Jammu, January 22
A group of Pakistani militants feared to have sneaked into Indian territory from the Abdulian border outpost in the RS Pura sector, near here, today.

Official sources told The Tribune that 15 wires of the barbed fencing on the international border near the Abdulian post were found cut, with the police confirming the incident.

IGP, Jammu zone, Ashok Kumar Gupta, who visited the spot, said, “The fence was damaged and hence the possibility of infiltration cannot be ruled out.”

The incident happened around 2.30 pm, he said, adding that the old fence behind the new one, that was damaged today, was being checked.

However, a BSF spokesperson described the incident as a rumour saying the fence was intact when senior BSF officers were moving in the area to take stock of the security situation today.

Sources said at least seven wires on the Pakistani side and eight wires on this side were found cut today. The damaged fence was a new fence being erected by the BSF ahead of the old one, they added. BSF DIG JB Sangwan confirmed that the fence had been damaged, but denied any infiltration bid. He reportedly said the old fence was intact. Consequently, vehicles on the Jammu-RS Pura road were being checked thoroughly. Senior officers of the BSF, CRPF, Army, police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) have rushed to the spot.

“In the wake of the development, the police has been put on a high alert in the winter capital and check posts on all roads leading to the capital city have been strengthened,” said a senior police officer.

Srinagar, January 22
While the security arrangements have been further tightened to thwart any designs of militants to create trouble on Republic Day, a hand grenade was hurled at a police picket, which however, did not explode here this afternoon.

Security forces also averted a major tragedy by timely detection of 20 kg of IED planted under a culvert at Sheermal village in Shopian district. The IED was defused by a bomb disposal squad without causing any harm, the police said.

The police here said militants hurled a grenade towards a police patrol party at the Budshah Chowk in the heart of the city here this afternoon. The grenade did not explode and it was later neutralised by the bomb disposal squad of the police. Eyewitnesses said the grenade fell on the road and did not explode. The police and the CRPF cordoned off the area and launched search operations to nab those involved in the attack.

The cordon and search operations left the normal life out of gear in the heart of the city, which has been witness to a series of search operations, frisking and checking of vehicles for the past many days ahead of the Republic Day celebrations.

Strict vigil is being maintained around Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the main Republic Day celebrations in the summer capital, and other vital installations here. Bakshi Stadium was sealed off today when the two roads in its north and south connecting the airport road with Wazir Bagh and Jawahar Nagar were blocked. Barricades have been created at different places around the stadium and other vital installations to thwart any designs of militants to create trouble on Republic Day.

The police and the CRPF averted a major tragedy by timely detection of an IED weighing 20 kg planted under a culvert at Sheermal village in Shopian district. The IED was defused by the bomb disposal squad without causing any harm, the police said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviewed the overall security situation at a high-level meeting with senior officers of the civil administration, police, CRPF and the Army here today.

The meeting was attended by Financial Commissioner (Home) Samuel Verghese, DGP Kuldeep Khoda, GOC 15 Corps Lt-Gen NC Marwah, Special DG (CRPF) NK Tripathi, Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Naseem Lanker, Additional DG (CID) K. Rajendra and IGP (Kashmir) Farooq Ahmed.

Srinagar, January 22
Abdul Aziz, a resident of Watlab village in Sopore town of Baramulla district, had some work in the office of the Education Department, Srinagar, but his long travel in the bone chilling cold yielded no result as the work in the office remained suspended for the second day today, following the two days’ strike call by state government employees.

“I had some work regarding the job of my daughter, and today I had come to meet the official concerned but the office was closed as I was told that the employees were on a two-day strike,” Abdul Aziz said.

Aziz was not the only one, there were hundreds of people who had to return home dejected due to the ongoing strike. More than 4.5 lakh employees of the state government and the public sector undertaking in the state were on a two-day strike as a token of protest against what they called the state government’s failure to fulfil their genuine demands.

“All government employees in the Kashmir valley, Jammu and the Ladakh region observed compete strike for the second consecutive day today to press the government to fulfil their demands,” spokesman of the Government Employees Joint Action Committee Farooq Ahmed Trali said.

