwama Pak clause on bus to PoK unjustified, NC terms Mufti govt a failure Oppn prepares for Jammu
bandh |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Army porter killed in Pak shelling 15 Bangladeshis arrested
|
|
16 injured in grenade attack in Pulwama
Srinagar, October 31 Militants lobbed a grenade on the SOG camp at Gagran village around 5.30 pm in which 14 civilians and two policemen, including a Special Police Officer, were injured, they said. Police personnel manning the camp fired in retaliation but the ultras escaped, the sources said. A hunt has been launched to nab the militants involved in the attack, which took place minutes before the breaking of the Ramzan fast, they said. In another incident in downtown Srinagar, militants lobbed a grenade on a BSF picket at Habbakadal this evening without causing any damage, the sources said. The explosive was hurled by militants at the picket manned by the troops of 89 Battalion BSF around 6.30 pm, but it missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside, they said. As people were busy in breaking the fast, the road was deserted avoiding civilian casualties, they said. This was the second grenade attack in as many days in the locality. Last night, militants hurled a grenade on a BSF picket which landed on the new Habbakadal bridge without causing any harm. Although no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for today’s attacks, Lashker-e-Toiba had threatened to step up attacks on security forces during the month of Ramzan. Security forces foiled an infiltration bid in Nowgam sector when they killed two militants while elsewhere in the valley a ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and two militants were among five persons killed overnight. Official sources said troops gunned down two militants immediately after they sneaked into this side from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in Nowgam sector today. Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants. Militants entered the house of one Mohammad Abdullah Yatoo, a PDP leader and president of a local Auquf at Waternar Achabal, and shot him dead late last night. Sources said militants shot dead a former militant of Al Jehad, Peer Muzamil, at Narparistan in downtown last night while one Mohammad Bashir Din was killed at Surankote. An official spokesman said security forces killed two unidentified militants during an encounter at Surankote early today. Some arms and ammunition were also recovered from the slain militants. He said militants abducted one Mohammad Shafi Wani from his Ahoo Achabal house last evening. Police have launched a manhunt for the kidnappers. —
PTI |
|
|
Pak clause on bus to PoK unjustified, says Mufti Srinagar, October 31 “They are completely on the defensive. They could not refuse. The rider has no justification”, Mr Sayeed said here today on the eve of the completion of one year of his coalition government, which took over on November 2 last year. He said the decision of the Government of India to this effect was a great decision, adding that Pakistan’s response was positive. Claiming that Pakistan had its limitations, the Mufti said there was no need of UN supervision on the route. “If we can manage Wagah, why not other places”, he questioned. The Chief Minister hoped that Pakistan would agree to the proposal after taking its own time in view of the peoples’ aspirations on either side. He held that divided families on either side craved for easy access to one another that would be fulfilled by operating such a bus service. He said this decision was taken with immense responsibility by the Indian leadership, which ought to be reciprocated equally. “We also want them to see flourishing democracy here in Kashmir and an end to hatred”, Mr Sayeed commented. He asked Pakistan to understand that it had given the gun, instead of education, to the Kashmiri youth, and the result was only bloodshed and suffering. Replying a question on the Centre’s offer of talks to the Hurriyat Conference, the Mufti made it clear that dialogue on both sides had to be unconditional. He hoped that the dialogue would take place and things were moving to that end. He held that the aim of his government was peace with honour and dignity. A serious effort had been made in this direction with the decision of the Deputy Prime Minister to have a dialogue with the APHC, he added. Referring to the performance of his government, Mr Sayeed said there was a steep decline in human rights violations and appropriate action had been taken against such instances. He denied that more Kashmiri youth had been attracted towards militancy and said the youth had realised its futility in view of an atmosphere of dialogue. “May be some locals have joined militancy, but that is not by motivation”, the Mufti commented. He said incentives were being given for rehabilitation with dignity and honour for those who shunned militancy. He attached great importance to the return of migrants back to their homes in the valley. “We want to make the situation conducive for their return”, he said, adding that certain measures were being taken for their return. Non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits were residing in nearly 170 places in the valley, he said, adding that there was need to facilitate the return of more migrants. Further elaborating on the performance of his government, the Mufti said there was need to come to the expectations of the people. “There has been a good response to various steps taken by our government”, he said. He referred to the demolition drive, the recruitment policy, the functioning of the bureaucracy, the fight against corruption and social security benefits. These were going in the right direction and to the satisfaction of the people, the Mufti claimed. The multi-party coalition government would continue as long as it enjoyed the support of the people, the Chief Minister said, referring to the circumstances that had led to the formation of his government. The main coalition partners, the Congress with 20 members and the PDP with 16 members, were fundamentally a great force, he said. The Mufti asserted that people for the first time had felt that the government was constituted by them, adding that otherwise, there had always been a feeling that governments in the state were constituted at Delhi. “After all, people are the fountainhead of power”, he commented.
