J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Accept autonomy report: Kar
SRINAGAR, Feb 15 — Former PCC chief and MP Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, today asked the Centre to accept the autonomy report submitted by the ruling National Conference (NC). This would pave the way for peaceful atmosphere in this trouble-torn border state, he said.

2 securitymen among 5 killed
SRINAGAR, Feb 15 — Security forces foiled an attempt by Pakistan to push in armed militants into Jammu and Kashmir, while two securitymen and a Pakistani intruder were among five persons killed and two others wounded since last evening.

The widow of J.S. Pathania, Assistant Commandant of the Border Security Force, (C) falls unconscious as the remains of her husband are carried out of a plane from Srinagar, 15 February 2000. Pathania, who was killed in a daring raid by Muslim separatist militants near Srinagar, managed to kill two militants, one of which was later identified as top Lashkar-e-Toiba leader Irfan Ahmad, before succumbing to his wounds. — AFP photo

Tributes paid to J.S. Pathania

Accept autonomy report: Kar
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Feb 15 — Former PCC chief and MP Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, today asked the Centre to accept the autonomy report submitted by the ruling National Conference (NC). This would pave the way for peaceful atmosphere in this trouble-torn border state, he said.

Mr Kar, who organised a peace march from Uri in 1996, seeking elections in Jammu and Kashmir, said there was a need to support the autonomy issue. He pointed out that when the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council was granted to the frontier region, there was no objection by most sections of society in the state. He asked the Congress to support the NC on the autonomy issue.

Talking to newspersons here this afternoon, the former MP said former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao had declared that “sky would be the limit” while granting autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. “That is why I support autonomy issue ... that will develop confidence of the people of this state with the Centre”, he said.

“It is the responsibility of the National Conference to fulfil its promises”, the senior Congress leader said.

Referring to the recent incidents of militancy, he urged Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah to order an inquiry into the incidents.

He expressed concern over the role of the SOG of the Jammu and Kashmir Police which “had been indulging in extortion”.

2 securitymen among 5 killed

SRINAGAR, Feb 15 (PTI) — Security forces foiled an attempt by Pakistan to push in armed militants into Jammu and Kashmir, while two securitymen and a Pakistani intruder were among five persons killed and two others wounded since last evening.

Three militants were also arrested and some arms and ammunition recovered, an official spokesman said here today.

He said security forces fired at a group of Pakistani intruders trying to sneak into the border at Kreeri near the Peer Badasan area in Rajouri district of Jammu, early today, killing one of them.

The body of the Pakistani intruder was recovered along with an AK assault rifle and six hand-grenades, the spokesman said.

Constable Mohammad Shaban of the Jammu and Kashmir Police was shot dead by unidentified militants at Batmaloo bus stand in central Srinagar this afternoon, he said.

The spokesman said a BSF jawan lost his life when militants blew up his vehicle with an improvised explosive device (IED) at Hardipora in the Achabal area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir today.

He said militants attacked an army patrol at Tarzoo in the Sopore area of Baramula district in north Kashmir, wounding a soldier.

Body of an unidentified person was picked up by the police from Krehama in Kupwara district, official sources said.

The spokesman said militants gunned down one person after kidnapping him from his house at Mohra village in Rajouri district last night.

A civilian, Ali Hussain was seriously injured when he stepped over a landmine at Dhara village in Poonch district last evening, he said.

The spokesman said two militants identified as Abdul Khaliq Mir and Sajad Ahmad Shah were nabbed by the security forces from Shumnag-Trehgam in Kupwara district yesterday.

Another militant was arrested from the Maisuma area of Srinagar last evening. He was identified as Shafiq Ahmad Mir of Chitargam.

He said the operations carried out by the security forces in Kupwara and Srinagar districts led to the recovery of a pistol, six grenades, three RPG rockets, two boosters, four kg of explosives, a remote control switch and three AK magazines with 109 rounds of ammunition.