According to reports, except for the employees working at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu, all other government employees and those working in public sector undertakings observed the protest strike. The employees have been demanding retirement age to be raised from 58 to 60, release of arrears of the sixth pay commission, conversion of cost of living allowance (COLA) into dearness allowance (DA) for the workers of government undertakings, regularisation of temporary and ad hoc employees working in government offices and public sector undertakings.

State Finance Minster Abdul Rahim Rather said the total revenue of the state was Rs 4,000 crore, while the wage bill of the employees was Rs 4, 200 crore per annum.

He said they would release the arrears of the employees once the government gets funds from New Delhi.

Srinagar, January 22
Expressing concern over the tension and strained relations between India and Pakistan, separatist Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has urged the two nuclear powers to take steps for resolving Kashmir issue for restoration of peace in the region.

Addressing the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid here today, the Mirwaiz said the growing tension between the two neighbouring countries would only lead to destruction not only in the region but across South Asia. “Unless both countries adopt a sincere approach on resolving Kashmir, the war clouds would continue to hover over the entire region,” he said in his address. He added that an end to the blame game between the two countries would lead to peace, security and political stability in the region.

The Mirwaiz, returned here last weekend after about two weeks’ stay in New Delhi. The visit has been significant following the Centre’s offer of “quiet talks and diplomacy” with Kashmir separatists that was announced by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in Srinagar. The APHC had its fresh meeting early this week and discussed its reorganisation.

Referring to the recent incidents of cross border firing and the resultant blame game between India and Pakistan, the Mirwaiz urged upon the leadership on either sides to adopt a sincere approach and resolve Kashmir issue through dialogue process.

On the stepped up security scenario ahead of the Republic Day celebrations, the Mirwaiz condemned the alleged excesses and human rights violations at the hands of security forces across the valley.

Srinagar, January 22
As the Kashmir valley continues to have a dry spell during the ongoing “Chillai Kalaan”, the peak winter season, special prayers were offered in the mosques across the valley today, seeking rain and snowfall.

Special prayers were held at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, where Mirwaiz Umar Farooq led the prayers, and all other mosques in the valley. The Mirwaiz, in his address, said it was a matter of concern for the people of Kashmir. If the dry spell continued like this, it would result in the insufficient drinking water facilities during summers, he said.

The higher reaches and mountains around the valley become the reservoirs of water for summer after these upper reaches get heavy accumulation of snow during winter. The snow melts down with summer heat and leads to gushing waters in the rivers and streams, which provide drinking water, irrigation water for crops and generate electricity from the hydro-electric power houses in summers.

After an increase in the day temperature over the past one week, there has been a decline in the day temperature here since yesterday. The maximum temperature today was recorded at 9.5°C and the minimum temperature at -1.3°C. The weather forecast said there would be rains and snow at few places in the state during the next 24 hours.

Vijaypur (Samba), January 22
In the bastion of coalition partner NC, the Congress today exhibited a show of strength by organising a massive rally to formally induct former minister and PDP leader Manjit Singh into the party.

While Manjit Singh had made efforts to mobilise a gathering, a battery of Congress leaders, including four Cabinet ministers, one minister of state and six MLAs along with Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) leaders, was present in the rally. It was a show of the Congress’ strength in the Vijaypur Assembly segment, which is considered a citadel of the NC.

The Vijaypur Assembly segment is represented by NC MLA Surjit Singh Slathia, who is a Cabinet minister in the coalition government. Despite being a coalition partner, the Congress decided to induct Manjit Singh, who is the arch rival of Slathia, into the party. The seriousness of the Congress leadership to make the rally a grand success and give due importance to Manjit Singh could be gauged from the fact that Union Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan came all the way from New Delhi to address the rally.

Despite dense fog throughout the day, Chavan came in a chartered plane and returned after formally inducting Manjit Singh into the party. Manjit Singh, a senior PDP leader, was a minister in the previous government.

