J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Three civilians, militant killed in exchange of fire
Srinagar, December 29
Three civilians and a militant were killed while four others, including an Army jawan, were injured in an exchange of fire near Awantipora in Pulwama district today. Those killed included a mother-daughter duo travelling in a bus and a farmer working in the fields at Lalgam on the Rajpora-Tral road near the highway town of Awantipora. 

Two Kashmiri women wail on the death of their father Nazir Ahmad in a firing incident which killed three others at Tral in Pulwama district of south Kashmir on Wednesday. 
— PTI photo

Plea to Mufti for kin’s repatriation
Jammu, December 29
A number of parents have requested the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to persuade the Government of India for taking up the issue of repatriation of their children, who had entered Pakistan between 1990 and 1994, with the Pakistani government.

Kashmiri children express sympathies with tsunami victims
Srinagar, December 29
It was a heartfelt sympathy with earthquake affected people of Chennai from the 10-year-old Yasir Ahmad Sheikh, who along with other students from Kashmir had visited Chennai only 10 days before the tragedy.

Govt keen to make local bodies powerful
Jammu, December 29
Asserting that the government is keen on decentralisation and will hand over all powers to elected representatives in municipal corporation and other local bodies, the Minister for Tourism and Urban Development, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, today said coalition partners would extend all support to candidates having a recognition as dedicated and honest persons in their areas and would not float their candidate against such persons in the ensuring municipal elections.

Minister wants credit societies revived
Jammu, December 29
The Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr Abdul Aziz Zargar, today called for reviving all cooperative credit societies to provide hustle-free lending facilities to the peasants, especially small and marginal farmers. He said the number of kisan credit cards should be increased to enhance the coverage of institutional credit.

Three civilians, militant killed in exchange of fire
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 29
Three civilians and a militant were killed while four others, including an Army jawan, were injured in an exchange of fire near Awantipora in Pulwama district today.Those killed included a mother-daughter duo travelling in a bus and a farmer working in the fields at Lalgam on the Rajpora-Tral road near the highway town of Awantipora. Sources, however, said an Army jawan was also killed in the incident.

The police said three civilians, including two women killed in the incident, had been identified as Nazir Ahmad Dar, Rifat Jan and her mother Jameela.

A defence spokesman here told The Tribune that the incident took place when an Army patrol party stopped a passenger bus for carrying out searches. One militant travelling among the passengers tried to escape while searches were being conducted. When he was challenged by the troops, the militant opened fire on the search party wounding a jawan critically with three bullet injuries.

The fire was returned killing the militant, identified as Abdul Rashid Bhat of Hizbul Mujahideen. A BSF patrol party nearby also opened fire, reports said.

The critically injured jawan and two civilians were evacuated to the hospital by the troops, the spokesman said. The BSF, however, has denied that its men opened fire as they reached the spot about an hour after the incident had taken place. The Defence spokesman added that the injured civilians have been shifted to the Civil Hospital, while the jawan was undergoing treatment at the Army base hospital. His condition is stated to be out of danger.

Elsewhere, at least five persons including a district president of the Youth National Conference, were killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

The police here said that unidentified militants shot Farooq Ahmad Zargar, district president of the Youth National Conference, near Narwara here today. Another person was injured in the incident.

One militant, Walid Hassan Abbas from Rawalpindi Pakistan, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam area of Anantnag district today, Defence spokesman said here.

In another encounter with the security forces that ensued on the receipt of a specific information, an unidentified militant was killed at Panju in Anantnag district today.

Unidentified militants shot a BSF jawan near the main hospital at Sopore in Baramulla district today, and took away his SLR rifle, the police said. Reports reaching here from Sopore said the civilians were subjected harassment and excesses by the security personnel following the incident. Several civilians had been beaten up by the security personnel after the incident, these reports added.

One militant, identified as Abu Tariq, alias Billa, belonging to HUJI outfit, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Darhal in Rajouri district of Jammu region today. One AK rifle, three magazines, 89 rounds and a wireless set were among the recoveries made from the spot, the police here said.

Plea to Mufti for kin’s repatriation
M.L. Kak

Jammu, December 29
A number of parents have requested the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to persuade the Government of India for taking up the issue of repatriation of their children, who had entered Pakistan between 1990 and 1994, with the Pakistani government.

According to Mr Tahir Mohiuddin, Editor, Chataan, a weekly newspaper, more than 4,000 youths have been staying in various areas of Pakistan and occupied Kashmir for the past several years.

He said during his recent visit to Pakistan and occupied Kashmir he saw pitiable condition of the Kashmiri youths who were keen to return to the valley.

“It is a problem which can be resolved by New Delhi and Islamabad,” said Mr Mohiuddin.

A senior police official said some of the youths had fled due to scare of the security forces, while others wanted to eke out a comfortable living.

