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Wednesday,
September 24, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Youths
pawns in political game 7
militants killed Jawan
killed in Pak shelling Fencing
starts yielding results Cannabis
in 682 hectares destroyed |
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Broadcaster
Bukhari joins PDP
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Youths pawns in political game Kamalkot (LoC), September 23 These unfortunate people were forced by militants to become their harbourers or active militants. After being caught, some of them were used as informers by the security agencies to cross over to Pakistan and bring back the ‘deviated’ Indian youths from the PoK camps or gather vital information about the militants. More than 300 persons are reportedly missing from Kamalkot, Sultan Dhaki, Dulanjha and Busgrah villages along the LoC according to the official records. They had crossed over to Pakistan in the early 1990s and never returned. Some of them have been informing the families about their well-being but without telling them about their whereabouts. There are reports that some of them have even got married there. Afzal Bi, a mother of three children, last heard from her missing husband Aslam Mohd. Mir about two years ago. “He went missing in the early 1990s after crossing over to Pakistan. He got settled there only,” she said. In his last letter he said he was fine but was missing her and children. She has handed over the letter to the Army authorities. “ He left his land, country and family and has reportedly got married there. This is what I have heard. I am going to hand him over to the Army if he ever returns, “ she said In the Uri sector, a team from The Tribune met a large number of ‘surrendered’ militants who are leading a normal life after being brought back to the mainstream by the Indian Army. The Army provides education, health facilities, transport and at times even food and water to these people. There has also been a
sea change in the mindset of people regarding India. Till the mid-1990s people here believed that they would join Pakistan and they would have trade ties with Pakistanis. Today, the tragic tales of the surrendered militants and their experiences in the PoK camps have made people aware about life across the border. They say their future is safe in India. Talking to The Tribune some surrendered militants like Hashim Ali Khan and Inayat Hussain claimed they had lost a lot in the tussle between India and Pakistan. Surprised that he was listed as a surrendered militant Inayat Hussain narrates the hair-raising tales of how the Pakistanis took away hundreds of youths in the early 1990s and he was sent there by the Indian forces to bring them back. “I brought two batches of about 50 youths each from the PoK camps," he claimed while talking to The Tribune at a forward army camp near the LoC. “Yes, people had lost their way and got influenced by Pakistanis but there were hundreds who were victims of the double game between the two countries. One used them as militants or supporters and the other used them as informers,” he stated. “Life in Pakistan is bad. They never give equal status to the Indians who have crossed over. People do not get even land to bury the dead relatives belonging to India,” he said. |
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7 militants killed Srinagar, September 23 Five militants were killed in three different encounters with the security forces in North Kashmir district of Baramula overnight, an official spokesman said. He said three militants were killed at Chor Gali-Bandipora and one militant each was gunned down at Gurez and Takya Yousuf Shah. Two AK rifles, seven magazines, four hand grenades, 12 grenades, one wireless set, one antenna and 152 rounds were recovered from the slain militants. A soldier was killed when militants attacked a patrol party at Nowshera Nar in Machil sector last night. Militants later managed to escape, he said. He said militants killed Mohammad Hussain (50) and his son Nisar Ahmad (30) at their house at Chak Banola in Poonch district of the Jammu region early today.
— PTI |
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Jawan killed in Pak shelling Jammu, September 23 Armed with field guns, the Pakistani troops atop Bhimber hills fired artillery and mortar shells on civilian areas and forward defence locations in Rajouri-Poonch sector, the sources said. The areas, which were shelled heavily by the Pakistani troops included Kalsian, Laam, Romildhara, Kalal, Jhangard, Krishnaghati, Sabzian, Balnoi, Kerni, Nowshera, Balakote and Chokichora in Rajouri-Poonch sector, they said. A jawan, Desh Raj, was killed and three Army men were wounded, one of them critically in the Nowshera area this morning in the Pakistani artillery shelling, the sources said. Three civilians were injured when two mortar shells exploded with a bang near LoC last night, the sources said, adding that one of them was critical. All injured had been hospitalised, the sources said. Indian troops also retaliated to the Pakistani shelling this morning and heavy exchanges were on when last reports came in from the areas. The loss on the other side was not known immediately, the sources said. The Pakistani Rangers also resorted to small arms firing along the international border in Bhudwar, Arnia, Joura Farm, Ramgarh,
S.M. Pura, Londi, Nanga, Kandral, Fatwal border outposts (bops) and civilian areas in Jammu and Kathua districts till this morning, they said.
