The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Jammu and Kashmir government strengthened security around Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar on Wednesday, after taking it over from Muslim Auqaf Trust. Supporters. — PTI

Life term for 10 Pak-trained militants
Jammu, September 10
For the first time since the inception of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, a court here today awarded life imprisonment to 10 Pakistan-trained militants for carrying out subversive activities.

Escaped militants in villages around Ghatti?
Jammu, September 10
The suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists, who engaged security forces in a gunbattle in Ghatti forest of Kathua district for a week till Monday, are suspected to be present in adjoining villages, police sources here sai today.

Ansari faction undecided on talks with Centre
Jammu, September 10
The faction of the APHC headed by Molvi Abbas Ansari “is now in no-position to discuss whether the offer for talks, made by the Central Government has to be accepted or rejected.”

UK delegation meets Hurriyat leaders
Srinagar, September 10
A three-member British delegation today met Hurriyat leaders here and discussed the Kashmir issue. The meeting was attended by Hurriyat chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Gani Lone, sources said.

Defunct MAT Board to challenge govt takeover
Srinagar, September 10
The defunct Board of the Muslim Auqaf Trust (MAT) today said it was contemplating challenging the government takeover of the trust in the Supreme Court, even as the National Conference NC launched a statewide agitation against the move terming it as “political vendetta”.

BJP lambasts govt on creation of districts
Jammu, September 10
The president of the state unit of the BJP, Dr Nirmal Singh, has accused the state government of violating the commitment made to the people of the Jammu region during the last Assembly poll.

IAF recruitment rally on Sept 18
Jammu, September 10
Indian Air Force, Ambala will hold a recruitment rally in Jammu from September 18 to September 24 where young men belonging to Jammu and Kashmir will be selected for non-technical and technical jobs.

40 kg poppy straw seized in Doda
Jammu, September 10
Forty kg of poppy straw and about 5 kg of charas was seized from two narcotics smugglers on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Doda district, official sources said here today.