He confirmed that reports from across the border revealed that these youths were repentant after they failed to get a lucrative job. Many among them had tried to return but feared they might be killed on the border.

Mr Monu Srivastva, president, Jammu Press Club, said he saw many Kashmiri boys having set up small eating shops or tiny tea stalls in different areas of occupied Kashmir.

Mr Srivastva, who was a member of the Indian press delegation that visited Pakistan recently, said a number of Kashmiri boys were working as labourers.

Police officials said in the absence of any understanding between New Delhi and Islamabad regarding their repatriation, these youths cannot be allowed to return to India.

“For us they will be treated as infiltrators once they try to cross the border because they had gone to Pakistan without travel documents,” they said.

They said most of the youths camping in occupied Kashmir and Pakistan were from Kupwara, Keran, Uri and other parts of the valley.

Kashmiri children express sympathies with
tsunami victims
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 29
It was a heartfelt sympathy with earthquake affected people of Chennai from the 10-year-old Yasir Ahmad Sheikh, who along with other students from Kashmir had visited Chennai only 10 days before the tragedy.

Yasir and his schoolmates still cherish the hospitality offered to them by the students in the South, at the end of their two weeks tour from Kashmir to Kanyakumari that concluded here today. Yasir and other students, who started their journey from here on December 12 were speaking on the occasion of conclusion of the Border Security Force sponsored “Bharat Darshan Tour” of Kashmiri students here today. The students mainly included orphans and victims of militancy from various districts of the valley.

They were received at the Subsidiary Training Centre (STC) of the BSF at Humahama near here and welcomed by Mr Virendra, officiating IG, Frontier Headquarters, BSF, Srinagar. The IG congratulated the children for their cooperation, team-work and presented them wrist watches and an album with the photographs taken during the tour. He said the tour provided the children an opportunity to understand rich cultural heritage, industrial and technical achievements of the country, besides mutual understanding and friendship.

Beginning their journey from here, the students visited Kanyakumari and witnessed a unique experience of sunset. They also visited Vivekanada Memorial, Gandhi Memorial and Tiruvalluvar statue. In Chennai, they visited various places of interest and interacted with the Cabinet ministers and police officers of Tamil Nadu and also witnessed a demonstration by women commandos of TN Police under the hospitality of Mr K. Vijay Kumar, Director-General of Police, who was earlier IG, BSF, Kashmir. In the third and last leg, they reached Delhi, where they visited Red Fort, India Gate, Parliament area, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, Dolls Museum and had a Metro ride.

The BSF has sent 310 Kashmir youths on Bharat darshan tour during the past five years. The total expenditure of the tour, including journey, boarding, lodging and clothing etc., was borne by the BSF.

Govt keen to make local bodies powerful
Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 29
Asserting that the government is keen on decentralisation and will hand over all powers to elected representatives in municipal corporation and other local bodies, the Minister for Tourism and Urban Development, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, today said coalition partners would extend all support to candidates having a recognition as dedicated and honest persons in their areas and would not float their candidate against such persons in the ensuring municipal elections.

During a chat with mediapersons here today, the minister reiterated firm determination of the coalition government to hold free and fair elections to the local bodies and other public institutions and said it was optimistic to ensure massive participation of the people in the development process.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Abdul Majid Wani, and the Director Information, Mr Farooq Renzu, were also present.

Mr Mir appealed the people to elect honest, dedicated and popular representatives for their area so that their problems of civic amenities and other basic facilities could be addressed effectively. He said once the elections to the municipal corporations of Jammu and Srinagar cities besides other municipal councils and committees were concluded, the powers to look after all basic and essential services would be vested to the democratically elected bodies.

Spelling out the performance registered in the urban development sector in the past 22 months of the present government, the minister said thrust was laid to construction and development of public utility assets like town halls, play fields, bus terminals, public parks and parking slots.

Minister wants credit societies revived

Jammu, December 29
The Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr Abdul Aziz Zargar, today called for reviving all cooperative credit societies to provide hustle-free lending facilities to the peasants, especially small and marginal farmers. He said the number of kisan credit cards should be increased to enhance the coverage of institutional credit.

Speaking at the one-day workshop on “doubling of credit flow to agriculture in next three years” organised by NABARD here this morning, the minister asked the banks to improve the credit flow to the agricultural sector in view of its tremendous economic and employment generation.

The objectives of the workshop was to familiarise the banks and field officers with the latest schemes introduced in agriculture, horticulture and allied sectors for diversificaiton, quality upgradation, processing, post-harvest technology, marketing and value addition.

The workshop reviewed progress in financing of agricultural clinics and business centres, progress on issuance of kisan credit cards, land implementation of Rs 100 crore technology mission for integrated development of horticulture in the state.
— TNS