Another blast kills 2 Army men
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 13 — In yet another improvised explosive device (IED) explosion two Army men were killed and four jawans injured near Khundroo in Anantnag district today.

The militants have strategically increased the number of such explosions in the past fortnight. Over a dozen such explosives have taken place injuring senior army officials and killing many others.

Five persons, including four militants and an Army man, were killed in a fierce encounter at Jagarpora in Kupwara district last evening. Four jawans of the Army were also injured in the incident. With this, the death toll in the encounter between the militants and the security forces since Sunday has gone up to 19. Earlier, at least 12 militants, including eight foreigners, were killed in an over 34-hour-long encounter on Sunday and Monday. Two Army men, including Captain Tarun Kumar and signalman, Sawant AM were also killed in the encounter on Monday.

It may be recalled that Major Gen V.G. Patankar, GOC, 28 Division, that operators in the area and which effected the Jagarpora operation, had told a press conference on Tuesday that search for three more bodies was on in the area. He held that all 15 militants, according to the reports there, had been killed in the encounter. But searches in Jagarpora in the Nagri-Malpora area of Kupwara district led to another encounter leading to the death of four more militants and one securityman.

A defence spokesman said here today that two jawans were killed and seven others injured when an IED exploded on the road between Chchatrgul and Khundroo in Anantnag district today. The vehicle in which the jawans were moving, was also damaged. The spokesman said the IED went off near Mitwa when the vehicle of the 7 RR was coming from Chchatrgul to Khundroo at about 8.45 am.

Another IED explosion took place at Nihalpora near Pattan in north Kashmir district of Baramula today. The police said there no damage was caused as the IED was planted by suspected militants under a culvert on the road.

While two explosions of RDX were caused today, a similar explosion was caused near Government Degree College, Sopore, in Baramula district yesterday. A Brigadier, a Lieutenant and three jawans were injured in the explosion. About a dozen pedestrians were also wounded.

Meanwhile, reports from Sopore said the security forces unleashed a reign of terror in the area following the explosion. All bus passengers coming and going on the road leading to Srinagar from Sopore town, were allegedly being beaten up by the security personnel.

An Army Major, Pankaj Batra, was killed and three jawans injured in a similar explosion of the IED near Matayin in Kargil district on the Srinagar-Leh national highway on Sunday. This was for the first time that militants attempted a strike in the Ladakh region.

Meanwhile, the security forces launched massive search operations in and around the areas of the venues of the ID celebrations on Saturday.

JAMMU: Three militants were killed during an exchange of fire between BSF troops and Pakistani Rangers in the Samba subsector of the Jammu region early today, BSF sources said here.

The sources said BSF troops challenged a group of infiltrators trying to sneak into Indian territory via border outposts of Nanga and Narainpur. The militants opened fire from their automatic weapons and were given covering fire by Pakistani troops from across the border.

The BSF troops retaliated and in the exchange of fire three militants were shot dead, the sources said.

Pakistani Rangers and BSF troops also exchanged intermittent fire at seven places along international border in Samba and R.S. Pura subsectors.

MLA's plea to Governor
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 13 — Mr Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, MLA and CPM leader, has sought Governor's intervention to "remedy distortions in the composition" of the 36-member Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council.

"The present composition of the State Legislative Council is in contravention of the constitutional provisions and the law", stated Mr Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami in his letter addressed to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor. The copies of the letter were circulated to the press here this evening. He said the Governor's intervention would "remedy the wrong done."

Enlisting three major flaws, the CPM leader said four persons were nominated to the Legislative Council, violating the rules under the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, which envisages the nomination of not more than three persons under the category of "socially or economically backward class".

He said the fathers of the Constitution had been categoric in "prohibiting the nominations exceeding three" under this category and "permitting five and more" in the category of "intellectual class".

Without identifying the members, the MLA pointed out that the nominations were purportedly made under another category of "persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of the matters, such as literature, science, art, co-operative movement and social service".

He said some of the members nominated under this category were not even remotely connected with the category. He claimed that only two members belonged to the category of intellectuals, whereas the minimum mandatory limit was five.

"The net result is that out of the eight nominations, only two have been made from the men of intellect and experience, whereas four have been drawn from the backward category and the remaining two are from no category permissible under the Constitution."

Mr Tarigami claimed that out of the effective strength of 30 in the present council, only 10 belonged to the Kashmir valley, giving an inadequate representation to the Kashmir province. He held that Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had himself admitted this fact.

Mr Tarigami quoted the Chief Minister as saying "It was a constitutional mistake that 18 persons from Jammu and seven from Kashmir were nominated to the Upper House in the state.... This had created an imbalance which would beset right."

Mr Tarigami, state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was elected to the Jammu and Kashmir legislative Assembly in the 1996 assembly elections from his home constituency of Kulgam in South Kashmir district of Anantnag. The ruling National Conference, which got an absolute majority in the assembly, then had withdrawn its candidate from Kulgam in favour of the CPM candidate.

Farooq meets PM, Advani

NEW DELHI, Aug 13 (PTI) — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home Minister L. K. Advani and discussed with them the latest situation in the troubled border state.

The Chief Minister, who had recently visited border areas of the state which had borne the brunt of Pakistani firing, also apprised the central leaders of the situation in these areas along the Line of Control.

According to official sources, the Chief Minister gave his assessment of the overall security scenario in the state and discussed various schemes to provide relief to those affected by Pakistani firing.

He also thanked the central leaders for approving plan outlay of Rs 1900 crore for the state for 1998-99.

The Chief Minister also met Defence Minister George Fernandes and the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen V. P. Malik, and reviewed with them the latest situation on state’s borders.