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Monday,
July 14, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Show of
strength on martyrs’ day Hurriyat strike
affects life
6 ultras
among 13 killed in valley |
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Heavy
cross-border shelling in Naushera Fifth
batch of pilgrims leaves for Amarnath
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Hizb
split to benefit foreign mercenaries
Omar
apologises to Mufti Panchayat
electoral rolls to be revised 
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Show of strength on martyrs’ day Srinagar, July 13 It was an occasion of demonstrating public support by the ruling PDP-Congress coalition government and the main Opposition and former ruling party, the National Conference. The Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed, accompanied by his deputy, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, who was here for the first time on the occasion, paid tributes to the martyrs. Till recently the National Conference leadership over the years, except for the early militancy period, had been holding the homage function at the shrine. Separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah and JKLF deputy chairman Javed Ahmad Mir along with several of their supporters were held while attempting to take out a procession towards the martyrs’ graveyard from Rajbagh this morning. The offices of Mr Shabir Shah’s Democratic Freedom Party, the APHC and some other separatist groups are located in the Rajbagh area. The general strike call given by the Hurriyat Conference on the occasion did not evoke much response. The APHC and other separatist organisations supporting the cause of sacrifices made on this day in 1931 have been resolving to carry on the mission of “freedom struggle”. A day after announcing his party’s pullout from the NDA government at the Centre, the National Conference chief, Mr Omar Abdullah, exhibited greater strength at the shrine about two hours after Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed left the scene. The police had a tough time keeping supporters of the coalition parties and the NC from clashing at the venue. All entry points to the road leading to the shrine at Khwaja Bazaar, near Jamia Masjid, were sealed since early morning. Only pedestrians were allowed on the main road. The NC supporters having came from all parts of the valley had to wait till the arrival of its president, Mr Omar Abdullah. Lashing out at the policies of the coalition government, Mr Omar Abdullah, criticised its healing touch “propaganda”. He was accompanied by senior party leaders, including its general secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad and former ministers and MLAs and sitting MLAs. Mr Omar Abdullah challenged Mufti Sayeed on the healing touch policy and asked him to release an innocent youth within 24 hours, who was held by the police in the area close to the shrine yesterday. He said the healing touch policy of the coalition government was misleading and all promises made by the Chief Minister, particularly of providing jobs, had proved false. He said the construction of flyovers to check traffic congestion in the city was no solution. The foundation stone of the first such flyover, connecting Budshah Bridge to Civil Secretariat, was laid by the Chief Minister later in the afternoon. Mufti Sayeed had announced that besides other developmental works would include construction of flyovers beginning today till this day next year. Earlier, the Chief Minister, paying tributes to the martyrs, said it was the unity among people at that time which led to sacrifices against autocratic rule and for their rights. Referring to the difficult times faced by the state, particularly the Kashmir valley, during the past 12 years, the Chief Minister said an everlasting solution to the Kashmir problem was necessary. He said this could be made possible only through bilateral talks between India and Pakistan, adding that views of the people would not be ignored. In this connection he referred to the dialogue process initiated by the Centre’s pointman, Mr N.N. Vohra. Referring to the signature campaign launched by a senior APHC leader, Mohammad Yasin Malik, on whether Kashmiris be involved in any kind of negotiations on the Kashmir issue, Mufti Sayeed said he had been allowed to carry on. The Chief Minister also reiterated his government’s policy of healing touch, providing jobs to educated unemployed youth, adequate powers supply and other measures. The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, in his brief address also paid tributes to the martyrs. Senior PDP leaders, Ms Mehbooba Mufti, and several ministers were also present on the occasion. |
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Hurriyat
strike affects life Srinagar, July 13 While offices remained closed today being a public holiday, skeletal transport services plied on the roads and most residents chose to stay indoors, official sources said. This was the first call for strike given by the 25-party separatist amalgam since Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to the valley in mid-April.
