Four security men among 11 killed
SRINAGAR, Aug 18 — Eleven persons, including four militants and an equal number of security personnel, were killed and eight others wounded in escalated violence in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

NC fields Chib from Jammu
SRINAGAR, Aug 18 — The National Conference here today announced the names of two former ministers as its candidates for the Jammu and Udhampur constituencies.

5 JKDFP leaders arrested
SRINAGAR, Aug 18 — Five leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) were taken into preventive custody for violating prohibitory orders in force here today, official sources said.

23 file papers for Srinagar, Ladakh seats
SRINAGAR, Aug 18 — Twentythree candidates have filed their nomination papers for Srinagar and Ladakh parliamentary constituencies which are going to the polls on September 5, in the first phase of elections in the state.

Police chiefs want more forces
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 18 — In their secret report to the Director General of Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, several district police chiefs have sought additional battalions of security forces for not only manning the polling booths but also for ensuring that militants did not step up their activity which might force the electorate to boycott the poll.

Already the Election Commission has declared about 2900 polling stations out of total of 3014 polling booths in the three constituencies of the Kashmir valley as ‘super sensitive’ and about 1500 polling centres out of about 2800 stations in the two constituencies in the Jammu region as ‘sensitive’. In the light of this report police chiefs of Kupwara, Baramula, Anantnag, Pulwama, Doda, Poonch and Rajouri have pleaded with the state government that they needed additional battalions of security forces for ensuring incident-free electioneering and polling.

Informed sources said when the DGP, Mr Jagat, toured several areas in the state to review the security situation in the light of the Lok Sabha elections he was told specifically about the need for increasing the strength of the police and paramilitary forces to prevent militants from launching armed attacks on people, police posts and polling stations. In addition to, this the security forces were required to maintain law and order during campaigning by contesting candidates and political parties.

The district police chiefs were informed that they should make maximum use of the available police force and of the men of the paramilitary forces. They were informed that to reduce the deployment of the security forces three to four polling booths had been clubbed at one place.

The state government made it clear to the police and district authorities that fresh request had been made to the Centre to rush additional battalions of the paramilitary forces and whenever the forces reached the state capital they would be equally distributed among several districts.

Since the number of contesting candidates might cross 100 for the six constituencies they too need adequate security cover while carrying out their poll campaign. What worries some mainstream political parties is that the inadequate deployment of security forces might allow militants a chance to strike at will and create panic among people who might stay away from the poll process.

The Peoples' Democratic Party leaders favour elaborate security bandobast to discourage the ruling National Conference activists in indulging in rigging.

The BJP has demanded the strengthening of the security cover in sensitive areas of Doda, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah, Poonch and Rajouri belts besides the upper reaches of Udhampur district so that voters belonging to the minority community were not prevented from casting their vote and from participating in the poll campaign.

Once, experts say, militants were able to create scare even a section of government employees, detailed for poll duty might avoid going to the polling booths. More than 35,000 government employees are to be deployed for poll duty in the state.

In the 1996 Lok Sabha poll several thousand employees from Punjab, Delhi, Himachal and Haryana were brought to supervise the poll process in the state after the local employees boycotted poll duty as they felt their lives and those of their family members would be in danger following militants threat of elimination of those who joined the poll duty.

Once again the Lok Sabha poll would be a battle between the nationalist forces keen to strengthen democracy by participating in the poll and those trying to ensure peoples' boycott of the elections.

Rare birds, animals perish in Pak firing
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 18 — Several hundred wildlife species and rare birds are said to have perished in the Pak shelling between May and July in the Kargil, Dras and Batalik areas.

Though the government agencies concerned have yet to carry out a survey of the extent of damage caused to the flora and fauna in the Kargil and Dras sectors due to over two months of the Indo-Pak armed conflict, reports revealed that among those perished in the Pak artillery shelling included some rare species of birds and wildlife.

While Pak troops and infiltrators are said to have fed themselves on some wildlife animals including Himalayan marmot and Indian hare, several hundred birds and animals migrated to the safer areas and have been spotted in the Minimarg, Sonamarg belts.

The state Wildlife Department has decided to improve the habitat in the high altitude national park near Hemis monastery in Leh for which the Centre has agreed to pay Rs 1.36 crore.

While parts of Ladakh are famous for pashmina goats other areas in Leh and Kargil are known for a wide range of wildlife animals and birds. Most of these species are local and more than six species of birds are migratory. The Kargil area is famous for ibex, Himalayan bear, Indian hare, Himalayan wolf, Himalayan marmot, Himalayan mouse, snow leopard, Himalayan snow cock, chakore, tufted duck, tadwell, booted eagle etc.

The national park will have four watch towers to check poaching and illegal grazing. The authorities plan to build six pen houses where rare species of birds and wildlife would be reared and saved from attacks by predators.

Informed sources said a proper survey regarding extent of destruction caused to flora and fauna in Kargil by the Pak shelling will be carried next summer. Since Pak shelling continues from across the border the Wildlife Department surveyors will not be able to visit the far-flung areas to assess the loss.

Four security men among 11 killed

SRINAGAR, Aug 18 (PTI) — Eleven persons, including four militants and an equal number of security personnel, were killed and eight others wounded in escalated violence in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

In a major encounter, two security personnel were killed and four others, two of them civilians, injured in a clash with militants at Watpora village in Baramula district last night, an official spokesman said here today.

The encounter broke out when a joint party of the police and the BSF raided the village last evening to flush out hiding militants. Militants, who had taken shelter in the village, opened heavy fire on the search parties killing a Special Police Officer Bashir Ahmad and BSF jawan J.C. Bhutt on the spot.

However, the militants escaped after the encounter.

