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Friday,
August 23, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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3 Pak ultras held; four killed in J&K Militants begin efforts to sabotage poll
process
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EC to look into
Rs 10-cr ‘food subsidy’ NC releases list of 25
nominees
NC, Awami League men clash, 12
hurt Cong workers want selection panel to be recast NCRB counter in Jammu
opened Chhari Mubarak reaches
shrine Shia leader Aga
dead
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3 Pak ultras held; four killed in J&K
Srinagar, August 22 Director-General of Police A.K. Suri, presenting two of the three arrested ultras before the media, said their questioning revealed that Al-Badr and other Pak-based militant outfits were planning to disrupt the polls. “Their aim was to disrupt Independence Day celebrations and Assembly poll. But they could not do anything on August 15 due to stringent security,” Mr Suri said. He said acting on a specific information, the special operations group of the state police and the BSF arrested a self-styled divisional commander and spokesman of Al-Badr, Dr Tariq Mehmood Shaheen, alias Dr Abdullah, a resident of Budhawala Chak, Gujrat (Pakistan). Two others, Mouzam Sadiq, a resident of Lakherwal, Gujrat (Pakistan) and Shabir Ahmad Khan alias Janbaz of Chattabal locality here, were arrested from their hideout at Rajbagh in the wee hours, the DGP added. At the instance of arrested ultras, another Pakistani Hamid Naumani Bhat of Clifton colony, Lahore, was arrested from a private hospital here, the police chief said. He said Naumani was being treated for bullet injuries received during an attack on a security camp. The owner of the house (hideout) at Rajbagh and the owner of the hospital and the doctor, treating Naumani, had been arrested and booked under POTA. The police also rounded up 37 persons for investigation from two Internet parlours in the city on the suspicion that they were a “go-between” for militants in the state and their bosses across the border. An employee of a paging service has also been detained for interrogation in this connection. The arrests and detentions coincide with the notification for the first phase of the four-phase Assembly elections issued by Governor G.C. Saxena today. JAMMU:
A Lashkar-e-Toiba ultra was among four militants killed in separate encounters with security forces in Jammu division, where three kidnapped shepherds escaped from the captivity of militants, official sources said here on Thursday. The LeT militant, identified as Abu Umar, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Fagla village in Poonch district on Wednesday, the sources said. In another operation, security forces gunned down Alam Shah, alias Shaheen-ul-Islam, of the Al-Badr Mujahideen outfit, in the Gursai area of Poonch district on Wednesday. A militant was killed in an encounter at Sania village in Poonch. Another ultra was killed in a fierce encounter between security forces and militants in the Bandi-Kamakhom area of Poonch district on Wednesday, the sources said, adding that the encounter was still continuing.
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Militants begin efforts to sabotage poll
process Jammu, August 22 Field reports said that the Hizbul Mujahideen has circulated posters in south Kashmir urging voters to boycott to the poll process. These posters hold out a veiled threat to the voters securing electoral identity cards on the plea that securing of such cards was against the ongoing jehad. To boost their anti-poll campaign Hizbul Mujahideen activists have decided to operate in coordination with activists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, and the Lashkar-i-Toiba. According to these reports, two disturbing trends have emerged in the Kashmir valley. First, the anti-Musharraf lobby in Pakistan, comprising fundamentalists and Ulemas, have intensified efforts for pushing into Jammu and Kashmir large groups of battle hardened guerrillas, majority of them belonging to Pakistan and North West Frontier Province. Activists belonging to the Lashkar-i-Toiba and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen have been brought to the launching pads across the LoC and in the past 15 days at least 36 infiltrators were killed. Out of them majority belonged to the Lashkar-i-Toiba and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The reports said that since Fazl Rehman, president of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, had been in the forefront of the anti-Musharraf campaign in Pakistan he has started providing moral and material assistance to Harkat activists in crossing into Jammu and Kashmir. Since the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen has its spring of strength in the Taliban, security agencies do not rule out the infiltration of Taliban militiamen into Kashmir in recent weeks. Secondly, the Al-Badr revived activities in Srinagar city in recent days.This outfit had its area of influence in Baramula and Kupwara and in the past three years its activities remained limited. It has surfaced with the imposition of a ban on an Urdu daily published from Jalandhar and has also issued threats to those planning to participate in the election. According to official sources, the series of attacks on security pickets, including police posts, in which more than 10 security personnel, including SPOs, were killed in recent days, ambushing police and Army patrols and kidnapping of civilians, most of them having been eliminated, in recent weeks were sufficient evidence to the rebel plan of escalating the level of violence so that the much-needed scare was created which was required to evoke response to their call for poll boycott. Though there is no love lost between the local militants and the foreign mercenaries and between Harkat-ul-Mujahidden and the Jaish-e-Mohammad, as the rift in these outfits was the result of ego clash between Fazal Rehman and Azhar Masood, all these major rebel outfits have been directed to work in coordination to raise