J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

3 BSF men killed in blast 
JAMMU, Oct 9 — Three BSF men were killed and four others were wounded in an improvised explosive device blast that partially wrecked a bus near Khooni Nallah on the Jammu-Srinagar highway today.

J & K Houses begin session 
SRINAGAR, Oct 9 — Both Houses of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature made obituary references to Begum Akbar Jehan, Zainab Begum, P.R. Kumaramanglam and Justice I.K. Kotwal here this morning.

Shah for tripartite talks 
SRINAGAR, Oct 9 — Claiming that the gun had “done its job”, the Awami National Conference President Mr G.M. Shah, has favoured tripartite talks for a peaceful solution to the Kashmir problems.

3 BSF men killed in blast 
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Oct 9 — Three BSF men were killed and four others were wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast that partially wrecked a bus near Khooni Nallah on the Jammu-Srinagar highway today.

The DIG police, Mr S.N. Misra, said that the bus, carrying over 40 BSF personnel, was coming from Srinagar to Jammu.As it reached near Khooni Nallah an IED, whichhad been planted by militants, exploded damaging the bus partially. Three BSF men were killed on the spot.

He said four BSF personnel suffered wounds and they were admitted to hospital. The police and the BSF carried out rescue operations and another team of security personnel was rushed to launch a hunt for the killers.

The police said today’s IED blast was fourth in a row during the past over one year. The rebels have been targeting security vans and buses on the highway and the usual spot has been between Banihal and Kud. In three IED blasts during the past eight months the BSF has lost 17 soldiers. Even the Army and CRPF vehicles have been targeted on the highway.

Meanwhile one civilian was killed and two others were wounded in the Pakistan firing in the border village of Kot Kuba in the R.S. Pora sector last night.

According to police reports, a marriage party had reached Kot Kuba, in a Matador, the members of the marriage party were getting ready to leave for the village where the wedding was to be solemnised. When Pakistani troops opened fire, the driver of the Matador Raj Singh was killed and two members of the party were wounded.

SRINAGAR (PTI): Seven militants and two security personnel were among 10 persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesman said here today.

A militant belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen was killed when police assisted by the Army raided his hideout at Ganai Mohalla village in Kupwara district today, he said.

Another militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in a gun fight with security forces at Watnar village in the Kokernag area last night, he said.

In another encounter, a Jaish-e-Mohammad militant and a security jawan were killed and another personnel injured when security forces confronted a group of militants at Jandrola village in Poonch district last evening.

The troops confronted the fleeing militants again at Shahpur forest, killing three of them, he said, adding that the search to locate the other members of the group was on.

The spokesman said a militant was killed in an encounter with security forces at Seel-Bhandas in Doda district last night. Another encounter took place between militants and security forces at Kotal in Doda killing a security man, he said.

Some unidentified gunmen shot dead a village head in Baramulla district last night.

The police arrested one militant from Srinagar and another from the Pampore area of Pulwama yesterday. 

J & K Houses begin session 
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Oct 9 — Both Houses of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature made obituary references to Begum Akbar Jehan, Zainab Begum, P.R. Kumaramanglam and Justice I.K. Kotwal here this morning.

The special 10th session of the two houses, first after the autonomy session held in June this year, is scheduled to continue till October 16.

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, made references to the demise of the mother of the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, and senior National Conference leader, Begum Akbar Jehan, Zainab Begum, a former state minister, Mr P.R. Kumaramanglam, former Union Power Minister and Justice I.K. Kotwal.

In his address, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, said his mother was longing for peace between India and Pakistan. He said Begum Akbar Jehan believed in the equality of all religions. She had concern for the downtrodden and illiterate masses of the state.

The Chief Minister said she was a religious person, who believed in equality of all the people and worked for the uplift of the poor.

Referring to the sad demise of the former Power Minister, Mr P.K. Kumaramanglam, the Chief Minister said that the minister had great love for the development of all sections of society and had great concern for the improvement of the power sector in the state. But in his death, the Chief Minister said the country had lost a worker and the state a great sympathiser. He also referred to the sad demise of Justice I.K. Kotwal and Zainab Begum, sister of the former Chief Minister Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq.

At the end of the 75-minute brief sitting of the Legislative Assembly, a two-minute silence was observed to pay homage to the departed souls.

In his references, the Speaker of the House, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, lauded the role of Begum Akbar Jehan, who worked with Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah to end the autocracy and uplift the poor in the state. She worked for freedom of expression, education and uplift of the orphans and widows.

Eight other members belonging to different political parties also paid tributes to the departed leaders. Those who spoke in the Legislative Assembly included Mr Ashok Khajuria, BJP, Mr Tara Chand, Congress, Mr Sheikh Abdul Rehman, BSP, Mr Harsh Dev Singh, Panthers Party, Mohammad Yusuf Parray, Awami League, Jagdish Raj Dubey, Janata Dal, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, CPM.

In the Legislative Council, several National Conference leaders mourned the death of the Madare-Mehrban, Begum Akbar Jehan, Zainab Begum, P.R. Kumaramanglam and Justice I.K. Kotwal.

Shah for tripartite talks 
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Oct 9 — Claiming that the gun had “done its job”, the Awami National Conference (ANC), President Mr G.M. Shah, has favoured tripartite talks for a peaceful solution to the Kashmir problems.

“Peace will arise from a permanent tripartite settlement of the problem for which a conducive atmosphere is required to be created first”, Mr Shah stated after a day’s meeting of the central executive committee of the Awami National Conference (ANC). He said that the “dialogue must be necessarily held in an atmosphere of openness, sincerity and with the best interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and the two contending parties, viz the Government of India and Pakistan in mind”.

Mr Shah, addressing mediapersons at the ANC headquarters said his party was deeply committed to create a conducive atmosphere to bridge the chasm between the two neighbours, whose friendship was the only way out in a situation pregnant with a nuclear holocaust. He said the alienation of the people was deep yet the people were willing to give peace and democracy a chance. He sought to”channelise this urge towards a creative and permanent solution and resolution of our intricate problems”.

The former Chief Minister announced that the ANC would launch a “mass contact programme” followed by public meetings in the state. It would also invite all political parties of the state for working out a consensus on the resolution of the Kashmir problem.

Reacting to the recent statement of the Hurriyat Conference Chairman, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, Mr Shah said sending of separate APHC teams to India and Pakistan would lead to the tripartite talks. He said the Kashmir issue was a political issue “well understood” by the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen S. Padmanabhan. The Army Chief here last week said that the situation in Kashmir had a political background and needed a political solution.

Referring to the autonomy resolution Mr G.M. Shah urged the Chief Minister to bring a Bill on the autonomy issue in the House.