Though Congress leaders avoided a direct attack on the NC, they repeatedly made it clear that the party would not accept discrimination against its workers. Furthermore, all Congress leaders, in their speeches, asserted that the party would form the government on its own in the next Assembly elections. They claimed that with Manjit Singh joining the party, this Assembly segment would become a stronghold of the Congress and in the next Assembly elections the party would win. “The Congress is committed to strengthening the coalition, but our priority is to spread the party to every nook and corner of the state,” said PCC chief Saifuddin Soz while welcoming Manjit Singh into the party.

In obvious reference to complaints of party workers about the NC’s discriminatory behaviour with them, Soz admitted that there were some hurdles in the coalition, but these would be removed. “There is no option other than running a coalition and this system would stay in the state in the years to come,” he said and exhorted party workers to strengthen the party at the grass-roots level.

Besides Chavan, those who addressed the rally included MP Madan Lal Sharma, former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, Cabinet ministers Taj Mohiuddin, Raman Bhalla, Sham Lal, Peerzada Mohammad Sayed, Minister of State Aijaz Ahmed Khan, MLAs Indu Pawar and GA Mir, MLC Ravinder Sharma and others. 

Vijaypur (Samba), January 22
To provide relief to poor people from the rising prices of essential commodities, the union government has decided to enhance the quota of ration by 10 kg per ration card for the below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL) families as per the rate of year 2002.

Union Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister Office (PMO) Prithiviraj Chavan said this while talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a function organised by the Congress to welcome former minister Manjit Singh into the party here today. “Yesterday, a meeting of the Union Cabinet was held to discuss the situation and several decisions were taken,” Chavan said.

He said ration quota would be increased to provide relief to poor people from the galloping prices. “The government has decided to sell ration to poor people at the price that was fixed in year 2002,” he said.

“The Centre has also decided to import pulses and other items to control the prices of essential commodities,” he said. Some effective steps had already been taken in this regard and exuded confidence that prices would be brought under control soon, he added.

When his attention was drawn towards threat of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to boycott the scheduled meeting of Chief Ministers if Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was not sacked, Chavan blamed her for creating a mess on the sugar front. “Sharad Pawar has already taken some effective steps to control the price rise,” he said.

The union minister said the recent incidents of ceasefire violations were a matter of concern. He, however, assured that concrete steps had been taken to frustrate the designs of destructive forces.

Replying to a question about growing dissension in the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), Chavan, who is AICC general secretary and in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, said he was also concerned about the growing factionalism in the party in the state. “I have convened meetings with some dissident leaders to discuss their grievances,” he revealed and hoped that all Congress leaders would present a united face.

He, however, stoutly defended PCC chief Saifuddin Soz and rejected allegations that Soz had been trying to weaken the coalition government.

Jammu, January 22
After the arrest of five sympathisers of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and a special police officer (SPO) by the Bhaderwah police in Doda district yesterday for their alleged involvement in selling police weapons to militants, there were chances of more arrests within the next few days.

A head constable is also reportedly involved in the racket. However, he is still absconding for his alleged involvement in selling weapons to militants, police sources said.

Sources confirmed that LeT district commander Mohammad Rashid was the beneficiary of these weapons from the arrested and he was operating his network from Bhaderwah for a long time.

The arrested LeT supporters have reportedly admitted to the police during their interrogation that they had sold a revolver of about Rs 30,000 to Rashid. The police said there were more chances of recovery from these arrested persons, and they were being interrogated in the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in Jammu.

However, JIC officers said this was a simple case and being complicated by the police for obvious reasons. An officer in JIC confirmed that they had not yet interrogated any accused and they were still under the custody of police. “Until the accused are handed over to us, we can’t comment on the issue,” a senior JIC officer in Jammu said.

The police said the arrested had been identified as Mohammad Nawaaz, an SPO posted in Doda, Aadil of Doda, Wasim of Udyanpur, Farooq Ahmed of Baboor, 
Maqbool Ahmed of Seel and Shabir Ahmed of Korra.

On the other hand, the LeT supporters had admitted that a havildar was also involved in the racket, the Bhaderwah police said.

A police officer said the havildar was involved in a number of extortion and other petty crimes, for which he was under suspension and was arrested too. However, repeated attempts to contact Bhaderwah SP TR Katoch proved futile.