the level of violence and scare for enforcing the call for poll boycott. Security experts have said that the next target of the militants would be the polling booths. These booths may be blown up days before the polling which could send shivers down the spine of voters. It is in this connection that out of about 7,000 polling stations more than 3000 have been kept in the ‘z’ category and 50 to 100 security personnel would be deployed in and around each of such booths. Since the polling in the state is to be completed in four phases shifting of companies of security forces from one area, where first phase of polling has been completed, to the other would be so swift that whatever paucity the security grid may have could be made up. Several political parties, including the PDP and the Congress, have been sending messages to rebel outfits that the call for boycott given to people could help the National Conference as was the case in 1996. But the separatists have clear instructions from across the border the case of Pakistan could be further strengthened vis-a-vis Kashmir if there was poor polling percentage. In that case Islamabad could tell the international community that people in Kashmir were against Assembly poll as they were in favour of a plebiscite. |
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EC to look into Rs 10-cr ‘food subsidy’ Srinagar, August 22 At a daily press briefing here today, Mr Jain said the election commission had taken note of the matter and would investigate it. Regarding the security arrangements during polls, he said deployment of security forces in 26 constituencies where elections would be held on September 16 in the first phase had not yet been completed. However, deployment of security forces would be completed before the election date. About 50 per cent of the security forces have already reached the State and the rest were on their way, he said and added that security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations, would be put on the job during the election process. About the security being provided to political leaders, he said it depended upon threat perception. However, he said, it had been decided to provide security to at least one leader of every party, irrespective of whether they have any representation in the Assembly or not, in each district. The leader has to be nominated by the party, he added.
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NC releases list of 25
nominees Srinagar, August 22 The announcement for its candidate for the Leh Assembly constituency, would be made separately. The list was announced after clearance from a high-powered central election board comprising the Chief Minister, party president, Omar Abdullah and ministers Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah, Mohammad Shafi and Abdul Rahim Rather and party general secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad. Other members of the board are the three provincial presidents, Mr G.N. Shaheen, Kashmir, Mr Bodh Raj Bali, Jammu, and Mr Qari Aziz Mohammad, Ladakh province. Those retained include Mr Iftikhar Hussain Ansari who was elected as Congress candidate from the Pattan constituency in the 1996 elections. He was taken into the Cabinet and later dismissed from the basic membership of the Congress. The National Conference has retained all but two of its present members in the districts of Baramula and Kupwara. They include all five ministers and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, representing the Sopore constituency. The ministers are Mr Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Shafi, Dr Mustafa Kamal and Mr Iftikhar Hussain Ansari. Four changes have been made in Baramula with the replacement of its two sitting members from the Bandipore and Gurez constituencies. Mr Javed Ahmad Shah, would contest from Bandipore in place of Mr Ghulam Rasool Mir (Naaz) and Mr Nazir Ahmad Khan would be party candidate from Gurez in place of Mr Faqir Mohammad. New candidates have been fielded from Baramula and Sangrama constituencies. Shariefuddin Shariq would be the party candidate from the Langate constituency in Kupwara district. The constituency bagged by the National Conference fell vacant with the death of its MLA, Abdul Ahad Kar, who was shot dead by militants on May 2, 1999. The seat was bagged by Independent candidate Mohammad Sultan. In the Sonawari constituency, represented by militant-turned-politician, Mohammad Yusuf Parray, the NC has fielded Mohammad Akbar Lone who was defeated by Parray in the 1996 elections. The ministers retained in other constituencies include Mr T. Namgyal from the Nobra constituency of Leh district, Mr Qamar Ali Akhoon from Kargil and Mr Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari from Surankote in Poonch district. |
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BJP legislator joins
NC Jammu, August 22 Though Mr Piara Singh was on the panel of candidates to be fielded by the BJP in the assembly poll, he quit the party over what he called the failure of the BJP to take care of the aspirations of the people of the state. He told TNS that he had come to believe that a regional party like the National Conference had a vital role to play in shaping the destiny of the people of the state and hence he had decided to join it. However, BJP functionaries said that Mr Piara Singh had fears that he might not be given the BJP ticket for the Gandhi Nagar seat from where he was elected in 1996. They said Mr Piara Singh had been initially reluctant to contest from Gandhi Nagar and wanted to fight from
