Five killed in J&K violence
SRINAGAR, March 6 — A securityman and two counter insurgents were among five persons killed in militancy-related violence in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, even as militants engaged security forces in gun-battles and detonated an improvised explosive device during the period.

NC shifts blame on Centre
JAMMU, March 6 — The state Assembly today witnessed animated discussion on the Budget proposals which the Finance Minister, Mr Mohd. Shafi, had presented yesterday. Congress members lambasted the National Conference for continuing its support to the BJP-led government.

Srinagar-Jeddah flight for Haj pilgrims
JAMMU, March 6 — Dr Farooq Abdullah, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, has said that direct Haj flights will operate from Srinagar to Jeddah from next year.

Ancient coins found in Kashmir
SRINAGAR, March 6 — A hoard of ancient copper coins was unearthed while digging a grave in the historical Barthana-Qammerwari graveyard here last week.

Governor's stress on rehabilitation
JAMMU, March 6 — The Governor of J and K, Mr Girish Chander Saxena, has stressed the need for rehabilitation of the families of the ex-servicemen killed on duty.

K. L. Sharma visits victims' families
JAMMU, March 6 — The BJP vice-president, Mr K.L. Sharma, who is on a three-day visit to the region, today visited the massacre site at Reasi in Udhampur district.

Five killed in J&K violence

SRINAGAR, March 6 (PTI) — A securityman and two counter insurgents were among five persons killed in militancy-related violence in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, even as militants engaged security forces in gun-battles and detonated an improvised explosive device during the period.

An official spokesman said here that the police recovered an unidentified body from Rakh Shallabugh in Ganderbal on the outskirts of Srinagar today.

A securityman was killed in an encounter with militants at the Kenu Kalani-Mandi area of border town of Poonch yesterday, the spokesman said.

Two counter insurgents were shot dead by militants in the Bandipora area of Baramulla district last evening, he added.

He said militants abducted Muhammad Subhan from his house in Ganai Mohalla Ludna in Doda district and later shot him dead.

Militants engaged a joint search party of the security forces and local police at Gulgam and Awoora forest in frontier district of Kupwara last evening, he said, adding the ultras escaped taking advantage of dense forests leaving behind a sniper rifle and some ammunition round.

He said militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) near primary school Ganga Bugh in Kupwara district yesterday. However, no damage was caused.

The police and security forces recovered 5.6 kg explosives from Dangerpora in Pulwama district of South Kashmir, the spokesman said.

NC shifts blame on Centre
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, March 6 — The state Assembly today witnessed animated discussion on the Budget proposals which the Finance Minister, Mr Mohd. Shafi, had presented yesterday. Congress members lambasted the National Conference for continuing its support to the BJP-led government on the one hand on the other blaming the Centre for ditching the state by not fulfilling its commitment of releasing additional financial assistance.

The leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, wanted to know why the National Conference continued to support the BJP at the Centre when it had been responsible for the cash crunch in Jammu and Kashmir. She said the National Conference president, Dr Farooq Abdullah, had announced that his party’s support to the BJP-led government was issue-based and the state government had to support the Centre for ensuring free flow of funds. "When the BJP does not give you funds, why should you support", she said.

Mr Ashok Sharma of the Congress described the "NC-BJP alliance a marriage of convenience". When he cited an Islamic law to describe the relationship between the National Conference and the BJP, the Finance Minister accused Mr Sharma of unnecessarily tagging religion with politics. He wanted the member to withdraw the words which he did.

Mr Mubarik Gul of the National Conference blamed the Centre for having created a situation in which the government had no other alternative but to impose heavy taxes. He said the new taxes would hit people and for this the BJP-led government and not the National Conference should be blamed.

Mr Hans Raj Dogra and Mr Prithvi Chand of the BJP dished out figures in support of their contention that the Centre had been liberal in sanctioning financial assistance to Jammu and Kashmir but the fiscal crisis had been the result of "reckless" spending by the state government.

When Mr Bhagat Ram Chand of the BSP and Mr Jagjivan Lal tried to defend the government proposals for hiking sales tax and other duties, the Congress and the BJP members chided them that they had already crossed over to the National Conference and were simply trying to create problems for the Opposition benches by being allotted seats in the Opposition wing.

The Opposition made a strong plea for the withdrawal of the proposals for imposing heavy dose of new taxes. They said it would add to the problems of the people in the troubled state. They also appealed to the Centre to release the required funds to the state so that the plan for imposing heavy taxes was dropped or reduced.

In a statement the CPM leader, Mr M.Y. Tarigami, MLA, said on account of indifferent attitude shown by the BJP-led Central Government, the state government had proposed harsh steps to raise internal resources.

Mr Tarigami said it was shocking that the Centre had refused to release additional funds for building the infrastructure which had been damaged during the 10-year-long insurgency. The failure of the Centre, he added, to give a retrospective effect to the scheme of giving central financial aid in the form of 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent as loan and inordinate delay in reimbursing security related expenses which had touched over Rs 700 crore had been the root cause of the financial crisis in the state.

The Communist leader said Budget proposals would further alienate people which was not in the interests of the nation. He cautioned the Centre against any further delay in helping the state out of the fiscal crisis. He said in case common man was hit hard by fresh taxes it could create new security problems.