	Cong leader, six militants shot in valley Jammu, September 10 Army troops today foiled an infiltration bid, killing six Pakistani militants along the Line of Control in Poonch district, official sources said here. A group of heavily armed militants dressed in Indian Army fatigues entered the Indian territory under the cover of Pakistani mortar shelling in Krishnaghati area of the district around 4.50 am, the sources said adding that the militants fired three to four grenades on Army troops, who retaliated, resulting in a fierce gunbattle in which six Pakistani militants were killed. Six AK rifles, 13 magazines, 19 grenades, four IEDs, two pistols, 10 pistol magazines, 5 kg of RDX, 320 rounds and some documents were seized from the slain militants, they said. SRINAGAR: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Tak was shot dead while one civilian was killed and four others were injured in two mine blasts in Jammu and Kashmir even as a militant surrendered before security forces overnight, an official spokesman said here. Tak, a senior Congress leader and president of the Doda Hill District Council, was shot by militants near his residence at Doda early this morning. Tak was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, a local resident, Mangat Ram, died on the spot while another person was critically injured when an anti-tank mine exploded near the border in Samba sector early this morning when their bullock-cart went over the mine in the Zenda area. The mine was one of the thousands planted by Indian troops during Operation Parakram. While the area has been de-mined, a few mines remained undetected as they have a tendency of moving underneath over a period of time, he said. Three Army personnel were injured in another IED blast triggered by militants in the frontier district of Kupwara early today, the spokesman said. The IED, planted under a culvert at Gangbugh, went off when the Army patrol passed by, he said. Border Security Force (BSF) personnel seized a large cache of arms and ammunition, including RDX and grenades, at Kupwara last evening. A BSF spokesman today said troops of the 3rd Battalion, on specific information conducted search operations at Kachhama forest area in Kupwara district last evening. During the operation, they seized 24 kg of RDX, 20 grenades and one 61 mm mortar bomb, he said. — PTI, UNI
	Woman militant held in Kashmir Srinagar, September 10 A woman militant, allegedly involved in several killings, including that of her father, has been arrested in Jammu and Kashmir. Mehmooda, a resident of Bundgam in central Kashmir, was arrested by the Army yesterday, official sources said. The daughter of the local National Conference leader whom she killed a few years ago, Mehmooda, used to accompany male militants during their operations, the sources said. She was an employee of the Health Department before joining militant ranks, they said. Her sister was also an active accomplice of militants and was involved in the killing of counter-insurgent Mustaq Ahmad Pal. Pal and another counter-insurgent were killed after going out on a date with Mehmooda’s sister, the sources said. They said she died after a few months under mysterious circumstances with some people claiming that she was poisoned while others maintaining that she committed suicide. A defence spokesman, while presenting Mehmooda before the media, said she had been repeatedly escaping the dragnet of the security forces. The list of her anti-social activities includes atrocities against innocent people, facilitating movement of militant groups and recuriting new cadres for the Hizbul Mujahideen, the spokesman said. He said she also made available stores to militants and other anti-national elements. To conceal her identity from the security forces, various militant organisations had given her pseudo-radio codes such as Rahil, Atish and Didi, the spokesman added. Mehmooda, while taking to reporters, said she was forced into militancy by Hizb militants after killing her father few years ago. — PTI
	Life term for 10 Pak-trained militants Jammu, September 10 For the first time since the inception of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, a court here today awarded life imprisonment to 10 Pakistan-trained militants for carrying out subversive activities. Principal Sessions Judge Subash Chander Gupta also convicted them under the Arms Act and awarded everyone of them rigorous imprisonment of seven years. The 10 convicted militants are Maqbool Hussain, Ghulam Mohammad Wani, Mohammad Shafi, Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Yousuf, Kaka, Mohammad Latif, Mohammad Aslam, Barkar Hussain and Mohammad Shafi. They were charged with subversive activities. The court also fined them Rs 20,000 each. They were arrested by the Mendhar police in 1995 following an encounter. Accused Lal Hussain, who provided shelter to the militants in his house, was awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment. The court acquitted two other accused, Hussain Wani and Nissar Hussain, against whom the prosecution failed to establish the conspiracy charge. According to the prosecution, all 10 militants after getting training in Pakistan crossed over into India with subversive activities. The militants entered the Mendhar area and hid themselves in maize crops in the fields of Lal Hussain. They were arrested after an encounter with security forces. — PTI
	Life term for 10 Pak-trained militants Jammu, September 10 For the first time since the inception of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, a court here today awarded life imprisonment to 10 Pakistan-trained militants for carrying out subversive activities. Principal Sessions Judge Subash Chander Gupta also convicted them under the Arms Act and awarded everyone of them rigorous imprisonment of seven years. The 10 convicted militants are Maqbool Hussain, Ghulam Mohammad Wani, Mohammad Shafi, Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Yousuf, Kaka, Mohammad Latif, Mohammad Aslam, Barkar Hussain and Mohammad Shafi. They were charged with subversive activities. The court also fined them Rs 20,000 each. They were arrested by the Mendhar police in 1995 following an encounter. Accused Lal Hussain, who provided shelter to the militants in his house, was awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment. The court acquitted two other accused, Hussain Wani and Nissar Hussain, against whom the prosecution failed to establish the conspiracy charge. According to the prosecution, all 10 militants after getting training in Pakistan crossed over into India with subversive activities. The militants entered the Mendhar area and hid themselves in maize crops in the fields of Lal Hussain. They were arrested after an encounter with security forces. — PTI
	Escaped militants in villages around Ghatti? Jammu, September 10 The suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists, who engaged security forces in a gunbattle in Ghatti forest of Kathua district for a week till Monday, are suspected to be present in adjoining villages, police sources here sai today. After they slipped away from the cordon of the Army, CRPF and police around Ghatti forests — which led to calling off of the operation — the suspected LeT terrorists were believed to have dispersed in smaller groups, they said. “They are believed to be present in places adjoining Ghatti as there is no confirmation about their having crossed back into Pakistan,” a senior police official said. He, however, denied any specific information about their presence in any particular area. “We keep getting information suggesting presence of militants and searches are conducted on their basis,” the official said. — PTI

Ansari faction undecided on talks with Centre
Our Correspondent

Jammu, September 10
The faction of the APHC headed by Molvi Abbas Ansari “is now in no-position to discuss whether the offer for talks, made by the Central Government has to be accepted or rejected.”

“We are engaged in grappling with the situation created by the split in the 25-party conglomerate, “a former APHC Chairman, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, said.

When reminded that the APHC leadership was in favour of a dialogue with the political bosses in Delhi and not bureaucrats Prof Bhat said “We may be able to debate on it after we pass through the current phase of instability that has gripped the separatists conglomerate.”

