J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

People throng markets for Id shopping
Srinagar, November 25
Crowded markets with people engaged in shopping for Id and traffic jams on roads have become a regular feature here and in other major towns of the valley during the past couple of days.

Kashmiri women buy bangles from a road-side shop on the eve of Id in Srinagar on Tuesday. — PTI photo

2 jawans among 5 killed
Jammu, November 25
Five persons, including two ultras and an equal number of security personnel, were killed in Udhampur and Doda districts of Jammu division where the security forces busted a militant hideout and rescued two civilians from the clutches of ultras since yesterday, official sources said here today.

Inquiry ordered into alleged custodial death
Srinagar, November 25
The Jammu and Kashmir Government today ordered an inquiry into the alleged custodial death of a youth in Anantnag district which triggered a protest, leading to Army firing in which three civilians were injured, official sources said.

YOUR TOWN

Jammu Srinagar

A Kashmiri woman looks at artificial flowers ahead of the Id festival in Srinagar on Tuesday. — Reuters

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Relief to Kashmiri migrants enhanced
Jammu, November 25
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has enhanced cash relief for Kashmiri migrants by Rs 150 per head per month, Revenue Minister Hakeem Mohammad Yasin said today.

Rs 1 lakh for firing victim
Srinagar, November 25
The Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission has directed the authorities to pay Rs 1 lakh to next of kin of a person killed in firing by the security forces.

People throng markets for Id shopping
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 25
Crowded markets with people engaged in shopping for Id and traffic jams on roads have become a regular feature here and in other major towns of the valley during the past couple of days.

Meanwhile, there have been different reports about sighting of the Ramzan crescent, leading to confusion, though in all probability it is being observed tomorrow.

The number of shoppers, thronging the markets over the past two weeks for buying dress material, has come down. Now the rush is for bakery items, mutton, poultry, vegetables and other eatables. The entire Lal Chowk area, nerve centre of the capital city, spread over 5 km from Dalgate and TRC to Batamaloo, has been witnessing heavy rush with people thronging prominent outlets of bakery and other eatable items.

The markets were open till late last evening and most of the shoppers started visiting bakery and sweet shops since early hours today. There were long queues at some leading bakery and confectionery shops. Mutton outlets also witnessed heavy rush since early morning, with people going there directly after prayers at the break of dawn.

There has been a heavy rush of vehicles both on the MA road and the Residency road, where policemen are having a tough time maintaining the traffic. It is difficult for the policemen to control the traffic due to pedestrians shopping on extended counters and footpath vends on either sides of roads. The Traffic Department is also using vehicles fitted with loudspeakers to check wrong parking at key points. The functional parking slots of the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) do not have adequate infrastructure at present.

Even as the authorities here have been making repeated announcements of the rates of essential commodities, particularly mutton and poultry, no shopkeeper seems to be adhering to these. The authorities claimed that there was no shortage of mutton and poultry and a kg of chicken was selling at Rs 53. However, these were available only in certain parts of the city.

Meanwhile, political, social and other organisations have extended felicitations to the people for Id. They include Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Mohammad Shah and founder chairman of separatist Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The leaders have expressed hope that the occasion will bring peace and prosperity in the state. Mr Shah called for an early resolution of the Kashmir dispute while Umar Farooq, in his message, asked the people to celebrate the occasion with austerity and simplicity.

All welcome ceasefire

Srinagar, November 25
Cutting across the party lines, separatist, mainstream political parties and Kashmiris, particularly those living on the borders, have welcomed the decision of India and Pakistan to observe ceasefire along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC).

''It seems our prayers for peace during the holy month of Ramzan have been accepted by God,'' was the general reaction of the people living on the borders to the announcement.

''It will help us live peacefully in our homes for the first time since 1947,'' they added.

Welcoming the Id ceasefire, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said these initiatives would definitely bear fruits.

Coinciding with the Id-ul-Fitr, he said the truce augur well for building up an atmosphere in the state that could lead to the dawn of a lasting era of mutual friendship, cooperation and trust between the two neighbours.

''I see in it a great moment forward,'' he said and prayed for the success of dialogue process between the two countries.

Both factions of the Hurriyat Conference, the National Conference (NC) and the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) have welcomed the decision.

Hurriyat (breakaway) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani said it was a welcome step from both countries.

However, he cautioned that it was just a cosmetic measure which would not last long till the main Kashmir issue was resolved.