Suchetgarh. The BJP leadership had turned down his suggestion and this might made him quit the party. By winning over Mr Piara Singh, the National Conference has demonstrated its plan of wooing to its party fold influential BJP, Congress and PDP leaders. The ruling party is keen on fielding men who matter from the 37 assembly constituencies in the Jammu region so that it is able to make up for any reverses it may suffer in the Kashmir valley which has 46 seats. Another major worry for the BJP is the decision of the RSS-led morcha to contest all 37 assembly seats in the Jammu region. The State Morcha, which is championing the cause of statehood status for Jammu, has announced the names of six candidates in Jammu saying that” it is the first list”. Though the BJP leadership in Delhi yesterday announced that it had decided to contest the assembly poll in alliance with the State Morcha, the morcha chief, Shri Kumar, released the list of its six candidates. The BJP leadership has invited the top brass of the RSS in Delhi tomorrow to sort out the problem. According to Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, the morcha had been told to give a list of suitable candidates and “in case we find them fit to win, we may accommodate them”. Senior BJP leaders described the morcha decision to contest all 37 seats as part of the pressure tactics of the RSS to force the BJP to “give some share of the cake”. They said that some RSS leaders were bent upon weakening the BJP in the Jammu region in case the BJP failed to play second fiddle to it. These BJP leaders asserted that not a single candidate selected by the morcha in its first list had a chance to win. They wanted the RSS leadership to desist from indulging in leg-pulling which may encourage the National Conference to woo more BJP men to its party fold. |
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NC, Awami League men clash, 12
hurt Naidkhai (Sonawari), August 22 The clash took place when a group of the supporters of Mohammad Yususf Parray, alias Kukka Parray, holding flags and party banners were marching from Wojigillan village, about 3 km from here, towards the venue of the public meeting here. The supporters of militant-turned-politician, and MLA representing the Sonawari constituency alleged that the National Conference supporters pelted stone on them injuring 15 of them, including some children. Later, MLA Kukka Parray condemned the incident and lashed out at the ruling National Conference for its alleged anti-people policies. He expressed sympathies with those injured. He also visited the local dispensary where the injured were being given medical aid, before addressing the election rally, first of its kind which coincided with the announcement of the first phase of elections today. He was elected to the state legislative Assembly in 1996 elections. A former militant leader, he headed Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon, a counter-insurgent group and later floated his own party, the Awami League. Hundreds of his supporters attended the rally amid tight security arrangements. |
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Cong workers want selection panel to be recast Jammu, August 22 To convey their displeasure, these activists including senior vice-president Mangat Ram Sharma and Srinagar District Congress chief Rafiq Sadiq boycotted the selection committee meeting held at Srinagar recently. State Congress sources said here today that transparency, performance criteria, loyalty and winning chances had been overlooked.
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NCRB counter in Jammu opened Jammu, August 22 The counter, seventh of its kind in the country, was inaugurated by Mr Masud A. Choudhary, IGP, (Crime and Railways), J and K. Explaining the utility of the system, a team of experts headed by Mr S.K. Jain, Deputy Director (C and T) said the counter would simultaneously cater to the needs of investigators, vehicle owners and transport authorities. Since the system contained detailed and comprehensive centralised database on stolen and recovered vehicles, it was of help to prospective buyers of second-hand vehicles to trace the whereabouts of a vehicle, he said. Under Section 48(5) of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, it would be mandatory on the part of the transport authorities to seek police clearance before issuing a the NOC in case of inter-state transfer of vehicles, he said.
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Chhari Mubarak reaches shrine Srinagar, August 22 Accompanied by several hundred devotees and sadhus, the Chhari Mubarak reached the holy cave around 9.30 am today after a night halt at Panchtarni. Led by Mahant Dipender Giri from Dashnami Akhara in Srinagar on August 17, it halted at Pahalgam till August 19. Hundreds of devotees had been paying their obeisance at the shrine since morning, sources said, adding that today was the last day for darshan of the naturally formed ice lingam in the cave. During the pilgrimage, militants killed 11 devotees and injured several in two strikes to disrupt the yatra, which commenced on July 22 amidst tight security arrangements. Nineteen pilgrims died due to illness and other natural causes during the pilgrimage, official sources said. As many as 1,11,350 pilgrims joined the yatra which concludes on Raksha Bandhan. Of these, 1,08,950 were registered pilgrims and rest had joined after the state administration allowed unregistered pilgrims to proceed to the holy cave from August 5, the sources said. Almost all registered yatris have returned to their home places. Landslides on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway triggered by torrential rains in the first week of August led to temporary suspension of the pilgrimage many a time. Reports from Poonch district said more than 1000 devotees had darshan of Budha Amarnath temple at Rajpura (Mandi), about 25 km from Poonch town, since this morning despite heavy rains. Meanwhile, a week-long Machail yatra in the Sapphire valley of Doda district in Jammu division also concluded today with over 12,000 devotees offering prayers at the temple of Machail Dam, the sources added.
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Shia leader Aga dead Srinagar, August 22 He was 85. He is survived by his wife, four sons and eight daughters. Jammu and Kashmir Governor G.C. Saxena has expressed grief over his demise. He said the late Aga was the essence of compassion and selfless service to humanity. Several religious, social and political organisations have also condoled his death. He was laid to rest at Badgam this afternoon.
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