Earlier, the security forces claimed that two militants were killed in the encounter and their bodies buried under the debris. However, no body was recovered from the debris today.

The spokesman said two militants were killed by the security forces in an encounter at Behrote-Khablan village of Rajouri district last evening.

In the exchange of firing, a school teacher was killed and another person was injured, the spokesman said adding that a militant was also apprehended during the operation which yielded a universal machine gun, a rocket projectile gun, an AK assault rifle, two rocket launchers, two hand grenades and other ammunition and explosive material.

One of the deceased militants was identified as Imran Gaznavi of Pakistan.

NC fields Chib from Jammu
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 18 — The National Conference here today announced the names of two former ministers as its candidates for the Jammu and Udhampur constituencies.

The candidates include Mr Rajinder Singh Chib, former Health Minister in the Farooq Abdullah government in 1987, for the Jammu-Poonch constituency. Mr Jagjeevan Lal, a former minister in the G M Shah’s government in 1984 will be the NC’s candidate for the Udhampur-Doda constituency.

Announcing the names of these candidates, Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, National Conference General Secretary said his party did not have any electoral alliance with the BSP as already stated. BSP leaders, including Sheikh Abdul Rehman (Jammu) and the party chief Mr Kanshi Ram, had already decided to field their own candidates for both constituencies of the Jammu region, Sheikh Nazir Ahmed said.

Answering the questions, Sheikh Nazir said the party had been having electoral alliance with different parties, including the Congress in the past, "for the betterment of the state". He blamed the Congress for eroding Article 370, and at the same time declined that NC was having any alliance with the BJP at the Centre. Sheikh Nazir replied in the negative to the question on the poll fight between two families of Sheikhs and Muftis from Srinagar. Mufti’s daughter, Ms Mehbooba is pitched against Umar Abdullah, son of the National Conference Pressident Farooq Abdullah, in Srinagar for the ensuing elections.

With today’s announcement of the two candidates, NC has finalised the names of all six candidates, contesting the coming Lok Sabha elections in the State. Apart from the two former ministers, one of them a sitting MLA, its Anantnag candidate is a sitting MLA and minister, Ali Mohammad Naik, representing the Tral constituency in Pulwama district.

Mr Jagjeevan Lal represents the Reasi constituency in Udhampur district in the state assembly, where he was elected as JD candidate. He later joined the NC along with Dilawar Mir and four others early this year. Mr Jagjeevan Lal was first elected to the assembly in 1983 and remained minister of State for Food and Supplies in 22-month long government of G M Shah from 1984 to 1986. He later joined the JD and defeated his nearest rival of the BJP in the Reasi constituency in the 1996 assembly elections.

Mr Rajinder Singh Chib, a former Health Minister in the Farooq Abdullah’s government from 1987 to 1990 did not contest the assembly elections later. He lost to Prof Chaman Lal Gupta of the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections from the Udhampur constituency in 1998.

5 JKDFP leaders arrested

SRINAGAR, Aug 18 (PTI) — Five leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) were taken into preventive custody for violating prohibitory orders in force here today, official sources said.

Led by a senior leader, Hakeem Rashid, a group of JKDFP activists assembled at Badshah Chowk and tried to proceed towards Lal Chowk in procession to protest the continued detention of party president Shabir Ahmad Shah and other leaders, and alleged highhandedness of the security forces.

The sources said as they reached near Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the state capital, the police immediately swung into action and used lathis to disperse the processionists who were raising anti-government and pro-freedom slogans.

Five of the party leaders, including provincial president of Jammu, Mohammad Shafi Rangreiz and four district presidents were detained and lodged in Kothibagh police station.

Condemning the police action, Hakeem Rashid told PTI that two leaders of the party were among half a dozen persons injured in the police action.

Mr Shah was arrested along with three other leaders of the party near Zero Bridge area while he was on way to Badgam to address an anti-election rally a week ago.

23 file papers for Srinagar, Ladakh seats

SRINAGAR, Aug 18 (UNI) — Twentythree candidates have filed their nomination papers for Srinagar and Ladakh parliamentary constituencies which are going to the polls on September 5, in the first phase of elections in the state.

Of them, 11 candidates have filed their nomination papers for the Srinagar constituency while 12 candidates have filed their nominations for the Ladakh constituency.

Today was the last day for filing of nomination papers for these constituencies.

The candidates who have filed their nomination papers for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency are Aga Syed Mehdi (Congress), Mr Fayaz Ahmad Bhat (BJP), Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar (National Conference), Mr Umar Abdullah, (National Conference), Mr Abdul Hassan (Rashtriya Janata Dal), Mr Mohammad Yousuf Shah, (Awami League), Moulvi Habib-ul-Rehman,(Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya), Mr Nazir Ahmad (Panthers Party) and Ms Hafiza Begum, Ms Mehbooba Mufti and Ms Waheeda Shah, (all Independents).

The candidates who have filed their nomination papers for Ladakh parliamentary constituency are Mr Ahmad Ullah Azad, (Independent), Mr Sonam Paljor, (BJP), Mr Sonam Rinchen BJP, Mr Nassur Ullah, Janata Dal (Secular), M. Haji Ghulam Mohammad, Janata Dal (Secular), Mr Hassan Khan (National Conference), Mr Mohammad Abbas, National Conference, Mr Mohammad Hassan Commander, (Independent), Mr Mohammad Murtaza (Independent) Mr Thupstan Chhewang (Congress) and Mr Nurboo Gyalchan (Congress) besides Mr Kamal Kishore filed two sets of nomination papers,one as a candidate of the Janata Party and another as an Independent.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held tomorrow while the last date for withdrawal of candidates is August 21.