The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	NC, BJP sabotaged Sonia’s visit: Mahajan Tribune News Service Jammu, February 17 The Congress has accused the state and the Central Governments of having “sabotaged” the scheduled Jammu visit of the AICC President Sonia Gandhi on the pretext that the security situation did not favour her trip. Lashing out at the BJP and the National Conference NC, Mr Sat Mahajan, a senior Congress leader who has also been appointed as party observer, told newsmen here today that these parties manipulated security reasons which forced Ms Gandhi to cancel her election tour to the city. Mr Mahajan claimed that if Ms Gandhi had been allowed to visit Jammu it could have further affected the position of the NC and the BJP. The Congress leader also berated the policies of the NC and the BJP-led NDA regime which “had been instrumental in providing opportunities to militants in carrying out carnages in the region. In this context, he referred to the massacre of eight persons at a village in Rajouri last night and said it was the responsibility of the NC and the BJP leaders who had not formulated a specific plan for providing security cover in sensitive areas. Mr Mahajan expressed surprise over the Union Civil Supplies Minister Shanta Kumar’s statement that he had provided 800 tonnes of foodgrains for the border migrants but the state government had not lifted it. He criticised the NC leadership for not having provided any insurance package to the border migrants whose cattle and crop had been destroyed in the Pak shelling. Mr Mahajan demanded suitable relief and rehabilitation programme for the border migrants.
	Restore pre-1953 position: NC Srinagar, February 17 Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling National Conference demanded immediate restoration of the pre-1953 position in the state and resumption of talks between India and Pakistan to resolve all issues. Addressing party workers, provisional president of the NC Ghulam Nabi Shaheen here said the party would fight for immediate restoration of the pre-1953 position and internal autonomy. He said his party was for peaceful resolution of issues between India and Pakistan. Appreciating the recent statement of the party President and Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah that the USA can play a greater role in Indo-Pak relations, Mr Shaheen said the two neighbouring countries should immediately resume dialogue to settle all issues peacefully in the interest of regional peace and stability. He also condemned the killing of a government employee at Baramula allegedly by security forces recently. Mr Shaheen also criticised former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Prof Saif-ud-in Soz for their alleged anti-Kashmir policies. He said Mr Mufti was responsible for the bullet for bullet policy when he was Home Minister while Mr Soz was responsible for damaging shahtoosh and fur industry in the state as Forest Minister. UNI
	Gupta: NC denying citizenship rights to refugees Jammu, February 17 Union Minister of State for Food Processing Chaman Lal Gupta today accused the ruling National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir of denying citizenship rights to refugees from Pakistan and failing to solve the problems of displaced persons, including those from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Speaking at election meetings at several places in border areas of R.S. Pura and Samba areas of the district, Mr Gupta said it was a strange situation that for those persons who had gone to Pakistan in 1947, the state government had not only created a special department to guard their properties, but their citizenship in J and K had also been retained, although they had become Pakistani citizens. Moreover, a resettlement act had been adopted to facilitate their return but those persons who had entered the state 53 years ago, were being denied the citizenship rights, he said, adding that this policy of NC speaks volumes about the secular credentials of this party, he said. In this regards, the BJP leader assailed the Congress, which was in coalition with the NC for so many years in this state, had not initiated any step to solve this problem. He said lakhs of displaced persons from PoK and also from the Kashmir valley were being ignored. PTI
	Congress asks EC to enforce poll code Jammu, February 17 All-India Congress Committee Secretary Satyajitsinh Gaekwad has expressed concern at the violation of the election code of conduct by government employees in the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary byelection and urged the Election Commission to implement electioneering rules in the state strictly. In a statement issued here today, Mr Gaekwad alleged that a police officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police had called a meeting of sarpanches and panches and threatened that if they did not support the National Conference, they would have to face dire consequences. The Congress leader alleged that such actions by a police officer may create a law and order problem in the entire constituency “for which the government will be responsible and it is a condemnable act on the part of the state government”. Mr Gaekwad urged the Election Commission as well as the Chief Secretary of the state to initiate stern action against the errant police officer who had violated the code of conduct. UNI
