Dar's kin injured in blast
Tribune News Service and agencies

SRINAGAR, Nov 19 — A policeman was killed and 10 others, including a son and a daughter of the former Union Minister, were injured when an IED exploded causing heavy damage to a security vehicle. Five pedestrians were among the injured in the explosion that took place at Bregpora in Anantnag district today.

The police said an IED planted by suspected militants exploded when the Gypsy carrying the son and daughter of the former Union Minister of State for Home, Mohammad Maqbool Dar, were travelling at Bregpora on the Anantnag-Achohabal road. Muzaffar Maqbool and Shamima, son and daughter of Mr Dar were among 11 injured in the explosion. They have been admitted to Anantnag district hospital, police here said.

One of the PSOs (personal security officers) escorting the family members of Mr Dar succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS Hospital here in the afternoon. He has been identified as Gul Mohammed Wagay. Another PSO, Ghulam Nabi, is undergoing treatment at the Anantnag district hospital along with two others. The condition of the three of the injured is stated to be serious.

Mr Muzaffar Maqbool had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly elections held in the state in September 1996 from the Pahalgam constituency. He lost to the National Conference candidate.

There has been an increase in the number of IED explosions in the past one week. At least 15 persons have died and 60 others injured in over a dozen such explosions across the valley in the past one week.

A powerful blast rocked the high security Exchange Road near the BSF camp here last night.

The blast rocked adjacent buildings, including one housing the office of United News of India. However, no one was injured in the blast.

The security forces immediately sealed off the area and later one abandoned car was seized by the police.

JAMMU: Seven militants have been killed in two separate encounters in Udhampur and Doda districts of the Jammu region, a police spokesman said here today.

The spokesman said six militants were killed in a gunbattle with the security forces in the Burza Pathri area of Gulabgarh tehsil of Udhampur district last evening.

Some arms and ammunition was recovered from the place where the militants had taken shelter. They were also using the place as a camp as a large quantity of ration had been stored there, the spokesman said.

In another encounter, troops killed one militant in the Thatr area of Doda district last night, he said, adding the slain militant had been identified as Babloo, alias Abrar Khan.

Sack of Farooq govt no solution: Cong

SRINAGAR, Nov 19 (PTI, UNI), — Even though there is "total breakdown" of administration in Jammu and Kashmir, dismissal of the Farooq Abdullah government can neither bring peace nor resolve the Kashmir problem, leader of Congress Legislature Party Mehbooba Mufti said today.

The Union Government should initiate a dialogue with the people of Kashmir if they are really serious about stopping the ongoing bloodshed in the state as more than 60,000 persons have already lost their lives during the past eight years, Ms Mehbooba told reporters.

"The dismissal of the government and the installation of another puppet government in the state is no answer to the problem confronting the people of the state and what is needed is a multi-pronged strategy to resolve the problem’’, she said.

"An agreement with one individual or party will be a futile exercise as no individual or party could claim the support of entire population" she said.

The deployment of more forces and the "bullet for bullet policy" will not bring peace to Kashmir and the only way to resolve the problem is to have a dialogue with the people.

She alleged that "political killings’’ in the valley had increased since the BJP-led government at the Centre launched its "pro-active" policy.

She said the killings of the Jamaat Islami workers and leaders, allegedly by the Jammu and Kashmir police task force and the pro-government militants, had increased.

All this was being done with the approval of the state and the Central Government, she said adding that the graph of political killings had increased after centre launched a pro-active policy.