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Tuesday,
August 6, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Talks offer: separatists react with caution Major hurt in Pak shelling dies 12 injured in Rajouri blast |
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Probe
killing of 36 securitymen: VHP Mismanagement, truant monsoon force power cuts in J&K Embarking points for Haj increased to 12
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Talks offer: separatists react with caution Jammu, August 5 While the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) Chairman, Mr Shabir Ahmed Shah, described the establishment of the Kashmir Committee as a “positive step”, the Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, said “we are not prepared to discuss Assembly elections.” He, however, said he was prepared to have a broad discussion with the committee members but “I know it will not serve any purpose.” He said unless talks were held for the settlement of the Kashmir issue, the election “will be a meaningless exercise.” He told TNS he had made it clear on several occasions that “our organisation will not participate in the election which is an exercise for government making.” On the contrary Mr Shabir Shah said he would be available to meet the committee members whenever a formal invitation was received by him. He said “I believe that all issues can be resolved through sustained dialogue.” Mr Shah suggested that the committee members be permitted to visit Pakistan and the PoK for talks. He also advised the Government of India to invite Sardar Abdul Qayoom Khan, a former Prime Minister of occupied Kashmir, to New Delhi to discuss ways for ending the 54-year-old deadlock. The DFP chief said he would invite Mr Jethmalani and other Kashmir Committee members to Srinagar to have on the spot assessment of the ground realities. However, Prof Abdul Bhat said if Delhi was serious on the settlement of the Kashmir issue and its allied matters the Prime Minister should set up an official committee. “I have nothing personal against the committee headed by Mr Jethmalani, which has eminent people as its members, but since it lacks the government support dialogue with it may not prove a meaningful exercise,” he said. Meanwhile, the option of holding the Assembly poll under the Central rule has not yet been closed. Even the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, who on Saturday had ruled out imposition of the Governor’s rule for the time being told supporters of the Governor’s rule that it was up to the Election Commission of India to decide on the conduct of the poll. The PCC President, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, and the Peoples’ Democratic Party chief, Mr Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, besides the BJP have been arguing in favour of holding the poll under the Governor’s rule. Inside reports said during his recent meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, Mr Sayeed conveyed to him in clear terms that free and fair poll would be possible “only under the Central rule.” Mr Azad had supported Mr Sayeed contention by saying that “poll under the Farooq regime will never be free and fair.” Reports said the Centre had taken cognisance of this demand and the one relating to the haste shown in fixing the
poll schedule. Even Mr Jethmalani had criticised the Centre for having decided to hold poll in September and October. Those keen to ensure participation of separatists in the poll had argued that the postponement of the poll was necessary for giving time to the separatists and the government mediators to come to some settlement. Supporters of the Peoples’ Conference, who have surfaced in large numbers after the assassination of Mr Abdul Gani Lone, have started mounting pressure on Mr Sajjad Lone and his brother Bilal Lone, to field candidates in the Assembly poll so that “they had not to face discrimination under the Farooq regime.” But Lone brothers needed time to decide on the matter which, according to party sources, was denied to them by the government announcement of the poll schedule. |
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Major hurt in Pak shelling dies
Srinagar, August 5 The officer, Major Sylvester Rajesh Ratnam of 21-Jat regiment who was critically injured on Friday last succumbed to the injuries, the sources said. The sources said 30-year-old Major was among six soldiers injured in the heavy Pakistani shelling on a forward post. All of them had evacuated to the Army base hospital here where the officer breathed his last. The condition of other injured jawans was stated to be stable, they said. The sources said the body of the officer, who was commissioned on September 5, 1998, was flown to his native place in Bangalore today. Meanwhile, after a brief lull, Pakistani troops again started targeting forward posts and villages along the Line of Control in Baramulla and Kupwara districts today. The shelling from across the border resumed in Gurez, Kanzalwan, Uri sectors of Baramulla and Machil, Keran and Tangdhar in Kupwara this morning, official sources said. The sources described the shelling as “intermittent” and said the Army also fired back in retaliation to silence the Pakistani guns. There was no