J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Another haul of RDX in J&K
SRINAGAR, July 18 — The Jammu and Kashmir police seized 70 kg of RDX here. A police spokesman said 70 kg of RDX were seized from the hand-cart of one Mohammad Shafi Khan, alias Mushtaq, at Babademb here yesterday.

Dusk-to-dawn curfew in Rajouri belt
RAJOURI, July 18 — Dusk-to-dawn restrictions have been imposed on the movement of people in the 5-km border belt of Rajouri district for two months.

Poor, beautiful Pahalgam
PAHALGAM, July 18 — The Pahalgam valley at an altitude of 7200 ft is covered with lush green trees and snow-clad mountains. The valley because of its big pastures and meadows was used by shepherds to graze their flocks hence the name in Kashmiri Pahal (Shepherd) and Gam (village).

Another haul of RDX in J&K
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 18 — The Jammu and Kashmir police seized 70 kg of RDX here. A police spokesman said 70 kg of RDX were seized from the hand-cart of one Mohammad Shafi Khan, alias Mushtaq, at Babademb here yesterday.

The suspected person, Mohammad Shafi Khan from Challangund in Kupwara district, was also apprehended. The suspect was being interrogated, the spokesman said. This is within a day after the security forces seized 315 kg of RDX, the largest haul of the explosive from the capital city.

Unidentified militants shot dead the wife of Abdul Rashid Khanday when they intruded into their house at Bhagwa in Doda district of Jammu region. The militants dragged the woman out of the house and shot her dead.

An encounter took place between the militants and the security forces at Nika Manjadi Nar in Harni sector of Poonch district. A woman was injured in the exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces. Till the last reports came in the operation was still in progress, the police said.

An encounter took place between militants and the security forces at Tarhama, Magam in Budgam district in Kashmir. Till the last reports came in the encounter was going on.

The SOG of the police today apprehended five persons from different places in Srinagar and Shopia.

JAMMU: Four dreaded militants were killed by the security forces in different encounters in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri on Tuesday. For the first time, the Army eliminated a Turkey-based militant in Darhal area of Rajouri, an Army spokesman said.

He said that based on an intelligence report about the movement of militants, the Army launched a seek-and-destroy operation around Dadal area in Sunderbani sector on Monday night. The Army soldiers noticed the movement in the area and in the ensuing encounter two militants were eliminated. Their identity is being ascertained.

In another incident the Romeo Force killed one foreign mercenary, Abu Waqash Tahir, and injured another of Harkat-ul-Jamait Islami at Dhara Mohra near Surankot in Poonch district.

Meanwhile, in another incident the security forces eliminated a dreaded foreign mercenary, Umar Turki of Turkey, near Darhal in Rajouri.

Dusk-to-dawn curfew in Rajouri belt

RAJOURI, July 18 (UNI) — Dusk-to-dawn restrictions have been imposed on the movement of people in the 5-km border belt of Rajouri district for two months.

District Magistrate B.A. Runyal has imposed the curfew under Section 144 of the Cr PC in the border belt of the district for maintenance of security and protection of lives and property of the citizens.

Movement in case of emergency or for farming purposes in the area will be allowed on written permission from the District Magistrate/ Additional District Magistrate. However, the restrictions will not be applicable to members of the armed forces, paramilitary organisations, the police and other employees duly authorised by the district authority.

Poor, beautiful Pahalgam
From Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

PAHALGAM, July 18 — The Pahalgam valley at an altitude of 7200 ft is covered with lush green trees and snow-clad mountains. The valley because of its big pastures and meadows was used by shepherds to graze their flocks hence the name in Kashmiri Pahal (Shepherd) and Gam (village). Two nullahs, one from the Kolahoi glacier and other from the Sheshnag spring on the trek to the Amarnath cave, come together in Pahalgam town and flow as the Liddar through the valley.

Even as the place is known throughout the country for the Amarnath pilgrimage and as a scenic spot, the small village of Pahalgam and its peasants are unknown.

“The state government is considering measures to modernise Pahalgam village”, said a state official. The 1 km distance between the village and the town provides views of extreme poverty and prosperity. The village is inhabited by 1422 peasants. They survive on a meagre maize crop.

There are several other scenic spots around the valley. These include Aroo, Kolahoi glaciers, Lidderwath, Chandanwari, Sheshnag, Baisaran and Tulvan Lake and trekking routes for Baltal-Sonmar via Panjtarni and for Panikhar, Kargil via Sheshnag.

“It has become a slum”, said Abdul Rashid a state official working in Pahalgam town, referring to Pahalgam village. “The people are backward and uneducated. They are only dependent on tourism”, he adds. There is Government High School, the only government building in the village. There are only 10 teachers for 450 students. “We cannot afford to send our children to colleges at Anantnag, 45 km away, says Nazir Ahmad another government official. There are only some class IV employees from the village. The cultivation of maize is not adequate for our livelihood”, says Mohammad Yaqoob Sheikh. The locals make some money from tourists during the summer, says Nazir Ahmad, a villager.

The glittering of lights in the tent colony and langars last till the Amarnath Yatra. There is “no proper arrangement of power supply”, complain the villagers. Flood lights and streetlights are set up for the Yatra period only.

The work on the local 5 MW-power project had been started two decades ago, but it is yet incomplete. Roads to eight villages from here are in a bad condition, complain the villagers.

“There is no filtration plant”, says Merajuddin, a sweeper. “The water pipes pull water from the stream, says Nazir Ahmad Sheikh. When there is rain, muddy water comes in water supply pipes”. “But a proper cleaning is undertaken only during the Yatra period”, he adds.