J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Man returns after year-long captivity in Pakistan
Pansar (Kathua), May 31
Devi Singh, a villager who was kidnapped by militants in March last year and taken to Pakistan, managed to escape recently after more than a year in captivity.

A priest displays the holy relic of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani on the eve of Urs at his shrine in Khanyar, Srinagar, on Monday. — Photo by Amin War

IATO’s concern over govt-shrine board rift
Jammu, May 31
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has expressed its concern over the sharp differences between the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and has said such disputes might hit the forthcoming pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath.

4 militants among 7 killed in J&K
Srinagar, May 31
A commander of Hizb-e-Islami (HeI) was among seven persons killed in the state overnight, according to official sources. Security forces, acting on a tip-off, cordoned off a village at Kulgam in south Kashmir district of Anantnag late last night to nab militants.

Admission forms to be available at post offices
Jammu, May 31
As many as 23 post offices in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir are shut because of militancy. However, 47 other post offices have been reopened in the areas where the situation has improved.

Timber worth Rs 1 cr destroyed in fire
Jammu, May 31
Timber worth Rs 1 crore was destroyed in a fire at the State Forest Department Depot, in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district in the Jammu region, on Saturday night, the police said.

Man returns after year-long captivity in Pakistan

Pansar (Kathua), May 31
Devi Singh, a villager who was kidnapped by militants in March last year and taken to Pakistan, managed to escape recently after more than a year in captivity.

Kidnapped at gunpoint by three militants from this border village on March 24, 2003, Devi Singh was taken to Pakistan and shifted from one place to another and kept in confinement. But when he promised militants that he would “work” for them, they allowed him to visit his family members, who considered him dead, the police said.

“This is a matter of serious concern for us,” Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua, Raghubir Singh said. “I have alerted all border residents and police posts as Pakistan-based militants can make more such attempts to cultivate people as their guides,” he added.

Devi Singh was kidnapped from his fields, 200 yards from the International Border.

After his return, he was interrogated by the police and other security agencies during which he revealed that after being kidnapped he was handed over to one Qari Suleman in Shakkargarh area.

During his stay there, militants sought information from him about the deployment of the BSF on the border, fencing along the borders and the number of troops guarding Thein and Jasrota Dams. They also inquired about the impact of the suicide attacks at Hiranagar in Kathua and Kaluchak in Jammu.

After about a month, he was shifted from Shakkargarh to Lahore.

He was asked to work for the Lashkar-e-Toiba with the promise of good money in return; but he refused.

In June, he was shifted to Zaffarwal and told that till he agreed to work for them, he would not be set free. He gave his consent one day as this, he thought, was the only way to freedom.

The militants then asked him to act as a guide to the infiltrating groups of LET members up to the Jammu-Kathua highway and dump in his house arms and ammunition for them.

Before letting him enter the Indian territory, the militants asked him to return after meeting his family as his job as guide was to start soon.

However, on crossing back into Indian territory, Devi Singh went to a BSF post and surrendered. — UNI

IATO’s concern over govt-shrine board rift
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 31
The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has expressed its concern over the sharp differences between the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and has said such disputes might hit the forthcoming pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath.

In a statement issued here today, Mr Anil Gaur, Chairman of the state unit of the IATO, said the confrontation had created a confusion among the masses.

The curtailment of the period of pilgrimage to one-month has resulted in losses to the tourism industry that was holding confirmed bookings for large groups for July. This would also increase the strain on the existing infrastructure during the pilgrimage.

Mr Gaur demanded that a base camp for the pilgrimage should immediately be set up here to regulate the flow of pilgrims. The situation would become unmanageable in case pilgrims were allowed to proceed to Pahalgam and Sonamarg in the valley without prior registration.

He demanded that the helicopter service for the pilgrimage should be reintroduced.

However, according to a spokesman the government was committed to extend its full support to the shrine board for ensuring better management of the pilgrimage

Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed has already directed the administration to provide full support to the Shrine Board for making best possible arrangements for the pilgrimage.

The spokesman said the promotion of pilgrim tourism to the shrines of Amarnath and Vaishno Devi had been the priority of the government as it contributed tremendously towards the economy of both regions of the state.

4 militants among 7 killed in J&K

Srinagar, May 31
A commander of Hizb-e-Islami (HeI) was among seven persons killed in the state overnight, according to official sources.

Security forces, acting on a tip-off, cordoned off a village at Kulgam in south Kashmir district of Anantnag late last night to nab militants. However, when the forces were about to storm a particular house, they came under heavy fire from militants. The fire was returned and in the shootout two militants, including HeI commander Saqib Hussain, a resident of Pakistan, were killed. One civilian Ghulam Hassan was injured in the encounter. Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were seized. Militants shot dead an alleged informer at Tarzoo Sopore in Baramula district last night. They also snatched his pistol. A girl, Shaheena, was injured in a shootout at Arwani last night.

In a fierce gunbattle between militants and Army troops in the Nangna-Sabzian forest area of Poonch district last night, a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant, an Army jawan and a porter were shot dead. One porter, Ghulam Nabi, was injured. One AK rifle, three magazines, seven grenades, a radio set and one pistol were found on the spot. In another encounter, troops killed an unidentified militant in Katraji village of Mahore in Reasi tehsil of Udhampur district last night.

Two jawans were also injured in two separate mine blasts in Marha and Surankote area of Poonch district last night. — UNI, PTI

NC chief meets Hurriyat leader

Srinagar, May 31
Breaking from the past, National Conference President Omar Abdullah yesterday met senior Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farroq following a grenade attack on the amalgam leader’s house on Saturday.

The National Conference president drove straight to Mirwaiz’s house and enquired after his health.

During their 25-minute meeting, the two also discussed the current situation in the state.

This is for the first time that the National Conference President has met any Hurriyat leader even since amalgam’s inception in 1993.

Earlier, Omar went to the state hospital and visited Mirwaiz’s uncle Maulvi Mushtaq. — PTI

Admission forms to be available at post offices
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 31
As many as 23 post offices in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir are shut because of militancy. However, 47 other post offices have been reopened in the areas where the situation has improved.

This was stated by the Chief Postmaster General (CPMG), J and K circle, Mr S. Samant, while talking to mediapersons here today. He said that initially 70 post offices had got closed because of militancy, but these were gradually being reopened. He said that to provide relief to job seekers and students, it was being planned to make available various recruitment and admission forms at post offices in far-flung areas. The post offices would also accept filled forms on behalf of the agencies under a special agreement.

Mr Samant said that besides the traditional services, several modern facilities, including e-post, e-bill post and business post, had been introduced here.

As many as 3,405 postal life insurance and 5,931 rural postal insurance policies worth Rs 91 crore were sold in the state.

He said the small savings scheme here was not as popular as in other states although the funds collected were transferred to the state government as plan assistance.

Timber worth Rs 1 cr destroyed in fire

Jammu, May 31
Timber worth Rs 1 crore was destroyed in a fire at the State Forest Department Depot, in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district in the Jammu region, on Saturday night, the police said.

The fire broke out on Saturday evening at compartment number 52 of the depot in the Jalora, and soon engulfed the whole store, destroying 4,500 timber sleepers before it could be put out.

Officials suspect militants’ hand behind the fire. Nearly 60 such incidents in the state forest corporation-owned depots, mostly in Doda district, have been reported in the past one decade of militancy, resulting in loss of crores.

The state government had handed over the cases to the police for investigation. Bur several of the cases were closed as ‘untraced”. — UNI