J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Civilian killed in Pak shelling
Srinagar, October 3
One civilian was killed, two Army jawans were injured and several structures, including a police post and a school building, damaged as Pakistani troops shelled forward villages and posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said today.

Abbas faction gets shot in arm
Srinagar, October 3
The Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari-led faction of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) today got a shot in the arm when the Peoples League, an important constituent of the separatist amalgam, decided to support the reconciliation efforts carried out by former chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

Court frees 2 JKLF leaders, govt slaps PSA
Srinagar, October 3
Protesting against the continued detention of two of its senior leaders, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) today said the government “desecrated” court orders by slapping the Public Safety Act (PSA) on them to prevent their release on Thursday.

A Kashmiri man looks at a relic (in glass tube) of Prophet Mohammed, as it is displayed to devotees on the occasion of Meraj-ul-Alam at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar on Friday. — Reuters

Civilian killed in Pak shelling

Srinagar, October 3
One civilian was killed, two Army jawans were injured and several structures, including a police post and a school building, damaged as Pakistani troops shelled forward villages and posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said today.

The civilian, identified as Haji Mohammad Ibrahim, was killed when an artillery shell exploded at Teti Chenie village in Kargil district of Ladakh region last night, sources said.

A havaldar of 20 Raj Rifles and a jawan of 17 Rajput Regiment were seriously injured when Kalsian and Rumlidhara areas of Noushera sector were hit by mortar bombs, they said.

The sources said shelling was intense in Karnah sector of Kupwara district in north Kashmir where a government high school and a telephone exchange at Tangdhar, a police post at Teetwal and two houses at Tulail were damaged yesterday. However, noone was hurt in the shelling which was still continuing, they said.

Shelling from across the border triggered panic among villagers who abandoned their houses and shifted to safer places within their villages, the sources said.

Senior police and civil officers reached Karnah this morning to assess the damage caused by the shelling.

Troops guarding the borders fired in retaliation but the casualties suffered by the Pakistani troops could not be immediately ascertained, the sources said.

Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi national was taken into custody as he tried to crossover to Pakistan in RS Pura sector early today. — PTI

Abbas faction gets shot in arm

Srinagar, October 3
The Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari-led faction of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) today got a shot in the arm when the Peoples League, an important constituent of the separatist amalgam, decided to support the reconciliation efforts carried out by former chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

“We are for unity and will strive till the last moment for reconciliation between the two groups of the Hurriyat Conference”, acting chairman of Peoples League Bashir Ahmad Tota told reporters here.

Mr Tota’s statement assumes significance as both Hurriyat factions were claiming the support of the Peoples League following the split in the 25-party conglomerate last month.

He said the Peoples League, which was one of the seven members of the decision-making executive committee of the Hurriyat, had formed a committee to boost Mirwaiz’s reconciliation efforts between the Ansari-led faction and the one led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Asked which group the league would support in case the reconciliation did not materialise, Mr Tota said: “We will go by the report and recommendation of the working committee on the issue. But we are hopeful that unity will be achieved”. He flayed the state government for rearresting party chairman Shiekh Abdul Aziz after the High Court issued orders effecting his release.

Meanwhile, Mr Ansari said he was ready to go to any extent for the unity and integrity of the separatist amalgam.

“I am ready to go to any extent for the unity and integrity of the Hurriyat but everyone has to work out solutions to the issues within the constitution of the conglomerate”, he said. — PTI

Court frees 2 JKLF leaders, govt slaps PSA

Srinagar, October 3
Protesting against the continued detention of two of its senior leaders, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) today said the government “desecrated” court orders by slapping the Public Safety Act (PSA) on them to prevent their release on Thursday.

“Invoking the PSA on Hurriyat executive member Sheikh Abdul Aziz and Muslim League Chairman Mushtaq-ul-Islam is an open aggression by those propagating democracy,” the JKLF said in a statement here.

While Mushtaq was arrested in the early 90s, Aziz was re-arrested two years back. Both the separatists were let off by court, but their release was not effected and, instead, the PSA was slapped on them yesterday.

“The court has ordered the release of the Hurriyat leaders, but the government has desecrated the court orders and slapped the PSA on them for another two years,” the statement added. — PTI