 |
|
Top
Lashkar, Jaish commanders killed Omar
Abdullah seeks PM’s assurance
NC
won’t allow trifurcation, asserts Farooq Tarigami
to contest against Mehbooba |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
HC
orders removal of banners, hoardings Women
polling officers for Kupwara dist J&K
to introduce farm insurance scheme
|
|
Top Lashkar, Jaish commanders killed Srinagar, April 8 In another incident the troops killed a top militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit, while two security forces personnel were killed and 16 injured in Kupwara district. A defence spokesman said here that the chief commander of the outfit for Kashmir valley, Qari Asif alias Sahrai Baba alias V3, was killed in the incident. He succeeded Gazi Baba. Gazi Baba had been killed by the BSF in Srinagar last year. Another top militant killed in the operation by the Army and the police was identified as Malik Salimulla alias Umar Shaheen, chier operational commander. Three others included Zuber, District Commander of the outfit for Kupwara, the spokesman said. The spokesman said the troops of Rashtriya Rifles and the police achieved the success based on specific information about the presence of militants hiding in the forests near Sogam in Lolab area of Kupwara district today. Giving details about the killing of a top militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba, identified as Abu Qasim, Divisional Commander for north Kashmir, the defence spokesman said two Army personnel were killed and 16 were injured. He added that while the searches had been launched for Mohammad Sahakeel alias Abu Qasim, there was information about a huge hideout in the Magam forests of Kupwara district. He said that while the search was on an IED exploded resulting in the hideout caving in killing two Army personnel and injuring 16. Mohammad Shakeel alias Abu Qasim from Pakistan had been controlling operations and finances of the outfit, and his killing is regarded as a big blow to LeT, the defence spokesman said. |
|
Omar Abdullah seeks PM’s assurance on fair poll Srinagar, April 8 This was disclosed by the NC president, Mr Omar Abdullah, at a press conference on the occasion of releasing the manifesto at the party headquarters here this afternoon. He asked the Prime Minister to give an assurance in this regard during his expected Jammu visit on April 11. He added that BJP general secretary, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi’s assurance to this effect during his recent Kashmir visit was not “sufficient”. The NC chief also announced that its former MP from Ladakh, Ghulam Hassan Khan would be the party’s candidate from Ladakh Lok Sabha constituency. The party had already announced its list of five other candidates from the state. They include two former members seeking re-election — Omar Abdullah from Srinagar and Abdul Rasheed Shaheen from Baramula. Other candidates are Dr Mehboob Beigh for Anantnag constituency, Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy for Udhampur and S.S. Salathia from Jammu constituency. Referring to the opening of Uri-Muzaffarabad road, the NC president asked both New Delhi and Islamabad to “clear their positions” as the scheduled meeting was postponed. He urged the government to give the reasons for the postponement of the meeting and the next schedule of the meeting. Omar held that the people needed to be connected not only through Uri. He held that the government was not willing to open the road and was adopting delay tactics. The Kashmir unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal, led by Janak Singh Sodhi also announced his decision to support the party. He said all units of the SAD in Kashmir valley had extended their support to the National Conference. A Congress leader Tariq Mohiuddin having been associated with the party for over two decades, also announced his decision to join the National Conference on the occasion. |
|
NC won’t allow trifurcation, asserts Farooq Jammu, April 8 Addressing a series of campaign meetings in Rajouri district last evening, Dr Abdullah said the NC would oppose all those forces which sought to divide the state on the basis of religion, region or ethnic identities for vested interests. He warned that such forces would be isolated and marginalised and reiterated that his party always stood for social justice, equitable development and integration of all three regions — Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. “It is sad that the PDP-Congress government has stopped all ongoing development projects in the remote districts of Rajouri and Poonch, scuttling the accelerated pace of development of the region set in motion by the erstwhile NC regime,” he said. Making a special mention of the Mughal Road, he said its construction had been delayed because of the lack of interest of the present government. The roadway, Dr Abdullah said, was essential for the economic resurgence of the region because it would open up the area and make it more approachable. “The state is in a financial mess and is virtually bankrupt because of the wrong unimaginative and unrealistic policies of the coalition government, which wasted its resources due to fiscal mismanagement,” he alleged. Dr Abdullah reiterated that the Mufti government’s hollow promises and slogans had been exposed and predicted that the government would fall immediately after the General Election because of its internal dissensions. He was accompanied by NC candidate for the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency, Surjit Singh Slathia.
