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Saturday,
July 12, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Two ultras among 6
killed A man undergoes treatment for mine blast injuries at a hospital in Srinagar on Friday. Infighting delays
Hurriyat chief’s election First batch enters final stage of
yatra |
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| Central aid for J&K tribal plan doubled Jammu, July 11 The Central Government has increased funds under special assistance to the tribal subplan from Rs 521.80 lakh in 1997-98 to Rs 971.94 lakh in the past two years for Jammu and Kashmir. 
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Two ultras among 6
killed Jammu, July 11 Two Al Badr militants identified as area commander Al Anwar and Mohammad Shafiq, both Pakistani nationals, were killed in an exchange of fire with BSF personnel at Mahu village of Rajouri district last night, they said. A joint team of the Army and police personnel shot dead two Jaish-e-Mehmood militants Umar Gaznavi and Mohammad Kajar Hayat in the Darhal area of Rajouri district. An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with a joint search party of the Rashtriya Rifles and the police at Mirgund village in Badgam district late last night, the sources said adding that the house in which the ultra was hiding was damaged in the operation last night. As locals began removing the debris of the house, a powerful explosion took place this morning injuring 18 persons, some of them seriously. One Lashker-e-Toiba militant identified as Mustafa Bhai was killed in an encounter with security forces at Sanderpora-Haren village in Kupwara district this morning. Meanwhile, during raids at militant hideouts in Rajouri and Poonch districts security forces seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition, including one PIKA gun with 100 rounds of ammunition, eight UBGL grenades and mortar bombs. A foreign militant, Ghulam Mustafa, alias Abdul Habib from Pakistan, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Kralpora in Baramula district last night. One AK rifle and other ammunition were recovered from the slain militant. The police recovered the body of one Ashkura Sher Gujri from a village near Tral in Pulwama district today. Two suspects, one of them belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba were held from Pulwama and Baramula district, respectively. |
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Infighting delays Hurriyat chief’s election Srinagar, July 11 The election was due in the first week of this month after the extended one tear term of Abdul Ghani Bhat ended. Differences between the People’s Conference and the Jamaat-e-Islami, the two main constituents of the seven member Executive Council, have caused the delay, according to Hurriyat sources. The election will now be held in the last week of this month or early next month if the situation improved, the sources said. Prof. Bhat was given a one year extension last year after completing his two-year term following the arrests of senior leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammad Yaseen Malik and Sheikh Abdul Aziz announcement of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Under the Hurriyat constitution, an Executive Council member can contest the election for the chairmanship only once. If an extra- ordinary situation arises, his term could be extended in the interest of the amalgam, the sources said. Only the seven Executive Council members are eligible to cast vote in the election. The first Hurriyat chairman was Awami Action Committee leader Mirwaiz Maoulvi Omar Faooq, followed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Prof. Bhat become the chairman after he defeated the late Abdul Ghani Lone by just one vote. Sources said efforts are on at various levels to sort out the differences between Jamaat representative Geelani and the People’s Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, son of assassinated Conference leader Abdul Ghani Lone. Sajjad Lone accuses Geelani of being an “Indian agent” and blames him for his father’s death. Geelani on the other hand has demanded action against the People’s Conference for fielding proxy candidates in the Assembly election last year. Meanwhile, the Lashker-e-Toiba militant outfit has urged the Hurriyat Conference leaders to refrain from attacking each other. In a statement issued to the local press, a LeT Commander said recent developments within the amalgam would only “serve the interests of the enemy” and appealed for unity. —
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First batch enters final stage of
yatra Seshnag (Kashmir), July 11 Surrounded by the snow clad mountain with icy cold winds blowing all over, the ardent devotees have tents and blankets to give them warmth during the night and used monkey caps and pullovers during the trek in the day. JAMMU: Meanwhile, the third batch of 3990 pilgrims on Friday left for the Amarnath cave in the Kashmir valley despite inclement weather. A fleet of 222 vehicles, escorted by the police and the CRPF, carried pilgrims from MAM Stadium here on Friday morning, officials said, adding that 2969 men, 525 women, 57 children and 439 sadhus left in today’s batch. As many as 10,936 pilgrims have so far left from Jammu to pay their obeisance to “ice-lingam of Lord Shiva” at the cave shrine of Amarnath. Some of the pilgrims, who had reached the base camp at Nunwan in Pahalgam during last two days, were on their way trekking to the cave shrine, officials said. Several hundred pilgrims have already performed prayers at the shrine after taking the Sonamarg-Baltal route, they said. Meanwhile, leaders of the Trade and Industry have demanded an increase in the per day number of pilgrims to the Amarnath cave failing which they will have to lose nearly Rs 30 crore a month. The President of Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mr Ram Sahai, said the earlier practice of allowing about 9,000 pilgrims to leave Jammu of Pahalgam be reintroduced. He said if it was done it could allow traders, transporters and hoteliers in Jammu to earn an additional income of Rs 30 crore. These traders continue to demand the reopening of the registration counters so that more pilgrims could be booked for the yatra. They said each pilgrim spends money on boarding, lodging, transportation and on the purchase of handicrafts and dry fruit which together help them earn Rs 60 to 80 lakh a day. Some of them have favoured scrapping of the registration system while others demand that the period of the pilgrimage be extended from one month to two months. |
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Central aid for J&K tribal plan doubled Jammu, July 11 Official report said that between 1997 and 2002-2003 Jammu Kashmir received over Rs 4757 lakh under the scheme. The report said the hike in the assistance was sanctioned from 2000 onwards. In the last financial year the Centre allocated Rs 500 crore for the implementation of the scheme, aimed at socio-economic development of scheduled Tribes and protection of tribesmen against exploitation. Madhya Pradesh received Rs 7833.22 lakh the highest among the states followed by Orissa Rs 6495.30 lakh and Jharkhand Rs 5870.24 lakh. Official sources said that since the number of tribesmen living below the poverty line in Jammu and Kashmir was far lower than that of Madhya Pradesh or Orissa. The militancy hit state was given one tenth of the quantum of the central funds under the scheme when compared to Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. |
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Six militants, including a top Al Badr ultra, were killed in separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir where a blast injured 18 civilians and security personnel seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition since last night, official sources said today.
As the Sun rose like a ‘golden ball’ from the Seshnag lake this morning, thousands of pilgrims entered the final stage of the Amarnath Yatra when they left for the holy cave amidst tight security.
