J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Army personnel maintaining tight vigil on the snow-covered mountains on Srinagar-Kargil highway which was thrown open to traffic after remaining closed for about four months on Friday. — PTI photo

Girl killed in Pak shelling
SRINAGAR, April 30 — A 10-year-old girl was killed and at least four other civilians were injured when Pakistani troops resorted to shelling from across the border in the Karnah sector of Kupwara district yesterday.

Lattram to recruit Kashmiri boys
JAMMU, April 30 — The Pakistani agencies have entrusted to Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, alias Lattram, who was released in exchange of 150 IA passengers held hostages in Kandhar, recruit Kashmiri-speaking boys in Occupied Kashmir so that foreign mercenaries, operating in Jammu and Kashmir, were not handicapped in the absence of local guides and couriers.

Dal Lake area widens by 3.39 sq km
SRINAGAR, April 30 — The surface area of Dal Lake has registered an increase from 11.5 sq km to 14.89 sq km during the past three years, which is being regarded as a major achievement in saving the world famous lake.

Girl killed in Pak shelling
Tribune News Service and agencies

SRINAGAR, April 30 — A 10-year-old girl was killed and at least four other civilians were injured when Pakistani troops resorted to shelling from across the border in the Karnah sector of Kupwara district yesterday.

According to the police, the girl was identified as Kounsar Parveen, while four others who sustained injuries were shifted to the hospital here, where their condition was stated to be critical. A bridge and some residential houses were also damaged as a result of the firing by the Pakistani troops, reports received here said.

The reports said the Indian troops retaliated to the unprovoked firing from across the border. There, ware however, no reports about the damage caused by the shelling by the Indian troops on the other side of the LoC.

There have been reports of intermittent firing along the LoC in Uri, Keran and Karnah sectors in Baramulla and Kupwara districts in north Kashmir.

Sources said that the guns felt silent early this morning after a nightlong exchange of artillery fire between soldiers of two countries in these sectors.

People at Karnah and Keran recently held demonstrations demanding the construction of underground bunkers so that people living near the line of actual control could take shelter during the Pakistan shelling.

At least one labourer from Orissa was killed and three injured as a powerful bomb went off in Kanban while elsewhere in the valley two persons were killed and a counter-insurgent injured since last evening.

Official sources said labourer Mangal died on the spot and three were injured when the bomb exploded last night.

People in the downtown area took to the streets protesting against the killing of former militant Mehraj-ud-Din by the special operations group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police at Hawal last evening.

The demonstrators alleged that Mehraj, was picked up from his STD shop at Hawal recently and later killed in a faked encounter.

However, an official spokesman said he was eliminated in an encounter with SOG last evening.

Militants shot at and critically injured a counter-insurgent at Azigund in south Kashmir.’

A report from Baramula said security forces killed a militant at Sumbal early today during an encounter.

However, residents alleged that the victim was a student who was picked up a couple of days back and killed in custody.

An official spokesman said three special police officers were killed and two others were injured in an encounter with militants at Patnazi early this morning.

The security forces recovered eight pencil bombs, eight detonators, two time devices, six packets of RDX, 1582 mm bombs 10 improvised explosive devices, there magazines, two pistols, four grenades and 300 rounds of ammunition during overnight operations in the state.

Meanwhile, the BSF troops detected and defused a landmine concealed in aluminium utensils and planted on a road on the Kandi-Kotranka yesterday.

The mine was planted by militants to blow up BSF vehicles moving in the area.

Lattram to recruit Kashmiri boys
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, April 30 — The Pakistani agencies have entrusted to Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, alias Lattram, who was released in exchange of 150 IA passengers held hostages in Kandhar, recruit Kashmiri-speaking boys in Occupied Kashmir so that foreign mercenaries, operating in Jammu and Kashmir, were not handicapped in the absence of local guides and couriers.

