J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Bid to eliminate BJP leader
SRINAGAR, July 22 — A BJP leader and his family members escaped a bid on their lives, while the security forces killed seven militants in the state during the past 24 hours.

Amarnath pilgrims stranded
JAMMU, July 22 — A fresh batch of 5,561 pilgrims today left this city of temples for Amarnath pilgrimage even as over 33,000 devotees were stranded following inclement weather.

Gun no solution to J&K problem: PDP
SRINAGAR, July 22 — Former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has urged the Centre to realise that an "unconditional, meaningful and honourable dialogue" was the only way out to solve the impasse in Jammu and Kashmir.

Security scene in J&K reviewed
JAMMU, July 22 — A high-level meeting of senior Army, police and civil officers last evening reviewed the security environment in Jammu and Kashmir, especially Jammu division, in view of enhanced threat to the state.

3 of family die in house collapse
JAMMU, July 22 — Four persons, including two women, were killed and five injured when several houses collapsed following heavy rains in Udhampur, Doda and Poonch districts of Jammu region since yesterday, official reports said today.

Bid to eliminate BJP leader

SRINAGAR, July 22 (UNI) — A BJP leader and his family members escaped a bid on their lives, while the security forces killed seven militants in the state during the past 24 hours.

An official spokesman said militants attacked the house of BJP general secretary Mohammad Amin Malik at Drugmulla in the frontier district of Kupwara late last night. Guards posted there retaliated and the exchange continued for some time. Mr Malik and his family members escaped unhurt.

The spokesman said militants attacked a police post with rockets at Bihama Ganderbal late last night. The rocket missed the intended target and hit a shop. No one was injured, militants also attacked a police camp at Ranipora in south Kashmir last night with automatic weapons. There was no casualty.

The security forces killed a militant Abu Muslim in an encounter at Ganga Doori Behak in Karnah sector last night. A rifle, five magazines and 125 rounds were recovered from the slain militant.

The security forces gunned down three militants in two encounters at Bagala and Kalar Morah in Poonch district last evening. Two rifles, a gun, a pistol, a wireless set and two grenades were recovered.

The security forces arrested a militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba along with a rifle at Anantnag last night.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said troops of Romeo Force killed two militants, including Toofan Khan, a self-styled commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, during a search operation at Phulwari Gali village of Rajouri district last evening.

Two rifles, six magazines, six hand grenades and 230 rounds of ammunition were also recovered.

The spokesman said the force killed a militant Mushtaq Ahmad alias Saif-ul-Deen, at Thanamandi area last evening and recovered from him a gun with belted ammunition containing 75 rounds, a rifle along with three magazines, 11 hand grenades and 64 rounds.

Amarnath pilgrims stranded

JAMMU, July 22 (PTI) — A fresh batch of 5,561 pilgrims today left this city of temples for Amarnath pilgrimage even as over 33,000 devotees were stranded following inclement weather.

The fresh batch comprising 701 women and 58 children left in 331 vehicles, including buses, light vehicles and trucks from Jammu to Pahalgam, the base camp of the shrine, early today, a police spokesman said.

However, the pilgrims were stranded in different parts of Jammu region due to heavy rains and landslides. Incessant rains have forced the authorities to suspend the pilgrimage for the past two days. This has led to a chaotic situation in some areas in the city.

“This was done in total disregard to the safety of the pilgrims as the highway remained blocked for nine hours and was only cleared for one- way traffic following removal of a major landslide at Ramban,” leaders of Baba Amarnath Yatra Niyas Trust, a body monitoring the welfare of pilgrims, said, referring to the latest move by the authorities to send a fresh batch to the cave shrine.

With no let up in the rain along the arduous route leading to the shrine, the Amarnath Yatra remained suspended for the third successive day today with thousands of pilgrims stranded at various places in south Kashmir, a Srinagar report quoting official sources said.

The authorities have made adequate arrangements for the safety of pilgrims held up at four places between Chandanwari to the 3,880 metre high cave.

At least 3,000 pilgrims are stranded near the holy cave, 1500 each at Panchtarni, Sheshnag and Chandanwari. Efforts are on to evacuate them to the base camp at Pahalgam.

The BSF yesterday evacuated 825 pilgrims stranded at various places from Baltal route. Fifteen pilgrims who had received minor injuries were given medical aid.

The authorities stopped the month-long yatra, both from Pahalgam and Baltal routes, on Tuesday following heavy rain.

As many as 66,425 pilgrims have so far arrived in the Kashmir valley since the commencement of the yatra on July 13. Of them 51,390 have had “darshan’’ of the naturally formed ice lingam, symbol of Lord Shiva.

Gun no solution to J&K problem: PDP
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 22 — Former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has urged the Centre to realise that an "unconditional, meaningful and honourable dialogue" was the only way out to solve the impasse in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing public meetings in the Lolab area of Kupwara district yesterday, Mr Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, President of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said the Union Government and all concerned were now realising that gun was no solution to the vexed problem of Kashmir. He urged the BJP-led central government to endeavour to deal with the situation by opening a channel of communication for people of all sections of society to restore peace in the state.

He asserted that the PDP was making efforts for holding a dialogue with the alienated masses of the state. He claimed that the ruling National Conference was a "bottleneck" in any process initiated towards restoring normalcy.

Mr Sayeed said the National Conference had "exhausted its utility" and was harping on "hollow slogans" while the law and order situation had deteriorated to the extent that the Army, police and security force camps were being attacked by the suicidal squads, while custodial deaths, fake encounters, molestation of women and harassment of common masses had become the order of the day. He said a strong political will was needed to restore peace in the troubled-torn state.

Mr Sayeed’s daughter and former CLP leader, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, said the bullet for bullet policy had not given any tangible results. She claimed that vested interests in Delhi and in the ruling NC were, not responding to this logical suggestion and were interested in prolonging the atmosphere of uncertainty in the state.

Security scene in J&K reviewed

JAMMU, July 22 (PTI) — A high-level meeting of senior Army, police and civil officers last evening reviewed the security environment in Jammu and Kashmir, especially Jammu division, in view of enhanced threat to the state.

The meeting, chaired by Lieut-General A.S. Khanna at Nagrota near here, formalised measures for better coordination between the civil administration and the security forces to fight and uproot Pakistan-sponsored terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said here today.

A plan of action, particularly in view of the change in Pakistan’s strategy and the recent migration of some villagers to occupied Kashmir (PoK), were also discussed.

Emphasis was laid on intelligence and operational aspects so as to foil infiltration attempts by terrorists and thwart the nefarious designs of Pakistan’s ISI, he said.

Other issues such as security measures for the ongoing Amarnath yatra and the forthcoming Independence Day were also discussed.

3 of family die in house collapse

JAMMU, July 22 (PTI) — Four persons, including two women, were killed and five injured when several houses collapsed following heavy rains in Udhampur, Doda and Poonch districts of Jammu region since yesterday, official reports said today.

Three members of a family died and another was injured, when their house collapsed at Sargh-Mahore village in Udhampur district late last night, reports from district headquarters said.

A teenager died when a portion of his house fell in the Dul area of Doda district early today.

Four houses collapsed in Paddar, Banihal and Thatri since yesterday, injuring two girls, reports said.

A report from Poonch said six houses and some cowsheds collapsed in heavy rains injuring one.

J & K highway reopened partially

JAMMU, July 22 (PTI) — The 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which remained closed since last evening at Ramban due to landslides following heavy rains, has been reopened today, a police control room official said here today.

The highway had been opened only for one-way traffic till the entire length was cleared, the official said.