— PTI |
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6 ultras
among 13 killed in valley Srinagar, July 13 Four unidentified militants were killed in two separate gun-battles with security forces at Phangi-Thanamandi and Kotli-Kalaban in Manjakote areas of Rajouri district today, he said. He said a militant, identified as Mohammad Sultan, alias Shaheen, was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Zonari Kandi in frontier district of Kupwara. Body of an unidentified militant was recovered from an encounter site at Banola village in Poonch, where a police Constable was killed and five others were injured yesterday, he said. He said the police arrested an LeT militant in an injured condition and recovered one AK rifle, two magazines and two hand grenades from him. He was hospitalised later. Militants shot dead Ashiq Hussain Bhat, a resident of Laipora in Kupwara district, after abducting him from his house, he said. The spokesman said militants shot dead a retired CRPF personnel, Manzoor Hussain Khan in his house at Bhatta Dorian under police station Gursal in Poonch. Militants barged into the house of Rafiq at Surankote in Poonch district last night and shot dead his guests, Azmat Bi and her son Munshi, residents of Dandi Dhara Pattan-Surankote, the spokesman said.
— PTI |
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Heavy cross-border shelling in Naushera Jammu, July 13 Pakistani troops targeted Jhanghar and Bhawani areas of the sector and fired about 80 mortar bombs from across the border during last night, they said. Indian troops also retaliated and the exchange of shelling between two sides continued till early this morning, they said. There was no
casualty or damage on the Indian side, they added. Pakistani troops resorted to firing from their posts of Saidawali, Anuta, Bagra Gali and New Ginder leading to retaliatory firing from this side, the sources said. However, there was no injury or loss of life on our side, they added. Meanwhile, a civilian identified as Yashpaul Singh died in a land-mine explosion at Chakabdal village near the International Border in Ramgarh sector yesterday, the sources said, adding the deceased had accidentally stepped on the land mine planted in his field.
— PTI |
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Fifth batch of pilgrims leaves for Amarnath Jammu, July 13 Pilgrims left in a fleet of 91 buses and 137 light motor vehicles from MAM stadium around 0700 hours, official sources said. With today’s batch, 18,666 devotees have left for the cave shrine so far, they said. Meanwhile, the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Mr Lokesh Jha, has appealed to the pilgrims to reach Jammu only four days earlier to their date of having darshan at the sanctum sanctorum in the shrine situated in Anantnag district of the valley. The yatra arrangements made for the comfortable stay of pilgrims in different places in the city were reviewed here last evening. The meeting was apprised that yatris do not avail the facilities arranged at 26 identified places, including MAM stadium, Chanderbaga community hall, Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Geeta
Bhawan, Raghunath Complex etc. All these places have been provided with medicare facilities, supply of water and power, toilets, including mobile vans of municipality, separate bathing places both for men and women and arrangement for langar are also being made. SRINAGAR: Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has assured the Amarnath pilgrims that the administration would examine advancing the registration drive for the yatra by at least a month to make it convenient for them to make railway reservations. Mr Sayeed visited Nunwan at
Pahalgam, the base camp of the yatra, along with Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma and Tourism Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, to take stock of arrangements made for the pilgrims. The pilgrims apprised the Chief Minister of their difficulty in getting railway reservations to match their date for darshan as per pilgrim registration slips. This year the Amarnath yatra has brought smiles on the faces of local shopkeepers, owners of roadside eateries and hoteliers at
Pahalgam. The daily arrival of 3,000 to 4,000 pilgrims has activated the economy of the area, with pilgrims taking off time to enjoy the scenic beauty of the tourist resort. The Chief Minister was told that nearly 640 shops selling pooja materials and local handicrafts have been allowed to be set up at various halting places to cater to the requirements of the pilgrims. For the first time, the authorities have extended insurance cover to the pilgrims, officials and the pony owners. Portable oxygen cylinders weighing five kg have also been made available for the pilgrims for the first time.
— PTI, UNI |
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Pilgrim
dies of cardiac arrest Srinagar, July 13 P.C. Sharma (56), a resident of Puri New Delhi, died due to cardiac arrest at the base camp of Baltal last evening, an official spokesman said today. He said 9,000 devotees had darshan of Shiva Lingam at the cave shrine till this evening, while 6,000 returned to Pahalgam base camp. Two pilgrims had died of heart attack on July 10 before reaching the cave shrine.
