 |
|
NC men stage walkout over PDS issue NC mum over rights violations, says BJP Police lathicharges protesters |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assembly endorses PM’s peace moves The District and Sessions Court here today awarded eight years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 15,000 to a Pakistan-trained militant, Mohammad Shaffi, for possessing illegal arms and ammunition and acquitted three others in the case. Jammu, December 11 Led by Mr Anwar Chowdhary, President of the Gujjars United Front, several hundred Gujjars held a demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan here demanding a better deal for the ethnic group whose population in Jammu and Kashmir had touched 20 lakh. Two Army men killed in accident Two Army personnel were killed and three others injured after their vehicle skidded off the road and turned turtle on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, official sources said today. 
|
|
NC men stage walkout over PDS issue Jammu, December 11 As soon as the question hour started National Conference members led by Mr Sajjad Kichloo marched to the well demanding adjournment of the House. Mr Kichloo wearing a black apron on which were inscribed slogans against the Food and Supplies Minister, Mr Taj Mohiuddin, stood in front of the speaker’s podium, Mr Tara Chand, arguing in favour of the adjournment of the House. He was joined by 10 other party members including Mr Ali Mohammed Sagar, Mr Sharief Din Shariq, Mr Mubarik Gul and Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari. Mr Tara Chand repeatedly assured the agitated members that he would allow half-an-hour discussion on the issue tomorrow. But the irate members refused to budge and clamoured in favour of accepting the adjournment motion. The Speaker rejected the motion and said that he would allow all discussion on the matter tomorrow. Though the Speaker continued with the question hour neither questions nor the replies from the ministers were audible. Soon after the question hours National Conference members were protesting against the Finance Minister Mr Mazaffar Hussain Baig, who had yesterday alleged that during the National Conference regime Rs 192 crore had been spent on fictitious plans and bills. Mr Sagar urged Mr Baig to explain in detail where the misappropriation had taken place. Since the Speaker kept quiet National Conference members staged a walkout shouting slogans against Mr Tara Chand. On many occasions the young turks in the coalition government had exchanged hot words with National Conference members with the former accusing the latter of disrupting the proceedings of the House. The Minister of State, Mr Abdul Rehman Veeri, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, tried to intervene but were shouted down by National Conference members. During the hour long pandemonium the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues remained silent. The House, after the question hour witnessed another piquant scene in which one senior National Conference member, Mr Dilawar Mir, was criticised by his party colleagues over the former’s critical reference to the National Conference President, Mr Omar Abdullah. Mr Abdul Bahim Rathor, Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar (all from the National Conference) informed the Speaker that since Mr Abdullah was not a member of the House Mr Mir could not discuss anything that pertained to him. The members did not relish the way the Speaker allowed Mr Mir to speak and they staged a walkout. |
|
NC mum over rights violations, says BJP Jammu, December 11 In a statement here today, the BJP President, Dr Nirmal Singh, said the way NC leaders kept mum over the repeated human rights violations being committed by militants, it encouraged anti-India forces in Jammu and Kashmir. He said by killing security personnel and innocent civilians, militants were in the forefront of those indulging in the abuse of human rights. Dr Nirmal Singh suggested to the NC members and those belonging to the Congress, the PDP and the Panthers Party to understand the gravity of the human rights violations carried out by militants. He cautioned them against blaming the security forces that were offering great sacrifices in defending the state and the country against the machinations of militants and other external forces. |
|
Couple among 10 killed Srinagar, December 11 The police here said two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Srigufwara area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir today. They were identified as Ghulam Mohiouddin, alias Qasim, and Bashir Ahmad, alias Hilal, from whose possession two AK rifles, five magazines and a wireless set were seized. Militants shot dead two persons, including a woman in Poonch district of Jammu region, last night. A police spokesman said militants shot dead Khan Mohammad, a member of the local Panchayat, and his wife, Manzoor Begum, at Kallar Morh in Harni sector. A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces at Sogam in Kupwara district. An AK rifle, three magazines and 25 rounds were seized from the site of the encounter. With the killing of another militant in an encounter with security forces in the Beerwah area of Budgam district yesterday, the toll has gone up to two. They were identified as Bilal Ahmad and Tariq, alias Abdullah. The police recovered the body of Sajjad Ahmad Dar from the Chhanam forest area of Kupwara district today. He had been kidnapped by suspected militants of the Al-Badr outfit and subsequently killed, the police said. Acting on specific information the police held two Pakistan-trained militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen and seized two AK rifles and 20 magazines from them in the Kalaroos area of Kupwara district yesterday. This led to the busting of a hideout and seizure of four AK rifles, 20 magazines, one UBGL, 33 UBGL shells, four wireless sets, five wireless antennae, three boxes of AK ammunition and two hand grenades. UNI adds: A top Pakistan-based Laskar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander and another militant was gunned down in an encounter at Shopian in south Kashmir district of Pulwama on Wednesday night. Two pistols, two grenades and one wireless set were seized from the slain militants, an official spokesman said. Two more militants were killed by the security forces and the police in a joint operation at Beerwah in central Kashmir, he said. |