	400 ultras waiting to enter J&K Jammu, February 17 About 400 terrorists who have been trained at 12 training camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) have massed on the twenty-one “launching pads’’ across the Line of Control (LoC) and are eagerly awaiting firecover from the Pakistan army to infiltrate into Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Authoritative security sources told UNI here today that recent inputs revealed that these ultras had recently completed their ‘training modules’ in PoK and had been equipped with heavy weaponry by the ISI to carry out subversive strikes in Jammu and Kashmir, in particular, and India, in general. “Our reports suggest that five ‘jehadi’ groups have emerged as the frontline outfits in recruiting, training and equipping these ultras who are mostly in the age group of 18 to 25 years. These outfits are Lashkar-e-Toiba Jaish-e-Mohammad, Al Badr, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami. Their modus operandi is simple. They lure illiterate boys from poor families in Pakistan and brainwash them to fight in Kashmir. The surprising aspect is that those fighting are unaware of the cause they are espousing. This is what we gathered from captured ultras,’’ the sources said. UNI
	Gulmarg skiing event concludes Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service Gulmarg, February 17 The first three-day Gulmarg Ski Cup, in which over 200 skiers participated, concluded here yesterday. The event concluded amid a heavy snowfall. The event that followed a series of training camps in skiing for school and college students since the first snowfall last month, was concluded with a prize-distribution function. The Minister for Industries, Dr Mustafa Kamal, and the Minister of State Tourism, Ms Sakina Itoo, were among those present on the occasion. “These events are being conducted to give boost to the tourism sector, which has suffered a lot due to militancy over the past decade,” said an official of the Tourism Department. The ski cup was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department in collaboration with the Winter Games association. Addressing the gathering, Ms Itoo said holding the ski cup was an indication of improvement in the situation. This, she said, needed to be reflected through the media to project a positive image of the state. Enumerating the steps taken for the festival of tourism in the state, Ms Itoo said the infrastructure had been improved. She said thanks to the recent snowfall, the department was in a position to conduct winter games like skiing at Gulmarg. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kamal said before the onset of militancy, tourism was the mainstay of the state’s economy and 1.5 million people were earning their livelihood from the industry. Elaborating on the steps taken to promote winter sports at Gulmarg and other events in the state, the minister said these efforts had extended the tourist season to 200 days from 100 days. He said the state had the necessary infrastructure for all types of winter sports and imported equipment worth Rs 6 crore was available with the Tourism Department and other agencies at Gulmarg. The minister asked the Tourism authorities to arrange travel expenses for a local youth who has been invited to Austria to take part in winter sports there.
	Fresh snowfall in Kashmir Srinagar, February 17 High altitude areas of the Kashmir valley, including almost all famous health resorts, received fresh snowfall, while plains were intermittently lashed by rains since last night, bringing a much-needed change in the temperatures. The maximum as well as minimum temperatures were recorded above normal today as the cold wave, which was sweeping the valley for the last couple of weeks, ended with the fresh snowfall and rains. Snowfall started on the mountains surrounding the Kashmir valley and high altitude areas, including famous health resorts of Gulmarg and Khilanmarg in north, Pahalgam, Kokernag and Duksum in south Kashmir and Yousmarg on the outskirts of Srinagar last night, weather office said. The holy cave shrine of Amarnath, 46 km from pahalgam in south Kashmir, also witnessed fresh snowfall. While it snowed in the upper reaches of Kupwara and Baramula districts in north, Pulwama and Anantnag in south and Badgam in central, Srinagar city and other plain areas were lashed by intermittent rains throughout the day. The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was also lashed by snow and rains during the day today, but the traffic on the highway remained undisrupted. The mountains around Banihal town on the highway witnessed fresh snowfall, while Qazigund and Jawahar tunnel areas were lashed by rains, reports reaching here said. About five to eight feet of snow already exists on ground in the high altitude areas and the fresh snowfall was viewed as a good omen by the agriculturists who are hoping for a better season ahead after a long dry spell of eight years. The maximum temperature recorded in Srinagar was 8.5°C, one degree above normal, while the minimum further improved and was recorded 4°C which is five degrees above normal, weather office said. PTI