— PTI |
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Hizb split to benefit foreign mercenaries Jammu, July 13 The division had become inevitable after Hizb supremo Syed Salahuddin was “owned” agencies across the border which sidelined his rival, Abdul Majid Dar, who had declared ceasefire in 2000. Though the ceasefire lasted for eight days, the rift between Dar and Salahuddin resulted in group clashes in which several militants lost their lives. The clashes also took place in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after some loyalists, including field commanders of Majid Dar, crossed over to Pakistan. The Pakistan government arrested about 15 Dar activists and Salahuddin groups. The supporters of Dar had crossed over to Pakistan soon after he was killed by gunmen over four months ago. They had gone to register their protest as they suspected that their commander had been killed by those loyal to Salahuddin. In Pakistan the Dar faction was criticised for having “engineered” the killing of Saiful Islam, chief commander and supporter of Salahuddin, at the hands of the security forces. When the two sides failed to settle their differences, the supporters of Dar pulled out of the parent body and joined Hizbe Islami. Sources said had Salahuddin accepted half dozen commanders belonging to the Dar faction back in the organisation, the split could have been averted. Salahuddin, however, guided by Pakistani agencies, especially the ISI, cold-shouldered Dar supporters. More than 350 of them had joined Hizbe Islami. Since 1996, the Pakistani agencies had decided not to place all their eggs in the basket of local militants. They assisted infiltration of activists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jash-e-Mohammad into Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani agencies no longer trusted the local militants believing that they could be won over by the Jammu and Kashmir Government. When Dar was killed, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, had said in Jammu that “it was a setback to the peace process.“ The Pakistani agencies did not want to encourage those who were moderates and Dar was one of them. By joining the Hizbe Islami, the supporters of Dar will be able to infuse new life into the outfit, which had become defunct. It is feared that group clashes may become a permanent feature of militancy in the valley. |
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Omar apologises to Mufti Srinagar, July 13 I have been informed that the Chief Minister’s mother died in 1992. I offer an unconditional apology to the Chief Minister and his family for this error, Mr Omar Abdullah said in a statement today. He had made the allegation at a news conference here yesterday. However, Mr Omar Abdullah stood by the statement that a medical device for short wave physiotherapy had been placed in Mufti Sayeed’s official residence for an ailing member of his family. This had been done at the cost of common patients, the statement said. He requested Mufti Sayeed to restore the equipment to the hospital. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party denied the allegation and expressed regret saying Mr Omar Abdullah had brought in the name of a lady who had died in 1992. “It was regrettable that Omar had brought in the name of a pious lady who died 11 years ago,” a spokesman for the PDP said. The NC was picking up on trivial matters to malign the PDP and its leadership, the spokesman said. In a way, he said, “it is good that Omar had started raking up petty personal issues as it indicated an acknowledgement that his party was left with no issues of substance”.
— PTI |
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Panchayat
electoral rolls to be revised Srinagar, July 13 The Chief Electoral Officer, Mr B.L. Nimesh, said permanent residents of the state living in vacant constituencies and over the age of 18 as on January 1, 2003, could enroll themselves as voters. The draft publication of the electoral rolls will be made on July 18. Claims and objections would be allowed till August 1 and taken up on August 11. The preparation and printing of supplements would be on August 22 and final publication of the electoral rolls would be on August 23. Eligible persons have been asked to contact Electoral Registration Officer (Tehsildar Territorial), Naib Tehsildar (in case of Marwah) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (Block Development officers) of respective constituencies for registration. They may also contact the prescribed authority (Rural Development Director of the respective division) and District Panchayat Election Officer (Deputy Commissioner of the respective district) for the purposes.
— UNI |
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Nine revenue officials suspended Srinagar, July 13 The Director, Land Records, Kashmir, who conducted the inquiry said in the preliminary report the officials had made illegal entries in respect of various survey numbers and the state land had been allowed to be transferred through sale deeds “playing havoc with the records”. He said the officials were Naib Tehsildar Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, girdawars Fareedoon Khatana and Abdul Rehman Sheikh and patwaris Mohammad Afzal Shah, Ghulam Mohammad Khatana, Abdul Rashid Mugal, Abdul Ahad Raina, Abdul Hamid and Ali Mohammad Lone.
— PTI |
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