|
Police lathicharges protesters Srinagar, December 11 All shops and business establishments in the Maisuma locality near Budshah Chowk were closed soon after these re-opened after a day’s break here this morning. Angry demonstrators threw stones on the police to protest against the arrest of a separatist leader Hilal Ahmad War who was held here yesterday. Nearly 24 others who were held here yesterday for protesting on the occasion of World Human Rights Day were released later by the last evening. Police sources here confirmed that War had been taken into custody after a case was registered against him. PTI, UNI add: Trouble started this morning when some youths of the locality came out and threw stones at vehicles, the sources said, adding the police reached the scene and used batons to disperse them. However, the youths continued stoning in the area forcing the cops to fire tear shells to bring the situation under control, the sources said. They said additional police personnel had been rushed to the scene to control the situation in the sensitive locality of the city, also housing the headquarters of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front. Official sources said Mr Geelani, Mr Malik and others were released after furnishing personal bond in the police stations they were detained. |
|
Assembly endorses PM’s peace moves Jammu, December 11 Moving the resolution, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, said “the House takes note of the positive response to these initiatives from all quarters and expresses confidence that a composite dialogue on different fronts will yield positive results to bring peace to the state as a permanent feature of its social, political, cultural and economic life.” Mufti Sayeed said, “This House welcomes the elevation of the level of the dialogue and discourse by entrusting it to the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani. The House extends full support and assistance to the dialogue process.” Members belonging to different political groups supported the resulution and said dialogue was the only way to ensure peace in the state. Mr Ali Mohammed Sagar and Mr Sharief Din Shariq (NC) said people in the state had been sandwiched between the guns of the security forces and the militants and talks were the only way to end violence. They said several thousand people had become a victim of militancy related violence and state terrorism and after the gun failed to ensure peace, the initiative taken by Delhi should be given a chance. Members belonging to the Congress, CPM and BJP and some Independents supported the resolution. Mr M.Y. Tarigami (CPM) said, “Dialogue is the only way left for restoring peace to the state. “He said, “Our political ideologies may be different but we all are for peace so that the prolonged bloodshed is over.” National Conference members demanded that talks be held with all, including those holding the gun. Mr Sagar said the APHC factions did not represent the people of Kashmir as a whole and hence dialogue should be
broadbased. |
|
Militant gets 8-year RI Jammu, December 11 “Shaffi will undergo eight years of RI and pay a fine of Rs 15,000. In default of payment of fine, the accused shall further undergo RI for another two years,” the District and Sessions Judge, Mr Subash Chander Gupta, said in a judgement. The Judge, while awarding the sentence to Mohammad Shaffi, alias Hamza, observed that there was no evidence of possessing of arms or ammunition by the three others — Sharief, Mohammad Iqbal and Said Ullah of Doda district.
— PTI |
|
Gujjars complain
of raw deal Jammu, December 11 The protesters submitted a four-page memorandum to the Governor demanding his intervention so that Gujjars and Bakerwals did not remain neglected. In the memorandum, the front demanded reservations in government services, Parliament and the state legislature. It also demanded reservation in professional colleges. It called for the establishment of a Delimitation Commission. The front expressed concern over the way Gujjars and Bakerwals had been denied their due after they were included in the Scheduled Tribe status list. It alleged that not more than 33 per cent funds, sent by the Centre for battering the lot of Gujjars and other tribal groups in the state, were spent on “our welfare” adding that the rest of the amount was being diverted to other sectors. It also demanded a separate Gujjar regiment in the Army on the plea that “ours was the only ethnic group that had Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs as its members.” |
|
Two Army men
killed in accident Srinagar, December 11 The accident took place at Sampora near Pampore, 13 km from here, last evening when the driver of the Army vehicle lost control over it, the sources said. They said five jawans including the driver, were injured in the mishap and were taken to hospital where two of them succumbed to their injuries this morning.
— PTI |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
