Srinagar, March 14
Engineer Hilal Ahmad War, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Realistic Front (JKRF) has urged the authorities to facilitate his travel to Muzaffarabad by the first bus from here on April 7 next.

In his statement here today, the JKRF chief said that the historic decision to start the bus service was the brainchild of his party, which sought resolution of the Kashmir problem through a three-point formula. “I wish to board the first bus to Muzaffarabad with some of my party colleagues”, he stated adding that his party had mooted the idea on August 10, 1996. The organisation had here on February 17 last year undertaken a token bus journey to Muzaffarabad as part of its persistent demand of re-opening the bus service.

“As this dream has turned into reality, I deserve to be received at Muzaffarabad on April 7 2005 as I happen to be the architect of this confidence-building measure”, Mr War stated. Being the author and pioneer of the demand for softening of control line for the people of J&K on easy local permits through Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service the JKRF activists deserve to be received at Muzaffarabad as visitors-cum-passengers of the first bus, he added.

Elaborating further on the three-point formula, Engineer Hilal Ahmad War, as he describes the formula as “Hilal formula”, said that credit went to his party as it was the first to rigorously press for it.

He said that he had already discussed the formula with various political leaders in Pakistan during his two visits.

He said this road map had been circulated for the consideration of global political leaders to resolve Kashmir issue. He pointed out that the Indo-Pak declaration on February 16 last for softening the control line was a victory for his party. 

Jammu, March 14
Under Operation Sadbhavana the Army today sent a group of 30 village heads (sarpanches) from Poonch, Rajouri and Udhampur on a visit to Delhi, Ajmer and Rajasthan.

Lt-Gen Sudhir Sharma, GOC 16 Corps, flagged off the bus carrying the village elders. Earlier, the Army had successfully conducted a series of tours of groups of students,women and village elders to various parts of the country.

Shah Mohammed and Abdul Rashid, who were among the 30 village heads, told mediamen, before boarding the bus,that “we are thrilled over the way the Army has helped us in seeing places which we have not seen in our dreams.”

They said: “We have not gone beyond Jammu as we belong to poor families. We want to see how people in others states live in peace so that on our return to our villages we are able to motivate those holding guns to eschew violence and work for peace.”

Lt-Gen Sharma said during their trip to Delhi and Rajasthan the village heads would visit several places of historic importance and other religious places. They are expected to meet the Army chief in Delhi.

In fact Operation Sadbhavana was started a couple of years ago to win the hearts of people so that militants failed to receive any direct or indirect assistance.

Srinagar, March 14
An Army Major was among five persons killed in separate incidents of violence in the Kashmir valley since yesterday. Security forces busted three hideouts and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition during searches.

Four persons — a Major, a soldier, a militant and a civilian — were killed in an encounter at Zandpal, Kunzer, Baramula district, today. The identity of the militant was yet to be ascertained. Sources confirmed that a civilian, Bilal Ahmad Dar, was also killed in the exchange of fire between the militants and security forces.

Acting on specific information, the security forces cordoned off the village and launched searches to flush out militants hiding in the village this morning. The encounter began when security forces were fired upon by the militants. Till last reports came in, the searches were continuing.

Unidentified militants shot dead Ghulam Mohammad Ganai, a tailor, at Lalpora Pethkhal in the Kunzer area of Baramula district yesterday.

The police busted three hideouts in the Beerwah area of Budgam district yesterday and seized arms.

In another search operation, one AK rifle, seven rounds, one rocket shell, one hand grenade and a rifle grenade were recovered from Baba Demb Road in Srinagar yesterday.

A bridge was damaged in a powerful explosion in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag district this morning.

JAMMU: Army troops shot dead Abu Umar, a self-styled divisional commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, after a five-hour gunbattle in Poonch district on Monday.

Other militants escaped from the spot towards the upper reaches and the operation was still on when reports last came in.

The Border Security Force foiled an infiltration bid on Monday by arresting a Pakistani national from the R.S. Pora sub-sector near here.

The troops arrested Nazir Mohammad (39) after he entered Indian territory near the Alfa Machal outpost in the sub-sector in the afternoon.

Jammu, March 14
Dr Ramakant Dubey, president of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), today distributed blankets and foodstuffs among victims of the recent snowstorm in the Doda district at a function here.

Students and staff of the SNS Vidya Mandir High School donated the relief material. They presented 100 blankets, 1.5 quintals of rice and 30 kg of pulses to the J&K Sahaitya Trust which is headed by Dr Dubey.

Dr Dubey alleged that the victims of the snowstorm in the Kishtwar area of Doda district had been discriminated against by the state government while providing relief. The attention of the state and the central government was focused only towards the Kashmir valley where day and night sorties were made by the IAF to carry fresh vegetables, milk and other eatables.

He criticised the government for having ignored the areas of the Doda district of Jammu that were buried under snow for many days.

Dr Dubey said voluntary organisations would provide more relief to the sufferers of the Doda district.

Meanwhile, a former central minister and BJP leader, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, has criticised the state government for not providing any relief or making efforts to reopen the link roads in the Paddar area.

Jammu, March 14
An FIR has been lodged in connection with the second porn-CD in which the Chandigarh-based Central Forensic Science Laboratory had found “some similarities” with former Miss Jammu Anara Gupta, the Jammu and Kashmir Government said today.

The police had closed the case against Gupta in connection with the FIR registered in Jammu after the forensic science lab, Hyderabad, submitted a report saying she did not feature in a porn-CD seized by police.

“A case has been registered by the police against the police officers for keeping Anara Gupta in wrong confinement prior to her arrest and an FIR,” state Home Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri told J-K Legislative Council here. — PTI

Jammu, March 14
Opposition National Conference MLAs today staged a dharna outside Jammu and Kashmir Assembly demanding quashing of alleged “back door appointments” in the government jobs.

They were demanding that the government cancel the appointments which they alleged to have been made from “back door” without procedural formalities in the recent past. The NC MLAs, who were also joined by BJP legislator Jugal Kishore, proceeded towards the Assembly House while continuing with slogan shouting. — PTI