J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Five Hizbul men, jawan among nine killed
Srinagar, March 18
Five Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants and an Army jawan were among nine persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir since last night. A big cache of arms was also seized, an official spokesman said here today.

An army man displays two RPG shells recovered alongwith a huge cache of arms and ammunition in the forests of Ganderbal in Srinagar on Monday. — PTI  photo

Unhealthy precedent by Mufti Sayeed: NC
Jammu, March 18
The National Conference (NC) has said that by shying away from seeking the people’s mandate and by becoming a member of the legislative council Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has set an unhealthy precedent in Jammu and Kashmir.

11 clinics to cater to ex-servicemen’s needs
Jammu, March 18
Eleven augmented Armed Forces clinics are being established in Jammu and Kashmir under the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). According to Defence Ministry sources, these clinics would provide health facilities to the ex-servicemen and their dependents. 

Youth celebrate Holi at Jammu. — Photo by Sarbjeet Singh

APHC welcomes Advani’s statement
Jammu, March 18
The All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leadership has welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani’s announcement in Panaji that Mr N.N. Vohra had been given the green signal for initiating a dialogue with Hurriyat leaders also, but has questioned the usefulness of the exercise.

Students lathi-charged
Srinagar, March 18
Students who were holding a demonstration to protest, against the alleged harassment of Kashmiri students were lathi-charged today. The students, mobilised by the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association, gathered in the S.P. College campus here and started shouting slogans against the harassment of Kashmiri students outside Jammu and Kashmir.

Mehbooba to discuss students’ issue
Jammu, March 18
In the wake of panic among Kashmiri students following the arrest of three of them on charges of POTA and links with the ISI, the Vice-President of the PDP, Mehbooba Mufti, is likely to take up the issue with Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and UP Chief Minister Mayawati.

5 Pak soldiers killed; post damaged
Poonch, March 18
Five Pakistani soldiers were killed and one of their forward posts damaged across the Line of Control in a retaliatory action by Indian troops in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir today, according to defence sources.

• VCs’ meeting

Five Hizbul men, jawan among nine killed

Srinagar, March 18
Five Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants and an Army jawan were among nine persons killed in Jammu and Kashmir since last night. A big cache of arms was also seized, an official spokesman said here today.

Four of these militants — Mohammad Ayub Khan, Ghulam Mohiuddin Dar, Ghulam Mohammad Dar and Mohammad Qasim — were killed in a gunfight with a search party of 21 Rashtriya Rifles in Bakhi Hakar forests in the frontier district of Kupwara late yesterday.

A jawan, Vinod Kumar, was also killed and two others injured in the encounter that lasted several hours, after which, 10 AK assault rifles, 18 magazines and 320 rounds of ammunition were seized from the slain militants.

In another encounter early today the fifth militant, Irshad Akhtar Bhaked of Rajouri, was killed during a search at Katsoo village in Anantnag. An AK assault rifle and two magazines were seized from him.

The body of one Nissar Ahmad Lone was recovered from Chakoora in Shopian area of Pulwama district today. Lone, a former militant, who owned a medical shop, was killed by militants. The body of a youth, Mohammad Akber Lone, was picked up from Saloora village in Baramula district.

Militants shot one Fayaz Ahmad Lone in his house at Samboora in Pulwama district late yesterday. Militants also lobbed a grenade at the house of PDP leader Jalal-ud-Din at Khawajabagh in Baramula late yesterday, wounding his brother-in-law, Ifthikar Ahmad Bukhari. A car parked in the compound was damaged.

Security forces seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from Huran forest in Ganderbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar. On a tip-off, the Rashtriya Rifles and the police carried out a joint search that led to the discovery of an IED, four AK assault rifles, 10 magazines, one UBGL and its 20 grenades, two RPGs and two shells, 284 rounds of ammunition and a radio set in an underground hideout.

The IED was destroyed at the scene. “The arms and ammunition were likely to be used in near future to disrupt the peace in the area,” the spokesman said.

He also said security forces had also detected and defused a powerful IED planted at Civil Lines late yesterday. PTI, UNI

Unhealthy precedent by Mufti Sayeed: NC
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 18
The National Conference (NC) has said that by shying away from seeking the people’s mandate and by becoming a member of the legislative council Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has set an unhealthy precedent in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Mehboob Beg, a NC MLA and son of Mirza Afzal Beg who was the main architect of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir said there was nothing unconstitutional with the Mufti choosing to become a member of the Upper House instead of contesting the Assembly election, but the step taken by the Mufti was not a healthy democratic tradition.

The Mufti was sworn as a member of the legislative council yesterday along with 11 others.

Mr Beg said the Mufti got the opportunity to contest the Pampore Assembly seat recently following the assassination of his PDP MLA, but he shied away and gave the ticket to the son of the slain leader.