Reports received from across the border said that Mushtaq Zargar had crossed over to Pakistan occupied Kashmir with the purpose of infiltrating into the valley. He felt that his return journey could be risky and once he was in Srinagar he would not be able to move about. His relations in Srinagar had also conveyed messages to him that in case he was spotted in Srinagar he would be killed.

As such Mushtaq Zargar has started motivating Kashmiri speaking youths and has recruited over 75 boys in his new outfit, the Jehad Force. In Srinagar he used to head Al Umar which become defunct after his arrest in 1995.

The Pakistani agencies have also launched a drive in motivating school-going boys for joining militancy. In this context the Pakistani agents and some maulvis have become active in various parts of the state. These separatists have visited different schools. A section of maulvis has been motivating the teenagers who visit mosques for prayers. These exercises have succeeded the separatists to enroll over 150 school boys in Pattan Baramulla district, Kupwara, Srinagar, Doda and Rajouri districts in recent months.

Police sources said that it is one of the reasons for increase in reports regarding missing of Kashmiri boys. Invariably local newspapers dish out items and advertisements regarding missing boys and there are indications that most of them have been taken to Pakistan and occupied Kashmir for arms training. Some of the youths have been enamoured by the idea of acquiring assault rifles, which has become a symbol of status in the Kashmir valley.

The sources said that at a recent meeting organised by the chief of Lashkar-e-Toiba in Lahore, where some religious leaders and ISI functionaries were present, a decision was taken to enroll volunteers who would be given commando training by the army experts. These commandos would be trained, before being pushed into Jammu and Kashmir or deployed at border posts.

Akali Dal (A) workers to tour Sikh villages
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, April 30 — The state unit of the Akali Dal (A) has decided to set up a committee whose members will tour villages in the Kashmir valley inhabited by Sikhs to restore confidence among them so that there was no migration.

This was stated by the state unit President, Mr Gurdev Singh, at a news conference here today. He said the Akali Dal (A) had appreciated and endorsed the decision of Kashmiri Sikhs not to migrate from the valley following the massacre of 36 of their community members in Chatti Singhpora village last month.

He said the committee members would meet prominent Muslim leaders in the valley whose services were required for building confidence among the Sikhs so that in the future also the two communities lived in peace. He said the Kashmir valley belonged as much to the Sikhs and the role of Muslims in baiting migration of Sikhs from the valley in recent weeks was highly appreciable.

Mr Gurdev Singh said during recent visit to the valley and to Chatti Singhpora had confirmed that there was no mistrust between the two communities and massacre of Sikhs in the village had been carried out by some “cunning adversaries” to synchronise with the visit of the American President, Mr Bill Clinton, to India and Pakistan and achieve some political mileage.

He appealed to the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to fulfil his commitment to order a judicial probe into the carnage. He said it would be proper if the retired Supreme Court Judge, who is to inquire into the killing of five persons in South Kashmir, was also asked to probe into the massacre.

The Akali leader endorsed the suggestion of some political leaders favouring a tripartite talks for resolving the Kashmir issue. He also urged the state government to fulfil its assurances given to the kin of those massacred in Chatti Singhpora village by giving them ex-gratia relief and jobs in government departments.

Dal Lake area widens by 3.39 sq km
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 30 — The surface area of Dal Lake has registered an increase from 11.5 sq km to 14.89 sq km during the past three years, which is being regarded as a major achievement in saving the world famous lake.

This information was given by Mr Wajahat Habibulla, Vice-Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LWDA) while addressing a seminar-cum-symposium on “Preservation of Dal Lake” at Women’s College, Nawakadal here, recently.

The inter-college symposium was organised by the Nehru Yuva Kendra in collaboration with the Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Srinagar, Directorate of Field Publicity, Government of India and Jammu and Kashmir Yateem Trust. Ten students from various degree colleges in the city participated in the symposium.

The surface area of Dal Lake was estimated at 11.5 sq km in 1997, which has gone up by 3.39 sq km this year, Mr Habibulla said. He said this was a major achievement made during the past three years to save the lake from shrinking.