LAHDC suspends dharna
From Ehsan Fazili

SRINAGAR, March 6 — The 33-day old dharna by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) in support of its demands was suspended today following the offer of dialogue by the Jammu and Kashmir Government to the council for discussing various demands put forth by it during the last two years.

The decision to call off the dharna was taken at a public meeting held in Leh this morning. Those who addressed the public meeting included Mr Thupstan Chhewang, Chief Executive Counsillor of the LAHDC and presidents of the Ladakh Buddhist Association and Anjuman-a-Imamia at Polo Ground, Leh. A large number of people attended the public meeting that continued for more than one hour. The leaders dealt with the issue of the demands put forth by the council to the state government. They also welcomed the state government's initiative for the offer of talks that are scheduled to be held in Jammu for two days from Monday.

Welcoming the initiative, Mr Chhawang said further course of action would be taken after the next week's talks of LAHDC representatives with the State Chief Secretary/Commissioner concerned to be followed by the talks with Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah.

Dr Abdullah on Wednesday last told the Legislative Assembly in Jammu that his government was ready to hold talks with the LAHDC who had launched an indefinite agitation in Leh from February 2 last. This decision followed the holding of parallel Republic Day functions in Leh by the state government presided over by the Information Minister, Mr Ajatshatru Singh, and by the LAHDC chief, Mr Thupstan Chhewang. This was followed by the shifting of the Deputy Commissioner, in Leh, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the council, which evoked resentment in the council.

The Ladakh agitation rocked state legislative assembly a number of times during its current session since February 22 last. The LAHDC had also threatened to revive the agitation for UT status to Ladakh in case its genuine and long pending demands were not fulfilled immediately.

Srinagar-Jeddah flight for Haj pilgrims
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, March 6 — Dr Farooq Abdullah, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, has said that direct Haj flights will operate from Srinagar to Jeddah from next year.

Replying to a question by Ms Zubaida Salaria, National Conference legislator, during question hour, the Chief Minister said he met Mr Anant Kumar, the Union Aviation Minister, at Surajkund recently and took up the matter with him. He said he had also discussed with the minister the issue of upgradation of the Srinagar airport as an international airport.

The Chief Minister said for the pilgrims of the Jammu region, the flights would be available from Delhi only. At present, Haj pilgrims of the Jammu region were brought to Srinagar for their onward journey to Jeddah via Delhi. Reservation of their seats was made by the state Haj committee. All other facilities, including board and lodging, were also provided by the Haj committee.

Dr Abdullah informed the House that some formalities regarding the direct flight from Srinagar to Jeddah were not completed as yet. The flights could, therefore, be made operational only from next year.

Ancient coins found in Kashmir

SRINAGAR, March 6 (PTI) — A hoard of ancient copper coins was unearthed while digging a grave in the historical Barthana-Qammerwari graveyard here last week.

The Deputy Director of Archives and Archaeology, Mr M.H. Mokhdomi, said yesterday that according to the experts the 1,450 copper coins, round in shape, belonged to the Sultanate period of Kashmir. The coins carried on their obverse the name and respective title as Al-Sultan and Al-Azam with its issuers name.

The typical Sultanate coins monogram "bar and naught" is also clear on the obverse of these coins, Mr Mokhdomi said.

He said the reverse of these coins carried the mint name "Zarbi-Kashmir" in crude Arabic letters.

About 25 coins of this biggest hoard were deciphered and revealed the names of five Sultans of Kashmir, namely Sultan Zain-ul-Abiden, Sultan Hassan Shah, Sultan Mohd Shah, Sultan Fateh Shah and Sultan Ali Shah.

These coins were minted in between 1420 AD and 1579 AD in Kashmir by the Sultans.

The whole hoard of Barthana-Qamarwari is at present under study, Mr Mokhdomi said.

He said being a significant find it will throw enough light on the numismatic history of Kashmir.

Governor's stress on rehabilitation
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, March 6 — The Governor of J and K, Mr Girish Chander Saxena, has stressed the need for rehabilitation of the families of the ex-servicemen killed on duty.

Speaking at the 47th meeting of the Rajya Sainik Board at Raj Bhavan yesterday, Mr Saxena said there was a tremendous scope of utilising the potential of the ex-servicemen in society.

The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who is also the vice-president of the committee, said the government was aware of their problems and need for rehabilitation. The CM suggested to re-employ them in the forest protection force in the state. Many other incentives for ex-servicemen were also under consideration, he said.

Other issues which were discussed at the meeting, included setting up of training centres for the welfare of war widows, re-employment of ex-servicemen, providing them loans, reservation for wards of ex-servicemen, setting up of a sainik colony and construction of Sainik Bhavans here and at Srinagar.

K. L. Sharma visits victims' families
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, March 6 — The BJP vice-president, Mr K.L. Sharma, who is on a three-day visit to the region, today visited the massacre site at Reasi in Udhampur district where the militants had gunned down nine persons on February 19. The BJP vice-president, who is accompanied by party MP and senior leader Prof Chaman Lal Sharma and state unit chief Daya Krishan Kotwal, met the relatives of the victims and offered them condolences.

Mr Sharma later went to Rajouri to visit massacre sites at Baljarlla and Hosa Patta and to take stock of the situation.