report of any casualty or damage to property in the fresh shelling, the sources said. Jammu: Artillery duels between Indian and Pakistani troops along Line of the Control were continuing in Battalick and Drass sectors of the Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday, a defence spokesman said here on Monday. Pakistani troops continued to target forward Indian positions in Battalick and Drass sectors, he said adding that the Indian troops retaliated effectively. However, there was no reports of any loss or damage on the Indian side during the artillery duels between two sides till this morning, the spokesman for the Northern Command said. Reports of low intensity exchange of mortar shelling between Indian and Pakistani troops were also received from the Jhangar area of Noushera sector in Rajouri district last night without any damage on the Indian side, the spokesman added. Sporadic exchange of small arms firing also took place along Indo-Pakistan border in Kanachak, Akhnoor and Khour sectors of Jammu district during the past 24 hours, official sources said here. PTI
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12 injured in Rajouri blast
Jammu, August 5 Highly placed security sources said ultras hurled a powerful hand grenade from the roof of a house, targeting the Jhullah bridge in Rajouri town, around 12.45 pm this afternoon. The grenade missed the intended target and exploded in Malik market on a corner of bridge, resulting in injuries to 12 persons, including a security force jawan. One of the critically injured, identified as Sohib Akhtar Malik, was airlifted to Government Medical College, Jammu. The other injured were admitted in the district hospital of Rajouri. Srinagar: Six militants, including a Hizbul Mujahideen commander, were among seven persons killed in the Kashmir valley overnight. A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said troops of the 9th Battalion, on a lead from a source, cordoned off Drabgan village in Pulwama district this morning to nab the militants. When the troops were about to storm a particular house, they came under heavy fire from militants. They retaliated and in the two-hour clash, two militants, including a self-styled commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, were killed, he said. Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were seized from the slain militants. Official sources said security forces also gunned down two more militants at Bulgam Keran in Kupwara district while another ultra was killed at Handwara last evening during search operations. One AK rifle, three magazines, 49 rounds, one rocket and six RPG were seized from the slain militants. A foreign militant was killed by security forces at Krimhoria in the same district last night. One AK rifle, four magazines, 68 rounds and two grenades were seized from the slain militant. Meanwhile, militants shot dead Shabir Ahmad Ahenger at Zadi masjid in the downtown city this afternoon. Militants fired a couple of rifle grenades in the Haftchinar area near Bakshi stadium late last night. The grenades, however, exploded near the Iqbal Park, causing injuries to two civilians. It was not immediately known what the target of the militants was as a police station in Shergrahi and a security force camp in the Bakshi stadium, besides an Army camp, are located in the same area. UNI
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Probe killing
of 36 securitymen: VHP Jammu, August 5 The demand was contained in a resolution adopted at a meeting of the VHP presided over by Dr Ramakant Dubey, president of the party, here last evening. The resolution while expressing concern over increase in the killing of police personnel suspected a “foul” play in despatching young police officials from the Jammu region to take on the militants without providing them proper weapons and safety kits, including bullet-proof jackets. Dr Dubey said in the recent operations against the militants in the Raika forest belt, on the outskirts of Jammu, young police officials, including special police officers, who were yet to be fully trained in fighting militants, were sent to the area without bullet-proof jackets and sophisticated weapons. He alleged that the way the militants were assisted in travelling from Rajouri to Sidhra, near Rajiv Nagar, where on July 13 rebels killed 28 civilians, and their stay in a house of an influential person near Sidhra needed to be probed by the CBI or by a judicial commission. Dr Dubey referred to the killing of three police officials in the Raika forest belt and said two of them had received bullet wounds in their chests. Another official, still in the hospital, had to undergo a major surgery in which part of his lungs were removed. The VHP demanded adequate compensation to the next of the kin of those killed while fighting militants. |
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Mismanagement, truant monsoon force Jammu, August 5 Power cuts have become a routine affair here due to mismanagement in the Electricity Department where leakage of major portion of the revenue is an accepted thing. Besides the normal power cut of six hours, undeclared shutdowns take people unawares even at night. The government move to install electronic power meters in various localities is being resisted by the people and the decision may reportedly be shelved due to the coming Assembly election. Power generation by various projects in the state is falling day by day as the discharge of the rivers due to the failure of the monsoon has been reduced considerably. Against the daily requirement of