Srinagar, October 31 Reviewing the power supply situation, especially during the holy month of ramadan, at a high-level meeting, he asked the senior engineers of the PDD to operate gas turbine unit to overcome the shortage of power. Mr Sayeed instructed the engineers to set up control rooms at district headquarters with helpline facility to enable the people to lodge complaints and get correct information on disruption, if any, and its restoration. |
|
NC terms Mufti govt a failure Jammu, October 31 Mr Ajay Sadhotra, provincial president of the NC, who was addressing a series of worker meetings along with Mr Talib Hussain, MP, in the border areas of Akhnoor, Jourian and Khour, today said militancy had increased since the coalition government came to power. He said the common people were feeling insecure as terrorists were striking at will. He said migrants were living in a pitiable condition as the government had failed to provide them any relief since last month. Their houses had been damaged due to shelling by Pakistani troops and their cattle had perished. They were not in a position to cultivate their agricultural lands because of landmines. Mr Sadhotra and Mr Hussain said the total neglect of the border residents had created an atmosphere of mistrust among these people. The package announced by the Centre for these people had not reached them. Mr Hussain said the Centre had accepted his demand for the construction of the second bridge over the Chenab in Akhnoor. |
|
Oppn prepares for Jammu
bandh Jammu, October 31 The Mufti was accorded a warm welcome when the offices opened here soon after he became Chief Minister last winter, but this time it is a total contrast as the Opposition parties have already started preparing for a bandh. Although the Panthers Party, which is a partner in the coalition with two of its men as ministers, is keeping away from the bandh preparations, but the party’s Chairman, Mr Bhim Singh, has also been whipping the Mufti by repeatedly issuing statements that the present government was worse than the previous one of Dr Farooq Abdullah. The BJP, the NCP and other Opposition parties are mobilising their supporters to make the bandh a success. It has been a tradition to observe a bandh here during the move of offices from Srinagar with the exception of last year. A meeting of office-bearers of the Jammu (urban) unit of the BJP was held here today under the chairmanship of Mr Kavinder Gupta to finalise the arrangements for the bandh. Mr Gupta sought an explanation from the Mufti for issuing 1,050 appointment letters to Kashmiri youth this month but ignoring the youth of Jammu. No person from Jammu was appointed law officer, he alleged. A meeting of NCP activists was held here under the chairmanship of Thakur Randhir Singh, president of the state unit of the party, to draw up a strategy for the bandh. Mr Kulwant Singh Bhatti, president of the National Sikh Front, has backed the call for the bandh. |
|
Army porter killed in Pak shelling Srinagar, October 31 Pakistani shelled forward positions from across the border killing Army porter Alif Din, a resident of Gujjarpati-Zirhama village of Kupwara in Nowgam sector, the sources said. They said two women, identified as Suraiya Bano and her daughter Masarat Bano, were injured in Pakistani shelling in Karnah sector this morning. The mother-daughter duo were injured when an artillery shell exploded near their house at Chatakari village. Intermittent shelling from Pakistani side was also reported in Machil, Keran, Tangdhar, Gurez and Teetwal sectors of Kupwara and Baramulla districts, but there were no reports of any casualty or damage to property. The sources said troops guarding the LoC also fired in retaliation but the casualties suffered by Pakistani troops could not be known immediately. —PTI |
|
15 Bangladeshis arrested Jammu, October 31 Army personnel took into custody 13 of them, including two women, near Badyal Brahmna and two others at Makwal when they were moving towards the border yesterday. After preliminary questioning, they were handed over to the police, the sources said. —
PTI |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