— UNI |
|
Tarigami to contest against Mehbooba Jammu, April 8 The decision of Mr Tarigami, who is annoyed over the “arbitrary” functioning of the Chief Minister, was bound to create problems for Ms Mufti and her father might have to recast the strategy for his daughter. This will have ramifications on the coalition government in the state as almost all partners were now standing face to face in various constituencies. While the Congress and the PDP have crossed swords in the Baramula constituency by fielding Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar and Mr Nizamuddin respectively, Mr Bhim Singh of the Panthers Party has announced his candidature from Udhampur constituency against Mr Lal Singh, Health Minister, who is the Congress nominee. The decision of Mr Tarigami, has resulted in the coalition partners’ contesting against each other in three of the six Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. Mr Tarigami told the correspondent here this morning that the politburo of the CPM was expected to announce his candidature within a day or two. He said his support to the Mufti government was issue based. Mr Tarigami said the meeting of the coordination committee of the coalition was not being convened regularly and the PDP and the Congress were arbitrarily taking major decisions without taking others into confidence. Mr Tarigami had contested the 1999 Lok Sabha election against Mufti Sayeed in the Anantnag constituency. Both of them had lost to Mr Ali Mohammad Naik of the National Conference. Interestingly, all three main contenders for the Anantnag seat would be sitting MLAs from the district in case Mr Tarigami also files papers. Besides, Ms Mufti Dr Mehboob Beg is contesting on NC ticket. It is worth mentioning that Mr Tarigami had helped the Mufti become the Chief Minister after the Assembly elections in 2002. |
|
HC orders removal of banners, hoardings Jammu, April 8 The reports will be examined by both Divisional Commissioners and IGPs who will ensure that they are immediately removed, Mr Justice Pramodh Kohli said in his order yesterday. These directions were passed by the court after hearing a PIL petition filed by Mr Harshad Majid Malik. After hearing the counsel representing the Divisional Commissioners, the IGPs and the Jammu Municipal Corporation, the court directed the senior officers of the state to submit their report to the court within one week along with the reports of the Deputy Commissioners concerned regarding the existence of the hoardings and their consequent removal. The reports would also be
submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir, who might file his own report after verification of the facts within a week thereafter, the court
ordered. The court directed the Divisional Commissioners and IGPs to ensure the immediate removal of hoardings, banners and advertisements.
— PTI |
|
Women polling officers for Kupwara dist Srinagar, April 8 The decision was taken during a meeting called by the district election officer, Kupwara, to review the poll and security arrangements at Kupwara last evening, an official spokesman said today. Besides appointing women polling officers, ICDS workers would be engaged to frisk female voters. The meeting, attended by assistant returning officers, additional returning officers of the district and polling officers, decided that adequate security arrangements would be made and about 161 vehicles would be used for poll duty.
— UNI |
|
|
J&K
to introduce farm insurance scheme Srinagar, April 8 The Agriculture and Horticulture Departments were also working on a contingency plan to meet drought-like situation in the valley, following a prolonged dry spell threatening the kharif crop, Principal Secretary Agriculture Production R Kundal said. Addressing a divisional-level kharif conference here today, Mr Kundal directed the divisional heads of
Agriculture, Horticulture and allied Departments to draw up plans for the development of the sectors and betterment of the farming community. Mr Kundal said that instead of growing traditional crops such as wheat and rice, emphasis should be on cash crops like vegetable, flowers, pulses and other revenue-earning products like honey and mushroom. Mr Kundal said the
government had sanctioned another project to boost maize production in the
state. — 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 | |
Mr Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, a
CPM MLA, who is supporting the coalition government today announced
his candidature from Anantnag against Ms Mehbooba Mufti. This may
further deepen uncertainty about the Mufti Sayeed-led government.
