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Peerzada likely to replace Azad Bhim Singh dares Hurriyat Conference Militant among five killed Plan to
open land route to Mansarovar via Ladakh Efforts on to revive mahaseer in valley
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Peerzada likely to replace Azad Srinagar, June 18 Sources in the party told The Tribune that the Rural Development Minister and senior vice president of the state Congress committee, Mr Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, is the likely choice for the post. Others who are being considered to head the JKPCC included a former Union Minister, Saifuddin Soz, and a former JKPCC chief, Mr Choudhary Mohammad Aslam. Mr Abdul Ghani Vakil’s name has also been proposed by a section of the state Congress committee. Mr Azad, who led the state Congress, is credited with having strengthened the party which made inroads into the National Conference bastion in the 2002 Assembly elections. Party insiders, however, believe that a majority of members were in the favour of Mr Azad to continue. “Anybody can succeed Mr Azad, but none can be a substitute to him”, said a senior party leader. This has also been conveyed to the high command, which however, favours Mr Azad to be relieved of the state leadership. In case of appointment of Mr Sayeed as the new JK PCC chief, there may be many changes in the 20-month-old Council of Ministers-led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Two ministerial berths of the Congress, the Health Minister, Mr Lal Singh, and the Works Minister, Mr Madan Lal Sharma, may also fall vacant following their election to Lok Sabha from the Udhampur and Jammu constituencies, respectively. Several other ministers may also have to be dropped with the inclusion of a couple of new faces. |
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Bhim Singh dares Hurriyat Conference Srinagar, June 18 In a statement here yesterday, Bhim Singh, challenging the Hurriyat Conference claim of being the representatives of the people of Kashmir, asked the conglomerate to prove its “credentials before talking about Kashmir”. Enumerating the agenda of discussion to resolve the Kashmir issue, Mr Bhim Singh, whose party is part of the coalition government in the state, also criticised the administrative structure. He claimed that the present status quo in Jammu and Kashmir vis-a-vis LoC was not in the interest of the security of the country nor in the interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the dialogue with representatives of all three regions, Mr Bhim Singh urged the Centre to talk to migrants from the Kashmir valley, PoK refugees, fresh migrants from International Border and migrants from Jammu. |
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Militant among five killed Srinagar, June 18 A Hizbul Mujahideen militant identified as Liaqat Mughal, a resident of Pakistan, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Aishmuqam in Anantnag district of South Kashmir today, he said. One AK rifle, two magazines and four rounds were recovered from the militant. Militants shot dead a youth in a crowded business centre of Gonikhan here this afternoon. The victim, identified as Javid Ahmad Mir of the Gurubazar area of the city, was shot in front of his father’s shop around 2.40 pm. The motive behind the killing was not known. The police recovered two human heads from the Soi Pathri Bahak forest area of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, the spokesman said. The dead have been identified as Ali Mohammad Denda and Mohammad Akhar, who had gone into the forest area for grazing their cattle. The police recovered body of a woman from a stream at Kulanga in Kupwara district. Identified as Gulshana, she had been missing since May 5. Militants hurled a grenade at a security force patrol last evening at Azad Gunj in Baramula district, injuring six security personnel and a civilian, the spokesman said. Defence sources said militants ambushed a security search party at Sop this morning injuring and Army jawan. The troops were on the way to the village situated near Kokernag to carry out searches when militants opened fire on them, they said. Meanwhile, Army troops smashed a militant hideout in Kupwara district of North Kashmir and seized 500 gram of RDX. Besides RDX, the troops seized three UBGL grenades, a wireless set and 52 rounds of AK ammunition from the hideout located at Lolab in the area, the sources said. In Doda district, militants kidnapped Mohammad Ibrahim and his 22-year-old daughter Maryam. The police has launched a hunt for the abductors. Security forces recovered three AK rifles, 20 magazines, seven grenades and three pouches at Khooni Nallah in the Surnakote area of Poonch district.
— PTI |
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Plan to open land route to Mansarovar via Ladakh
Leh, June 18 “The route to Mansarovar via Ladakh will be easier than the existing one through Uttaranchal and will also boost the economy of the region,’’ Mr Sayeed told reporters on the sidelines of the Sindhu Darshan festival here. “The state government will soon raise the issue with the Centre and urge it to consider the proposal urgently which will not only provide succour to thousands of pilgrims but also develop the region,’’ the Chief Minister said. Dismissing allegations that the ongoing Sindhu Darshan festival had failed to attract tourists as in previous years, Mr Sayeed said domestic and international tourists had arrived in large numbers. However, the rescheduling of the festival due to government formation and the Lok Sabha session might be responsible for the decline in the number of tourists. The three-day festival, which began today in a picturesque location along the banks of the Sindhu, was earlier scheduled for June 11-13. However, unlike previous years, the festival did not begin with puja being offered to the river by a host of Central Ministers and locals were of the opinion that this would ensure more participation by the locals especially Buddhists. Describing Ladakh as an all-season tourist destination, Mr Sayeed said apart from pilgrimage tourism the region had tremendous potential for advance tourism. “The state government will also take up the issue of starting trekking for tourists in the region with help from the Defence Ministry.’’
— UNI |
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Efforts on to revive mahaseer in valley Srinagar, June 18 The fish, migrating from Pakistan to Asia’s largest freshwater body, the Wullar, has reportedly disappeared due to blockages in the water flow in the wake of raising of the Mangla dam. The Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Fisheries and Floriculture, Mrs Suman Lata Bhagat, reviewed the plans formulated to give a big boost to pisciculture in the state, which has rich water bodies and ponds. The minister was told that to revive mahaseer, a fish farm was being laid in the temperate zone of Uri, where mahaseer would be bred in captivity gradually and the seed would be stocked in the Jhelum. The minister inspected several trout fish farms in Tangmarg, situated in the foothills of the meadows of Gulmarg. The officers accompanying the minister informed her that the production of trout had touched a new high of 100 tonnes per year.
— UNI |
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