J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Seven militants killed
Srinagar, October 1
Seven militants and a woman were among nine persons killed and four women injured in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir where security forces busted two hideouts and seized a huge cache of arms and explosives since last night.

Experts arrive for Baglihar inspection
Jammu, October 1
In efforts to iron out differences between India and Pakistan on the Indus river waters issue, a 13-member team led by World Bank-appointed neutral expert Raymond Lafitte arrived here today for a three-day inspection tour of the 450-MW Baglihar hydel project at Patnitop.

Power substation at Phagan Majra commissioned
Jammu, October 1
The Power Grid Corporation of India has commissioned the 630 MVA, 400/220 KV substation at Phagan Majra in Patiala which would facilitate direct exchange of electricity with the power surplus states.

Displaced Pandits seek help of British MPs
Jammu, October 1
Displaced Kashmiri Pandits today sought the intervention of the British Government for ending their suffering for the past 16 years. Submitting a memorandum to a delegation of British MPs headed by Sir Andrew Stunnel that visited the Muthi migrant camp, near here, Pandit leaders appealed for their intervention so that their suffering was “mitigated”.

Army organises cycle rally in Srinagar. (28k, 56k)

Mann wants CBI probe into ‘killing’ of 2 Kathua boys
Jammu, October 1
Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal(A), has demanded a CBI probe into the killing of two boys of Kathua district, allegedly by the Punjab Police.

3 BSF jawans held for halting train
Jammu, October 1
Three Border Security Force jawans were arrested by the police for allegedly halting a train and beating up its driver at the Jammu railway station, officials said here today.

Woman dies in fire, kids husband hurt
Jammu, October 1
A woman was charred to death while her husband and their two children sustained severe burn injuries when a kiosk caught fire yesterday at Muthi, near here, the police said today.

Seven militants killed

Srinagar, October 1
Seven militants and a woman were among nine persons killed and four women injured in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir where security forces busted two hideouts and seized a huge cache of arms and explosives since last night.

In a major encounter, three militants of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit were killed during search operations at Nowbugh-Larnoo village in Kokernag area of south Kashmir Anantnag district last night, a police spokesman said today.

A civilian, Ghulam Ahmad Kumar, an employee in Public Works Department, and a 50-year-old woman identified as Noori were killed and three women — Rehmati, her daughter Raja, and Kulsooma — received bullet injuries as they were caught in the crossfire between the militants and the security forces during the operation, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said three AK rifles, six magazines, 80 rounds, two grenades and a wireless set were recovered from the slain militants one of whom was identified as Mohammad Ashraf Koka.

The sources said the security forces shot dead a Pakistani militant Jaffer Shaheen of LeT group in an encounter at Qunees village in Bandipora area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Rafiq Ahmad Wagay, a self-styled area commander of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, was killed in another encounter with the security forces at Wangam area of Anantnag last night. A pistol, a wireless set and a hand grenade were recovered from him, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said the security forces killed one more militant in a gunbattle during search operations at Allipora village of central Kashmir’s Badgam district last night. A pistol, a hand grenade and a mobile phone were seized from him.

A Hizbul Mujahideen militant identified as Javed Ahmad Reshi, alias Jai Chas, was killed in an inter-gang rivalry in Devsar area of Anantnag district yesterday, he said.

The spokesman said the security forces busted a militant hideout at Barshala in Surankote area of Rajouri district last night which led to the recovery of rocket projectile gun (RPG), two RPG shells, 10 RPG boosters, two hand grenades, five under barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) grenades, five kgs RDX and 109 pika rounds.

Another militant hideout was busted in Morha Krog area of Kandi in the same district, the spokesman said adding two AK rifles, two magazines, a shawl and a jacket were recovered from the hideout. — PTI

Experts arrive for Baglihar inspection

Jammu, October 1
In efforts to iron out differences between India and Pakistan on the Indus river waters issue, a 13-member team led by World Bank-appointed neutral expert Raymond Lafitte arrived here today for a three-day inspection tour of the 450-MW Baglihar hydel project at Patnitop.

