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Tuesday,
May 7, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Infiltration
bid; 5 ultras killed Civil
secretariat reopens amid security
PoK
refugees await Assembly poll |
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4 Cong
leaders join PDP Schoolteachers
on strike in Kashmir JD (U)
threat to boycott J&K poll
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Infiltration bid; 5 ultras killed
Jammu, May 6 Troops foiled an infiltration bid, killing three militants after they sneaked into the Indian side in the Salothi area of Poonch district last night, they said, adding that an Army jawan lost his life in the encounter. Some arms and ammunition, including three AK-type rifles, were recovered from the slain militants, they said. In another encounter, the security forces shot dead two ultras at Manwali village in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district last evening, they said. Reports from Rajouri district said an encounter between the security forces and militants took place in the Sangali area. Baramula: A complete strike was observed in Baramula which affected normal life in the town in protest against the alleged entry of the security forces into a mosque in the wee hours on Monday. Shops and other business establishments in the town and adjacent areas remained closed though there was no “hartal” call from any organisation. The police had to use force to disperse stone-pelting demonstrators in the town. The demonstrators alleged that some security force personnel had entered the mosque at Ganai Mohalla and damaged doors and windows. They alleged that a Maulavi was also manhandled by the security personnel. However, the authorities denied that the security forces entered any mosque in the town.
PTI, UNI |
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Civil secretariat reopens amid security
Srinagar, May 6 The secretariat and other offices, which were closed in the summer capital of Jammu on April 24, reopened here with full attendance. There was no call for strike from any separatist or political organisation on the reopening of the secretariat, as had been done in the past. State Chief Secretary I.S. Malhi and other heads of departments were seen visiting different offices and meeting employees in the secretariat. There was tight security cover in and around the secretariat. Roadblocks were erected and passengers and private vehicles were being searched at several places in the city. A BSF official at Jawahar Nagar said they had directions to check all vehicles before allowing them to move towards Tulsi Bagh and other areas of the city. Inspector-General of Police K. Rajinder Kumar said, “We have information that militants have received fresh instructions from their mentors from across the border to enhance the level of violence in the valley.’’ He said messages had also been intercepted from across the border, directing militants here to cause explosions and grenade attacks in the city, particularly on the civil secretariat and police headquarters. “We have taken all necessary measures to block any attack on the secretariat or any other important building,’’ he said , adding that security forces had been deployed at all high-rise buildings. Militants had plans to target the convoy of officials and trucks carrying government files and other records from Jammu, he said. He added that because of precautionary steps and the initiative of security forces jointly on the highway, ‘we could keep militants away successfully’.
UNI
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PoK refugees await Assembly poll Jammu, May 6 The president of the SOS, an organisation set up to safeguard the interests of about 12 lakh PoK refugees, settled in the Jammu region, Mr Rajib Chuni, said to mediapersons here today: “We have been given a raw deal by the successive state and the union governments since 1947. We have decided to issue a white paper on the promise breakers among the politicians and vote against them in the next Assembly elections. Mr Chuni demanded that at least 10 per cent reservation should be provided for the wards of the refugees in professional colleges, training institutions and the government and public undertaking services. The government had a Rs 2,600-crore plan for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits and a package on the same lines be formulated for the refugees, Mr Chuni added. The Custodian-General of Evacuee Property be converted into a department so that it registered “our claims for adequate compensation for the immovable property left behind in PoK at the time of Partition.” He said 24 seats in the state Assembly had been kept vacant for representatives from the PoK and the government should give a practical shape to it and implement the resolution of Parliament seeking liberation of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. He demanded Rs 10 lakh for every refugee family for the construction of houses as most of them were living in subhuman conditions. He said the SOS had filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The court had suggested that “we should approach the state and the union governments for the settlement of our claims.” He said, “As per the court advice we had sent copies of memorandum to the Cabinet Secretary, Union Home Secretary and the Human Resource Development Ministry 20 days ago but to no avail.” |
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4 Cong leaders join PDP
Srinagar, May 6 Meanwhile, four Congress leaders, including district president Abdul Gani, joined the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headed by the former minister. Addressing a public meeting at Kulgam in south Kashmir this afternoon, Mr Sayeed charged the NC government with being anti-people and anti-poor. He said the people of the valley had rejected bullets and expressed faith in ballots during 1996 assembly elections with the hope that their problems would be solved. But he alleged that funds received from the Centre for poverty alleviation were misused by ministers and other ruling party functionaries. He said several crore of Rupees received from the Centre for people of neglected and backward sections of the society were diverted to provide luxuries to ruling party leaders. He also charged the ruling party, headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah, with using POTA and the SOG to suppress the voice of the people. He said the state government had given a free hand to the SOG and other security forces to commit attrocities, including rape, kill people in custody and torture people. He appealed to people to join the protest demonstration being organised by his party across the valley on May 18 in protest against POTA and the SOG.
UNI |
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Schoolteachers
on strike in Kashmir Srinagar, May 6 A spokesman for the forum said the decision was taken after the state government failed to redress the grievances of the teachers. He alleged that nothing had been done to address the problems of the teachers despite written assurances by the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah. The forum threatened to intensify the agitation if the state government did not stop its ‘’anti-teachers’’ policies. Hundreds of teachers also staged a demonstration at Partap Park, near here, in support of their demands which includes time-bound promotions to senior grade, leave encashment and regularisation of teachers working on migrant posts. A spokespersons of the forum said the shutdown was total in all schools across the valley.
UNI |
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JD (U) threat to
boycott J&K poll Srinagar, May 6 The JD(U) has threatened to keep away from the elections if these were not held under the Governor’s rule after dismissing the National Conference government. Earlier, the APHC had announced that it would boycott the poll as “election or selection” would not help to resolve the Kashmir issue. “With Abdullah at the helm of affairs, chances of free-and-fair elections are bleak,” Mr G.M. Shah said.
UNI |
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