A report from Jammu said a top militant last night escaped from the police lock-up in Rajouri district, close on the heels of discovery of a jail-break plot by 15 militants.

Afghanistan-trained militant of pro-Pakistani outfit Hizbul-Mujahideen, Mohmmad Shabir, alias Toofan, was found missing from the lock-up in Rajouri last night.

Toofan, arrested during an encounter with security forces and police in the outskirts of Rajouri on Saturday, escaped the lock-up from the window, the sources said.

Toofan, who was involved in the killing of National Conference leader Ghulam Nabi Riaz in the district, was kept in the lock-up for being produced in the court.

An alert had been sounded in the town and efforts were on to capture him, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the district administration has ordered a probe into the escape of the militant and two policemen have been put under suspension.

In connection with the Dhangri jail-break plot by 15 militants, which was unearthed by the security agencies on Sunday, the police today arrested five over ground workers.

14,765 passports issued in 2 years
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Feb 15 — The Passport Office, that was re-opened here over two years ago, has issued 14,765 passports so far, and has cleared all applications okayed by the police. Only those cases were pending for which no clear verification has been issued.

In pursuance of the decision taken during the passport officers conference at New Delhi in November last year, the rider regarding non-issuance of a passport in Jammu and Kashmir without formal CID verification has not been withdrawn. The tatkal scheme of passport was not currently applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.

A statement of the Passport Office here today revealed that 700 passports were issued during November and 1010 during December last year. About 8800 passports, including old cases were cleared between January and December, 1999. During the period 8428 applications and 555 miscellaneous applications were received by the office.

Public information counters were being set up by the Police Department two days a week to provide the service of CID and police verification across the table. A camp office has also been operating at CID headquarters, Harinivas, Srinagar for providing assistance to the public of Kashmir division during the winter. A daily personal meeting of the public with the passport officer at the Passport Office, Srinagar has been scheduled between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. for dealing the cases across the table.

The Passport Office has organised a district-level passport adalats at all the eight district headquarters of the Kashmir division during December 1999. A passport collection centre at Leh was opened in December last year for providing services for the remote areas.

Tributes paid to J.S. Pathania
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Feb 15 — Floral tributes were paid to J.S. Pathania, Assistant Commandant of the Border Security Force (BSF), who laid down his life in an encounter with militants here yesterday.

The Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police and other senior officers of the police, CRPF and the BSF attended the wreath laying ceremony here this morning. Wreaths were laid on the body of the martyr before his body was carried to the airport for being flown to Jammu. The mortal remains of J.S. Pathania would be later taken to his village Bara in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh.

J.S. Pathania, was posted in Kashmir in November, 1997. He laid down his life fighting militants in the Padshahi Bagh locality of Srinagar on Monday afternoon. The wanted militant, Abu Talha of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and a civilian were also killed in the encounter at about 2.30 p.m. on Monday. Acting on a specific information, the Assistant Commandant led security forces to the house at Padshahi Bagh where the militant was hiding. Leading his men, J.S. Pathania went to the upper story of the house, where the hiding militant shot at him. The officer retaliated killing the militant, a spokesman for the BSF said. He added that Assistant Commandant Pathania was taken to a hospital in an injured condition, where he was declared “brought dead”.

This is for the third time that security forces have claimed to have eliminated Abu Talha. The first being in the encounter at the 15 Corps headquarters on November 3 last year, when at least eight Armymen, including Defence PRO were killed. According to a BSF spokesman, there were four top militants under the name of “Abu Talha” and the one killed by Commandant Pathania was the “real one”.

The deceased J.S. Pathania, joined the BSF in 1984 as an SI, after having majored in political science from Dharmsala. He was posted in sensitive areas of Jammu and Kashmir soon after his appointment. He was also a member of the UN mission in Namibia. He was posted in Doda and Samba areas for about two years before being transferred to Kashmir in November, 1997.