nearly 1500 mws of power in the state, only 500 mws was available from all sources. The problem has been compounded due to shutdown of the 105 mws Lower Jhelum Hydroelectric project damaged three months ago. The 480 mws Uri Hydel Project in the Kashmir valley was generating around 170 mws of electricity and fall of five mws in power generation daily has been the cause of concern. Against the installed capacity of 250 mws of the projects of the state government, only 60 mws of power was being generated. The state government, it is learnt, was overdrawing 250 mws of power daily from the northern grid to cope with the crisis. The northern grid authorities reportedly cautioned the state government against overdrawal beyond the allocation of 500 mws. Although the state government has to pay arrears of over Rs 400 crore to the northern grid, but steps are not being taken to realise the bills on the basis of actual consumption from the consumers. The Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Power, Mr S.S. Salathia, told The Tribune that there were reports that certain power department employees were instigating the consumers to resist the installation of electronic meters in their areas. Successive governments have not taken steps to check power thefts the number of which may have reached a record high in Jammu and Kashmir. Due to power crisis, sale of inverters has gone up. An inverter is being sold along with battery for between Rs 7000 and Rs 11,500. Almost every household here has installed an inverter to beat power cuts. The position is the worst in rural areas where power supply remains disrupted for days together due to defective transformers. |
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Embarking
points for Haj increased to 12 Srinagar, August 5 The Chairman of the All-India Haj Committee, Mr Tanvir Ahmad, said here today that the committee endeavoured to construct one Haj house at each embarking point where pilgrims could be provided better board and lodging facilities. He was speaking at the conclusion of the extended All-India Haj Conference here today, which took several important decisions with regard to providing facilities to the pilgrims during the Haj-2003. The conference, the first of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir was scheduled for one day, but extended on the suggestions of the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, to discuss various issues. The Chairman said that various economy measures taken during the past few years which include an increase in the number of embarking points and change of currency mode had resulted in a saving of about Rs 5,000 per pilgrim. He said effort of the building selection team for hiring accommodation at Mecca was to acquire the nearest possible building to Haram-Sharief where the maximum possible facilities were available for the pilgrims. He said the rates of the building selection committee of India were much lower as compared to other countries. The Counsul-General of India in Jeddah also spoke on the occasion. He gave a detailed account of the measures being taken to provide the best possible facilities to the Haj pilgrims. He said an updated accommodation allotment schedule was made available on the Internet for the convenience of the pilgrims. Representatives of various state Haj committees of the country put forth their suggestions to bring about improvements in the facilities being provided to the pilgrims. The main issues discussed included an increase in the number of embarking points, an improvement in Haj flight schedules, standardisation of luggage, improvement in medicare facilities, hiring of suitable accommodation at Mecca, grant-in-aid for the construction of Haj houses in various states and the conduct of orientation courses for the intending pilgrims. The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and convener of the Jammu and Kashmir State Haj Committee, Mr Parvez Dewan, pleaded for adequate grants from the All-India Haj Committee for the construction of the Haj house at Srinagar. The conference ended with a prayer by Amir-e-Shariat, Mufti Abdul Razak of Bhopal, for the speedy return of peace and
tranquillity in the paradise on earth — Jammu and Kashmir.
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Number of
yatris dips Jammu, August 5 Today’s batch of 2,319 pilgrims, who left from the base camp at the MAM stadium here for onward journey in a fleet of 110 vehicles, was the lowest in the past four days, they said. The authorities had earlier decided to allow unregistered pilgrims to join the yatra from today in view of poor response from registered pilgrims. In the past three days, the number of pilgrims on an average hovered between 2,600 and 2,900 while the lowest number of 2,316 pilgrims had left Jammu for the cave shrine on August 1, since the commencement of the yatra on July 19.
PTI
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