In reply to a question he said with four of the seven members of the committee with us “our group enjoys the majority.” “The channel of dialogue with the JKLF and the Peoples’ League had not been snapped and we hope to get them back in our fold,” he said and added that the two organisations had not joined the faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

The APHC leader refused to comment when reminded of the way Pakistani print and electronic media ignored the deliberations of the Hurriyat executive committee meeting which was headed by Molvi Ansari in Srinagar recently and gave sufficient space to the activities and utterances of the leaders belonging to Mr Geelani’s faction.

Since the Jamait-e-Islami, by Mr Nazir Ahmed Kashmiri, has so far remained neutral both factions of the APHC have renewed their efforts to solicit its support. Professor Bhat said “We eagerly wait for a nod from the Jamait-e-Islami. We will love to have its representative on our executive committee. If it does not rejoin our fold we can do nothing about it.”

Professor Bhat gave an impression that the Abbas faction of the APHC will concentrate on consolidating its position and keep away from issues pertaining to opening of a dialogue with Delhi.

UK delegation meets Hurriyat leaders

Srinagar, September 10
A three-member British delegation today met Hurriyat leaders here and discussed the Kashmir issue. The meeting was attended by Hurriyat chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Gani Lone, sources said.

During the meeting, both sides stressed for resolving the Kashmir issue through a dialogue involving all three parties concerned — India, Pakistan and Kashmiris.

The British delegation included Deputy High Commissioner in India Mark Runacres and diplomats David Quarray and Sarah Lambert.

The visiting diplomats have already met Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. They are also likely to meet other separatist leaders, including Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Shah.

The sources said the delegation would not meet the dissident Hurriyat group led by Masarat Alam of the Muslim League. — UNI

Defunct MAT Board to challenge govt takeover

Srinagar, September 10
The defunct Board of the Muslim Auqaf Trust (MAT) today said it was contemplating challenging the government takeover of the trust in the Supreme Court, even as the National Conference NC launched a statewide agitation against the move terming it as “political vendetta”.

Around 200 NC activists took out a protest march from the Nawa-i-Subuh complex against the issuing of an ordinance by the Jammu and Kashmir Government to take over the management of MAT that controls important shrines like the Hazratbal and Charar-e-Sharif.

“Ideally, we would take the writ petition straightaway to the Supreme Court. I will consult my seniors and see if the case is tenable in the apex court,” counsel for the Muslim Auqaf Trust Mohammad Aslam Goni told reporters here.

Mohammad Goni, a former Advocate-General of the state, said the sealing of the office of MAT in the Nawa-i-Subuh complex was “illegal” as it was not included in the schedule of Section 3 of the ordinance promulgated on September 8.

“I do not know how they have seized the office... The government has committed trespass,” he added.

He claimed that the ordinance was brought to cover up the loopholes in the government takeover of the Sher-e-Kashmir National Medical Trust in July this year.

Vice-chairman of the deposed trust Gulam Nabi Kochak said the trustees were throwing “an open challenge to any one including the government, to point out single malfunctioning of the trust”.

He said the ordinance was politically motivated, malafide and discriminatory as it was aimed at settling political scores by identifying the trust with Abdullahs.

Meanwhile, kochak lodged an FIR against the District Magistrate of Srinagar and his team for allegedly ransacking and sealing the MAT office.

However, president of the ruling PDP Mehbooba Mufti justified the takeover of the trust by the government as a move that was “in tune” with the desire of the people. — PTI

BJP lambasts govt on creation of districts
Our Correspondent

Jammu, September 10
The president of the state unit of the BJP, Dr Nirmal Singh, has accused the state government of violating the commitment made to the people of the Jammu region during the last Assembly poll.

He said the implementation of the Wazir Committee report — providing for the creation of four new districts — was within the jurisdiction of the state government and there was no need for securing approval from the Centre.

Dr Nirmal Singh said the state government had sought financial assistance from the Centre for the implementation of the recommendations whereas nothing of the sort had been said in the poll manifesto of the Congress and in the common minimum programme formulated by the ruling coalition.

The BJP chief also castigated the Congress for blaming the BJP for ignoring the refugees from Pakistan and occupied Kashmir. He said not withstanding the Supreme Court ruling on the grant of equal rights to these refugees, successive state government had not done anything though they had the constitutional powers to grant equal rights to the displaced people.

Regarding inclusion of Dogri in the 8th schedule of the Constitution, he said: “We have taken it up with the Centre and hope that the demand will be conceded”.

In reply to a question, Dr Singh said: “We are for fresh census in the state before a new delimitation commission is set up”.