Jammu, March 16
While discussing the security situation and the India-Pakistan relations, a British Labour MP, Mr Tom Cox and the state Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said the upcoming bus service on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road was a major development in the ties between the two countries.

Mr Cox and Mufti Sayeed had an hour-long meeting over the breakfast here today.

The British MP hoped that the reopening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road for bus service would lead to further improvement in the relations between Delhi and Islamabad.

Mufti Sayeed informed the British MP that the upcoming bus service on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road would prove to be the “mother” of the ongoing confidence-building measures between the two countries.

He appreciated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Pakistani authorities for having demonstrated “high quality of statesmanship which prevented technicalities from coming in the way of road-opening programme.”

The Chief Minister claimed that the relations between India and Pakistan “has witnessed a turnaround and a new phase of reconciliation has set in with people on both sides of the border extending full support to the two countries coming closer to each other.”

He said millions of people were eagerly waiting for the Prime Minister to flag off the first bus on April 7. He said the work on the upgradation of the road in Uri and on the construction of the Kamman bridge was in full swing.

Jammu, March 16
Opposition members grilled the PDP-Congress coalition government in the Assembly today for delaying the setting up of the accountability commission to check “rampant corruption” at high places.

The opposition members pointed out that almost two years had passed since the bill introduced by the government for setting up the commission was passed by the House, but nothing had been done so far in this direction.

Mr Ashwani Kumar (Jammu State Morcha), who had tabled a question regarding delay in appointment of the commission, said the Vigilance had miserably failed to check corruption. The coalition government had initially shown interest in curbing the menace of corruption, but developed cold feet on appointment of the commission.

Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed, who was in the House, said a meeting of the committee to recommend the name of appointment of chairperson of the commission would be held shortly.

He said the committee was searching for a person whose integrity had honesty was beyond doubt.

The Chief Minister made it clear that only politicians would be under the purview of the commission and it would not deal with corruption in the administration.

While replying to the calling attention motion of Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar and Aga Syed Mehdi (NC) regarding the alleged desecration of the holy Quran by security forces during a search operation, the Minister of State for Home, Mr A.R. Veeri, said it would be ensured that Jammu and Kashmir police personnel accompanied the security forces during the operations.

He said a magisterial enquiry had been ordered into the incident in Kandikote Sagam village where security force personnel allegedly desecrated the holy book.

Srinagar, March 16
The Army has decided to adopt Waltingoo Naar village, near Qazigund, in Anantnag district that witnessed heavy loss of lives and damage to property due to heavy snowfall and snowstorm last month.

This was announced by Lieut-Gen Hari Prasad, GOC-in-C Northern Command, who visited the affected area today, and said that the Army, in collaboration with the civil administration, would raise the village again. The GOC-in-C, Northern Command said that all possible help would be extended by the Army to the affected families. He was accompanied by Mrs Lakshmi Hari Prasad, who is also President of the Army Wives Welfare Association, Northern Command.

General Hari Prasad later visited Khannabal, Anantnag, to felicitate over 150 Hajis, who had recently performed the annual Haj, a defence spokesman said.

Mrs Lakshmi Hari Prasad also visited the Army Goodwill School at Anantnag, which has been constructed under Operation Sadhbhavana at a cost of Rs 45 lakh and inaugurated in November last year.