— PTI |
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Fencing
starts yielding results Jammu, September 23 Official sources said after 45 of the 75
stretches of the LoC in the Mendhar area of Poonch were fenced, infiltration had considerably dropped. The sources said in August more than 130 militants were known to have crossed into Poonch sector, but during the past 20 days not more than 30 rebels are believed to have sneaked into the Indian territory from across Poonch. They said Poonch and Rajouri districts had been the main areas being used by Pakistan-trained militants to cross into Jammu sector. Defence Ministry sources said the fencing of the LoC in these twin border districts and on the remaining 100-km stretch of the international border, extending from Kathua to Akhnoor, might be completed by the end of next year. Senior police functionaries said the rate of ingress of rebels from across Kupwara, Uri and Gulmarg had not shown any marked decline. In fact, they said, between June and August the level of infiltration had gone up. These functionaries said, “over 850 militants, including over a dozen commanders of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jash-e-Mohammad, have been eliminated by the security forces during the past eight-and-a half months and at least more than 2,000 militants have, according to field reports, sneaked into Jammu and Kashmir.” |
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Cannabis
in 682 hectares destroyed Srinagar, September 23 Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr V. Prabhakar, Assistant Commissioner, Customs Commissionerate, Amritsar, said an 11-day campaign against cannabis cultivation concluded in the areas yesterday. This was part of the specifically targeted drive against the cultivation of narcotics in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. He said people in several villages of Anantnag and Pulwama districts, had switched over to cannabis cultivation due to various reasons, including lack of irrigation water. He said the produce, which was usually ready with the apple and maize crops, was being smuggled in apple boxes outside the state to get more profits. Cannabis in 682 hectares had been destroyed, much to the resentment of the local population. However, no one has been arrested. The villages included Malhura, Laktipora, Kawin, Bandna, Tulkhan, Jabluipora, Hussainpora, Dupatyar, Gurri, Khayyar and Ketritang. The commissionerate asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to check the menace. |
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Broadcaster
Bukhari joins PDP Srinagar, September 23 The Chief Minister while welcoming Mr Bukhari hoped that with his joining the PDP, the party would get strengthened at the grass-roots level. He said there was need of such people in the party who had commitment to the people. Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig and PDP president Ms Mehbooba, who were also present on the occasion also hailed his joining the party. Mr Bukhari who belongs to a prominent family of Kreeri in Baramula district said that he had joined the party to support its programmes and policies and strengthen the hands of the Chief Minister. |
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Muslims
can help Pandits return, says Bakshi Jammu, September 23 Mr Bakshi, talking to the TNS here today, said the committee was discussing the issue particularly with the separatists, with whom an interaction was planned is Srinagar on September 27. However, due to the split in the Hurriyat Conference, the meeting had been postponed till October end. Ved Bashin, a noted journalist, would inaugurate the meeting. He said the proposed move of the state government to take the migrants back and lodge them in clusters at Khir-Bhawani and Mattan in the valley was not realistic. |
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Bridge opened
to traffic Kargil, September 23 Minister for Sports and Technical Education Haji Nissar Ali inaugurated the bridge yesterday. The minister also took stock of two more steel bridges.
— PTI |
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Gurdwara
poll in valley on Oct 30 Srinagar, September 23 Nominations could be submitted up to September 25, scrutiny would be done on September 29 and withdrawals will be allowed till October 15.
— PTI |
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