''We have seen such measures in the past also,'' he said, adding that the relations between India and Pakistan would improve only when the Kashmir issue was resolved once and for all. — UNI

2 jawans among 5 killed

Jammu, November 25
Five persons, including two ultras and an equal number of security personnel, were killed in Udhampur and Doda districts of Jammu division where the security forces busted a militant hideout and rescued two civilians from the clutches of ultras since yesterday, official sources said here today.

Two ultras were killed in an encounter with the security forces after they launched a search operation in the Chasana area of Reasi Tehsil in Udhampur this morning, the sources said.

Two jawans also lost their lives in the encounter, they said, adding that further details were awaited as operation was in progress in the area.

Reports from Doda district said unidentified ultras gunned down a civilian, identified as Nazir Ahmed, in Kora Kolihand village of Doda district during the period.

Army troops rescued a bus driver and a conductor from the clutches of militants after a brief encounter at Gambir Muglian of Rajouri district, they said.

In another incident, the security forces busted a militant hideout in the Banihal area of Doda district and seized a pistol with one magazine and one radio set.

Srinagar: The Border Security Force (BSF) today seized arms and wireless sets from a locality in Jammu and Kashmir, foiling militant designs to indulge in subservise activities on the eve of Id-ul-fitr, official sources said.

The BSF troops of 61 battalion seized a pistol, its magazine, seven rounds, two hand grenades, four rifle grenades, one high-explosive grenade, three wireless sets and eight rounds of AK ammunition from the Idgah locality of downtown city, they said.

An Awami League leader was injured while his personal security officer and a shopkeeper killed when militants fired at his vehicle at Anantnag in south Kashmir last night.

Bushan Lal Bindroo and four others were injured while his PSO Mohammd Yousuf died on the spot. He said one of the injured shopkeeper, Abdul Rashid Pathan, later succumbed to injuries in a hospital. — PTI, UNI

Inquiry ordered into alleged custodial death

Srinagar, November 25
The Jammu and Kashmir Government today ordered an inquiry into the alleged custodial death of a youth in Anantnag district which triggered a protest, leading to Army firing in which three civilians were injured, official sources said.

The police also registered an FIR against the troops of 7 Rashtriya Rifles in connection with the alleged custodial death of death of 28-year-old Mohammad Yaqoob Khan and injuries to three persons in the subsequent firing on a procession at Chatergul village of Achabal, about 70 km from here, the sources said.

Villagers of Chatergul and adjoining villages took to streets this morning after the police handed over the body of Khan to his kin last night, the sources said.

Khan was allegedly arrested by the Army from his house last night but was killed when he, according to local Army officers, reportedly tried to snatch a weapon from a jawan during questioning, forcing another jawan to open fire, the sources said.

As the march wound its way to the Anantnag district headquarters of the Deputy Commissioner to seek a probe into the incident, they were stopped by Rashtirya Rifles soldiers who opened fire when the crowd did not heed their demand to disperse.

As three persons were injured in the firing, Deputy Commissioner Asgar Hussain Samoon and senior police officers rushed to the spot and assured villagers that a probe would be ordered, the sources said.

Mr Samoon subsequently ordered a probe into the alleged death with Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ramzan Thoka as the inquiry officer. — PTI

Relief to Kashmiri migrants enhanced

Jammu, November 25
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has enhanced cash relief for Kashmiri migrants by Rs 150 per head per month, Revenue Minister Hakeem Mohammad Yasin said today.

The relief for migrants has been increased from the existing rate of Rs 600 to Rs 750 per head per month with a ceiling of Rs 3000 per month per family for four persons or more, Mr Yasin said.

The increase in the relief amount on the directions of the Central Government, will be effective from July 1, 2003, Mr Yasin said, adding that this was being done on the basis of a communication received from the Government of India.

He said the enhancement would mean an additional expenditure of Rs 10.80 lakh annually.

In all, about 17,000 families, constituting of about 70,000 members, are receiving relief through the Relief Commissioner (Migrants), Jammu.

Besides cash assistance and free ration, the families which are putting up in the camps, are provided infrastructure for day-do-day living and standard basic amenities. — PTI

Rs 1 lakh for firing victim

Srinagar, November 25
The Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission has directed the authorities to pay Rs 1 lakh to next of kin of a person killed in firing by the security forces.

The commission Chairman, Justice Ali Mohammad Mir, in his order said ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh was recommended for the wife of the late Ali Mohammad Kachroo, besides employment to one of the eligible daughters of the deceased. The order was passed on a complaint filed by the victim’s widow that her husband had died in security forces’ firing in 1990. — UNI