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Wednesday,
January 15, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Cabinet to
call the shots, not bureaucrats 3 Pak
ultras among 7 killed in Kashmir British
envoy meets Saxena Drivers,
conductors strike work |
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Cabinet to call the shots, not bureaucrats Jammu, January 14 Talking to mediapersons after the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan here, the Chief Minister said the Cabinet would not be subordinate to the bureaucracy, an oblique reference to the previous government. He said the Cabinet would take the final decisions and would not be dictated to by the bureaucracy. Answering questions on the induction of more Ministers, Mufti Sayeed said Cabinet expansion was his prerogative and whenever he felt it necessary, the Cabinet would be further expanded. The workload of the government was enormous, he added. He said the coalition partners had finalised the names of new Ministers within half an hours. “There was no bickering. We had complete understanding”, he added. Regarding representation to women in the government, Mufti Sayeed said women legislators would head the State Social Welfare Advisory Board and the State Women Commission. They would have Cabinet status. These legislators were required to do greater service to the people than Cabinet Ministers. On his priorities, the Chief Minister said he was pursuing the agenda of restoration of peace, good governance and socio-economics development for which “people have given us the mandate.” Reiterating his appeal to all political parties at the state and central levels, Mufti Sayeed said that Jammu and Kashmir should not be used for electoral gains. “Nobody should see Jammu and Kashmir from the angle of party politics”. The NDA government and the whole nation should support his government to achieve the larger objective. The elections that brought the coalition parties to power were acclaimed not only nationally but also internationally. “Opportunity is knocking at our door. It should not be missed”. There should not be even public posturing by political parties on Jammu and Kashmir, which was detrimental to the larger interests of the state and the country. On the relations between the NDA government at the Centre and the coalition government in the state, the Chief Minister said that there was complete understanding. he said the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister fully understood the ground situation. The complete understanding was clearly indicated by the Deputy Prime Minister himself after the joint meeting of the Unified Headquarters in Jammu recently. The Deputy Prime Minister had indicated that the Centre would hold a dialogue with the elected representatives and other sections to solve the Kashmir problem. |
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3 Pak ultras among 7 killed in Kashmir
Srinagar, January 14 Self-styled Lashkar-e-Toiba district commander Nasrul Islam, alias Shamas-u-Rehman, and his accomplice Zahid Chacha, both Pakistanis, were killed by security forces after several hours of gunfight at Devipora village in Badgam district yesterday, the sources said here. Two AK rifles, eight magazines with 57 rounds, a grenade launcher, nine grenades, two 60-mm mortar bombs and three hand grenades were seized from them, they added. Security forces also shot dead another Pakistani militant functioning as battalion commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Arshid Ahmad Khan, alias Junaid Naveed, in an encounter at Yango Ora in Ganderbal on the outskirts of Srinagar last night. A pika gun and some ammunition were seized from him. In a big haul, the Army recovered six RPG rockets, six boosters, 10 rifle grenades, 10 hand grenades, 720 rounds of AK ammunition and two detonators from a militant hideout at the Choornar forest in Kupwara district, the sources said. Meanwhile, the bodies of two brothers, identified as Mohammad Ismail Khatana and Meeru Khatana, were recovered by the police near their house in Baramula district of north Kashmir last night. The duo had been kidnapped by militants from their house and later killed on the charge of being informers of security forces, the sources said. An unidentified militant was killed in an at the Hafnura forest in Kulgam area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir early today, the sources said. They said the police also picked up the body of an unidentified person from the Damhal-Hanjipora area of Anantnag district today. His identity and cause of death was being ascertained. Meanwhile, a shutdown was observed at the Batmaloo bus stand area of Srinagar today as locals alleged highhandedness of security forces following a militant attack on them in the busy area of the city last evening. Shopkeepers also staged a peaceful dharna today, alleging that BSF personnel went beserk after their colleague was shot dead and another injured by militants.
PTI |
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British
envoy meets Saxena Jammu, January 14 Mr Saxena is said to have briefed the British diplomat about the security scenario and explained to him that local youths were no longer interested in violence. The main militancy related activities were being carried out by foreign mercenaries, which was evident from the rate of their elimination. The two agreed that the political atmosphere had improved after the state witnessed free and fair Assembly elections, but what remained a distressing factor was the activities of foreign mercenaries. The Governor is said to have informed the British diplomat that Pakistani agencies continued to aid infiltration of mercenaries from across the LoC, which had delayed the process of normalisation in the state. |
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Drivers, conductors strike work Srinagar, January 14 A spokesman for the drivers and conductors at the general bus stand alleged that immediately after a BSF jawan was killed and another was injured in militant firing yesterday, the security forces damaged buses and beat up drivers, conductors and passengers. He said today the security forces again roughed up all those who were
protesting at the bus stand. He added that the bus services would remain suspended until action was taken against those involved.
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