J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

NC leader among 8 killed
Srinagar, July 20
A ruling National Conference leader and five militants were among eight persons killed while the security forces captured two militants and another surrendered in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours. The militants also kidnapped one person and injured three in the valley overnight, an official spokesman said.

Pilgrims’ 2nd batch reaches Pahalgam
Srinagar, July 20
The second batch of 3,771 yatris in 198 vehicles bound for the holy cave shrine of Amarnath arrived at the base camp of Pahalgam in south Kashmir today. With this, over 6,400 devotees have arrived in Pahalgam and Baltal in the past two days.

A pilgrim looks at her monkey in Jammu on Saturday. — Reuters photo

GRAPHIC: TERRORISM IN JAMMU & KASHMIR

Why Farooq chose to remain CM
Jammu, July 20
Dr Farooq Abdullah’s plan to remain in the Chief Minister’s chair and not quit politics, as he had announced only a couple of days ago, is a well calculated plan. Inside reports say that three factors weighed on him when he decided to change his stand on quitting politics and allow his son Omar Abdullah to succeed him soon after the Assembly session, which concluded in Srinagar on Friday.

• 15 security men hurt in accident

NC leader among 8 killed

Srinagar, July 20
A ruling National Conference (NC) leader and five militants were among eight persons killed while the security forces captured two militants and another surrendered in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours.

The militants also kidnapped one person and injured three in the valley overnight, an official spokesman said.

He said the militants gunned down Mohammad Afzal, an NC leader and a panch, and CID official Ishfaq Hussain at Hiltaq Darhal late last night.

They also killed a Public Health Engineering Department employee Ghulam Saber at Gambir Muglian. Mohammad Zulaf was kidnapped from his house last night.

He said the security forces killed a foreign militant Shamsher Khan of Karachi during an encounter at Chak-e-Yamah in the south Kashmir district of Anantnag last night. One AK rifle, two magazines and two grenades were recovered from the slain militant.

The security forces also killed two militants each at Hansa Gali Narkote and Dhana Lata while arrested two, along with one AK rifle, two magazines and 225 rounds, at Aram Dhakki Bubla during the last 24 hours.

The militants shot at and critically wounded Haji Ghulam Rasool and his son Liyaqat Ali Khan after kidnapping them at Hapatnar while a counter-insurgent Mustaq Ahmad received a bullet wound when the militants fired upon him at Kulgam.

Jammu: The security forces shot dead two militants in an encounter in Udhampur district in this division where the militants also set ablaze a house and a shop since Friday, official sources said here today. UNI, PTI

Pilgrims’ 2nd batch reaches Pahalgam
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 20
The second batch of 3,771 yatris in 198 vehicles bound for the holy cave shrine of Amarnath arrived at the base camp of Pahalgam in south Kashmir today. With this, over 6,400 devotees have arrived in Pahalgam and Baltal in the past two days.

An official spokesman said here that the second batch includes 3,022 men, 322 women and 14 children. As many as 413 Sadhus are also accompanying them.

The Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, who is the yatra officer, received the pilgrims at the base camp.

Nearly 1,300 pilgrims, including 317 soldiers, left Baltal and over 2,000 devotees left the base camp of Pahalgam today on their way to the cave shrine. They will have a darshan of the ice lingam of Lord Shiva on Monday.

Adequate arrangements have been made by the departments and agencies concerned for a comfortable stay of the devotees at the two base camps and all other halting stations of the hill track.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman has appealed to the Amarnath yatris to stick to their scheduled dates of registration and adopt only their specific routes for yatra to the holy cave.

The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) has provided additional 1,000 sleeping bags and an equal number of blankets for the pilgrims at the Nunwan-Pahalgam camp. The JKTDC management has also pitched tents as per the action plan at Chandanwari, Sheshnag, Panchtarni, the cave shrine and Baltal.

Why Farooq chose to remain CM
M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 20
Dr Farooq Abdullah’s plan to remain in the Chief Minister’s chair and not quit politics, as he had announced only a couple of days ago, is a well calculated plan.

Inside reports say that three factors weighed on him when he decided to change his stand on quitting politics and allow his son Omar Abdullah to succeed him soon after the Assembly session, which concluded in Srinagar on Friday.

First, the Chief Minister had become sceptical of the behind-the-screen moves by the Centre. He had received reports that the Centre was persuading separatists to take part in the Assembly poll for which efforts were being made to form a third front.

He had also gained an impression that the Centre was under pressure from his political detractors to hold the poll under Governor’s rule. He realised that despite having proved an intelligent Minister in the Centre, his son’s shoulders were too frail to face challenges from the political enemies of the NC

Secondly, he did not want his son to be in the Chief Minister’s seat for just a brief time. He may have no other alternative but to quit if the state was placed under Central rule before the elections. Omar cannot be assured of the Chief Minister’s seat after the elections because many predict the results to be unpredictable. Hence, the father saw that by bringing Omar back to the state, it could cut short his political career in the Centre.

Thirdly, senior bureaucrats and Dr Abdullah’s ministerial colleagues, who feared the axe if Omar took over as Chief Minister, mounted pressure on the Chief Minister to defer his plan of quitting politics and coronating Omar as his successor.

Senior NC leaders were a divided lot and there was an exchange of hot words between those wishing Dr Abdullah to continue and those favouring transfer of power to the young Abdullah. Dr Abdullah read the warning on the wall and feared that the party may face a split if he took to political sanyas. He is aware of the mental set-up of his son who has faith in his capacities and would not accept any dictation from his father after he was installed Chief Minister.

However, one thing seems to be certain. If the NC is voted to power in the next Assembly poll, Dr Abdullah would prefer his son succeeding him to any other NC leader taking over for him.

15 security men hurt in accident

Baramula, July 20
At least 15 security personnel were injured when the vehicle they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge at Kanzalwan yesterday evening, the police said today.

The injured have been admitted to hospital where the condition of them is stated to be critical. UNI