He said this was perhaps for the second time that the Chief Minister was in the office without the people’s mandate. The earlier one was Mr G.M. Shah, who toppled the government of Dr Farooq Abdullah in 1980s. Mr Shah remained in the office for a brief period as the Congress withdrew support to him.

Soon after coming to power after the accord with the Centre in 1975, Sheikh Abdullah and Mirza Afzal Beg had contested the Assembly election from the Ganderbal and the Devsar seats at the earliest opportunity, he said.

However, the Constitution of the state provides that the Chief Minister or any other minister should become a member of either the Assembly or the council within six months of holding the office.

Meanwhile, the Mufti had recently said that he had not done any wrong by becoming a member of the Upper House.

11 clinics to cater to ex-servicemen’s needs
Our Correspondent

Jammu, March 18
Eleven augmented Armed Forces clinics are being established in Jammu and Kashmir under the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).

According to Defence Ministry sources, these clinics would provide health facilities to the ex-servicemen and their dependents. Jammu, Poonch, Rajaouri, Samba, Udhampur, Baramula, Leh and Uri are being included in the list for setting up these polyclinics.

The sources said that the scheme was being introduced in the entire country for the ex-servicemen and their dependents, who chose to become members of the ECHS by paying contribution. One time contribution has been fixed at Rs 3000 to Rs 15000.

Under the scheme 123 new Armed Forces polyclinics, 104 augmented Armed Forces clinics in 227 stations were being set up where ex-servicemen could get the facilities available in Military, Air Force and Navy hospitals on which nearly Rs 1,7000 lakh were to be spent. Rupees 9775 lakh are to be earmarked to meet expenses of these clinics.

APHC welcomes Advani’s statement
Our Correspondent

Jammu, March 18
The All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leadership has welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani’s announcement in Panaji that Mr N.N. Vohra had been given the green signal for initiating a dialogue with Hurriyat leaders also, but has questioned the usefulness of the exercise. According to a senior APHC leader, Molvi Abbas Ansari, “we have always been in favour of talks, but whenever such an exercise is initiated we are supposed to be told, in advance, about the agenda framed for the parleys.”

The Molvi told this correspondent that “we want to know whether the dialogue in aimed at settling the Kashmir issue or resolving economic and security-related issues.” The APHC leader said the contours of the dialogue which the Government of India wanted to initiate through Mr Vohra were not only vague but might not prove meaningful when the key party to the Kashmir dispute, Pakistan, was not involved in the parleys. He said prior to the talks there was need for building mutual trust by Delhi and Islamabad. He reiterated his opinion regarding the futility of the dialogue which Mr Vohra would start with the elected representatives, saying if the “talks are to be held with those who do not dispute the state’s accession with India and if this is the purpose of the dialogue, we are not for it and we will accept the invitation if we are convinced that the parleys are to be held for the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.”

Students lathi-charged

Srinagar, March 18
Students who were holding a demonstration to protest, against the alleged harassment of Kashmiri students were lathi-charged today. The students, mobilised by the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association, gathered in the S.P. College campus here and started shouting slogans against the harassment of Kashmiri students outside Jammu and Kashmir.

The policemen asked the students to disperse peacefully. Later they had to resort to lathi charge. Three student leaders were taken into preventive custody, official sources said adding that they were later released.

A spokesman for the association expressed concern that Kashmiri students in various parts of the country were being implicated in false cases. He was referring to the recent arrest of three Kashmiri students in Ghaziabad and Muzzafarnagar areas of Uttar Pradesh. Condemning the police action on peaceful demonstrators, the spokesman criticised the state government for being a “mute spectator” on the harassment issue. PTI

Mehbooba to discuss students’ issue

Jammu, March 18
In the wake of panic among Kashmiri students following the arrest of three of them on charges of POTA and links with the ISI, the Vice-President of the PDP, Mehbooba Mufti, is likely to take up the issue with Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and UP Chief Minister Mayawati.

Mehbooba Mufti, will be visiting the towns of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli in western UP tomorrow in order to restore confidence among the Kashmiri students there, official sources said here today. Mehbooba, who left for New Delhi this afternoon, is also expected to visit Lucknow tomorrow to meet Mayawati. On her return she will meet Mr Advani in New Delhi to discuss the issue. PTI

5 Pak soldiers killed; post damaged

Poonch, March 18
Five Pakistani soldiers were killed and one of their forward posts damaged across the Line of Control in a retaliatory action by Indian troops in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir today, according to defence sources.

Pakistani troops targeted Khari-Karmara, Kalsian, Ajote and Digwar with mortar shelling in the afternoon.

Indian troops retaliated and the exchange between the two sides continued for several hours, in which, five Pakistani soldiers were killed and their ‘Chuha Post’ damaged.

A Junior Commissioned Officer sustained serious injuries on the Indian side at a forward post of Ajote. PTI

VCs’ meeting
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 18
The vice-chancellors of several agricultural universities of the country will meet here on March 20 to discuss the important issue of sustainability of farm production and value addition in the context of the WTO.