Demand for relay of news in Dogri
KATHUA, July 28 — Various organisations in the district have demanded the relay of news in Dogri on Doordarshan and AIR Jammu, during morning hours, relay of DD2 and DD International channels and a complete ban on PTV and Pakistan radio programmes in J&K to counter the anti-India propaganda unleashed by the Pakistan media.

Soldier killed in shelling

KARGIL, July 28 (PTI) — One soldier was killed when Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked artillery fire and mortar shelling in Batalik and other sub-sectors along the Line of Control last evening.

A jawan of the Grenadier regiment was killed in Pakistani artillery shelling at Point 5465 in the Mantho Dalo area, official sources said today.

The battery of Indian artillery guns pounded heavily on the suspected Pakistani positions after which the cannons on the other side fell silent, they added.

Delayed reports said Pakistani army opened heavy firing in the Kaksar area on Monday night to which Indian soldiers gave a befitting reply. Pakistan is at an advantageous position in this area because of the heights it captured in 1972.

In Mushkoh sub-sector of Dras, both sides exchanged small arms fire around Point 5353. Pakistan claims that the height belongs to it, however, the maps signed by the Indian and Pakistani DGMOs in 1972 clearly indicate that it belongs to India.

Pakistan army also launched a counter-attack on Sando top and Zulu spur yesterday. The two strategic peaks are important for both the armies as Indian soldiers can keep an eye on Pakistani movement while the enemy can overlook whole of the Dras and Matayan areas.

In the Dras area, Pakistani troops opened artillery shelling at Point 5100, which was, however, repulsed by the Indian army.

Meanwhile, Kargil town was limping back to normalcy and most of the shops remained open even as majority of the civilian population continued to spend the night in migrant camps located at safer places.

The traffic on Srinagar, Kargil-Leh highway was also running smoothly.

Mufti Sayeed floats party
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 28 — Supporting the cause of ‘greater autonomy’ for Jammu and Kashmir, a former Union Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, here today constituted the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) for "an honourable and peaceful end to the Kashmir problem".

The National Conference has lost its credibility in Jammu and Kashmir. The masses look for credibility in the alternative regional party.... we want peace with honour, not by surrender", the Mufti told a press conference at his Nowgam residence this afternoon at the end of a day-long conclave of like-minded political leaders. Earlier, he and his daughter and CLP leader had resigned from the Congress party. At least 105 representatives from different parts of the state who have joined the new party launched by the former Union Home Minister, attended the conclave.

Replying to questions, the Mufti said: "Defeating the NC is not the end. My aim is to give an honourable and peaceful end to the Kashmir problem". He questioned the "double standards" of various governments at the Centre viz-a-viz Kashmir. "When they talk to ULFA, Nagas, and others, why double standards with the people of Kashmir, he asked.

Supporting the case of dialogue with the people of Kashmir to solve the problem through constitutional means, he opposed Pakistan's inclusion in the talks. "If the problem is solved with the Kashmiris that will go a long way in strengthening relations with Pakistan", he said.

Stating that his new regional party, the Jammu and Kashmir People Democratic Party would contest all six Lok Sabha seats in the state, he said the party would carry the "voice of the people of Jammu and Kashmir". This party would meet the urges and aspirations of the people that have been "curbed" by the National Conference government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah, he claimed. The Mufti said it was not to be a war of bullets but that of ideologies. "The government has been fighting militants but not the militancy, he stated.

Panic grips Doda electorate
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 28 — Panic has gripped over 3 lakh electorate in Doda district, the second largest district in the state, following the killing of 35 civilians, including 15 in Lahota village in the Kishtwar area, during the past one month.

The police authorities confirmed reports that majority of the 3 lakh voters were as yet undecided over their participation in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections on the plea that the security forces were able to eliminate only three militants involved in the massacre. At least 10 security personnel, including five members of a village defence committee (VDC), were gunned down by the insurgents.

The authorities also confirmed reports that militants had fortified their positions in the hilly belts of Dessa, Marwah, Tathri, Bharat and Keshva during the past two months. During this period more than 500 Pakistan-trained militants, including foreign mercenaries, had sneaked from Anantnag and Pulwama belts of South Kashmir and from across Ponch and Rajouri.

The police sources clarified that shortage of security personnel had left large areas without any security cover and people continued to live in fear. Doda, with an area of about 12,000 sq km, has been provided with six battalions of the Rashtriya Rifles, six battalions of the CRPF and four battalions of the ITBP. The ITBP jawans have been deployed to guard the Chamba-Doda border. With the recent flare up in the armed conflict in Kargil and Dras, eight battalions of the Rashtriya Rifles had been withdrawn and five battalions of the CRPF were despatched to the district. Out of this, two CRPF battalions were later withdrawn. Two more battalions of the Rashtriya Rifles were sent.

Since the onus of carrying out road opening operations on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway from Batote to Banihal falls on the police authorities in Doda, at times the authorities do not have sufficient force to ensure that the highway was free from mines and IEDs.

Although there are 850 VDCs with a manpower of about 7,000 and 4,700 special police officers (SPOs), yet they have not been able to contain militants’ activities. They have fought pitched battles with the insurgents but they have not been able to match the highly sophisticated weapons used by the militants.

A majority of the SPOs are deployed to provide security to political leaders and others who are on the hit list of the militants and, therefore not many are available for carrying out operations against the militants.

The police has reports that militants in the district are planning to strike once the pre-poll campaign picked up. It has been flooded with requests from prospective candidates for providing them security cover so that they could conduct campaigns.

As a result of paucity of security forces, several mountain routes that connect South Kashmir with Kishtwar belt of the district and tracks that link upper reaches of Udhampur district with Doda have remained without security pickets. This has provided safe passage to the militants to move from one area to another after the snow melted in the first week of June.

The State Government has pleaded with the Union Home Ministry that additional battalions of paramilitary forces be sent to the state. The police authorities in the district said that between six to 10 additional battalions of paramilitary forces were needed to foil Pakistan’s gameplan of stepping up subversive violence in the district which had routes linking the Kargil-Leh belt with Kishtwar.

Demand for relay of news in Dogri
From Our Correspondent

KATHUA, July 28 — Various organisations in the district have demanded the relay of news in Dogri on Doordarshan and AIR Jammu, during morning hours, relay of DD2 and DD International channels and a complete ban on PTV and Pakistan radio programmes in J&K to counter the anti-India propaganda unleashed by the Pakistan media.

A delegation of the Yuva Beopar Mandal, led by Mr Vikramjeet Singh Naza, in a letter to the Prime Minister demanded that DD-2 and DD International channels should be made easily available to the people in Kathua and Doda districts. Presently, only Jammu and Srinagar have access to these channels. The delegation lauded the Prime Minister and the Information and Broadcasting Minister for deft handling of the media war against Pakistan.

The District Congress Committee, led by its president B.B. Mahajan and other leaders also sent a letter to the Prime Minister and Information and Broadcasting Minister urging them to start the DD-2, DD International, Dogri and Gujri language news on Doordarshan and AIR Kathua. They said the Doordarshan channels had very poor reception quality in the remote areas in the state.

The National Conference leaders led by the district president, Mr Ajit Sharma, also put forth a similar suggestion.

The state BJP leaders also lauded the Indian media for coverage of the Kargil conflict, in the past two months.