Lafitte, a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, along with two Swiss, six Pakistani and four Indian officials flew in from New Delhi, officials said.

“I will not make any comment over it. I am a neutral expert and I will file a report on it,” Lafitte told reporters when queried on the project soon after the team landed at Jammu airport.

The Pakistani group, headed by Syed Jamait Ali Shah, includes Ashfaq Mehmood, Bashir Qurishi, Asif Baig, Peter Joseph and Faisal Ahmed, while the Indian team, led by R. Jayascela, are B. K. Mathur, D. P. Dharzi and Naresh Kumar.

The team was escorted under tight security to the state guest house and they would be leaving for Patnitop after a night’s stay, they said.

It would begin on-site inspection of the dam designs and other aspects from tomorrow, they added.

Lafitte was appointed the neutral expert to negotiate the Rs 4,500-crore power project by the World Bank in May under the terms of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty after Pakistan said the construction of the project was in violation of the treaty.

The heads of the Indian and Pakistani delegations also remained tight-lipped and declined comment on the issue.

Lafitte already held initial round of talks in Paris in June during which officials of the two countries forwarded written submissions on their respective stands on the project.

Under the terms of the Indus Water Treaty, the decision of Lafitte will be final and binding. The World Bank could, however, appoint an arbitration panel if the two sides were not satisfied with his decision.

Officials of India and Pakistan are, meanwhile, scheduled to meet in New Delhi in November to discuss another power project being constructed on the Kishenganga river in J&K. Pakistan alleges that its design violates the treaty.

Officials of the two sides will visit the project site from November 7 to 9 before holding talks from November 10 to 12. — PTI

Power substation at Phagan Majra commissioned
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 1
The Power Grid Corporation of India has commissioned the 630 MVA, 400/220 KV substation at Phagan Majra in Patiala which would facilitate direct exchange of electricity with the power surplus states.

A spokesman of the Power Grid said here yesterday that the Rs 100 crore substation had been commissioned more than three months ahead of schedule and power flow started through this substation to the PSEB on Thursday.

With commissioning of this system, Patiala has got connected to the 400 KV national power grid. The quality of power available to agriculture and industry in the state will vastly improve, the spokesman said.

He said that the 440 KV Malerkotla-Patiala line has also been commissioned as a part of the Rihand II transmission system which will facilitate direct exchange of power between various states of northern region with power surplus states of other regions.

The spokesman said this would help in supplying additional power to the tune of 200 to 250 MWs to Punjab. Moreover, this substation will also improve the voltage profile and increase the system reliability of the region.

Displaced Pandits seek help of British MPs
M.L. Kak
Our Correspondent

Jammu, October 1
Displaced Kashmiri Pandits today sought the intervention of the British Government for ending their suffering for the past 16 years.

Submitting a memorandum to a delegation of British MPs headed by Sir Andrew Stunnel that visited the Muthi migrant camp, near here, Pandit leaders appealed for their intervention so that their suffering was “mitigated”.

The memorandum said the British Government should use its influence for ensuring that the leaders of the displaced community were involved in parleys being held for resolving the Kashmir issue.

Another demand put forth was that the Pandits be treated as an ethnic minority “under threat from terrorists”.

The leaders wanted job avenues for the youth of the community in “civilised” countries of the world.

The Pandits informed the British team that their houses had been burnt down in the valley and those spared illegally occupied by terrorists.They said all job avenues for them had been closed and they were living in penury.

Mr Ashok Dhar, leader of the migrant camp, said: “We have no future. Winds of uncertainty have struck seven lakh migrants.”

The British MPs said they would prepare a report on the matter and submit it to the British Government. Sir Andrew Stunnel said: “We visited Kashmir and noticed that the situation is not yet stable.”

He said the people and the government in the valley were trying to restore normalcy. “We all have to join hands in fighting terrorism,” he said

The British MPs belonging to the Opposition Liberal Democratic party visited the state and met a cross-section of people. They interacted with Government officials and political leaders for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

Mann wants CBI probe into ‘killing’ of 2 Kathua boys
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 1
Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal(A), has demanded a CBI probe into the killing of two boys of Kathua district, allegedly by the Punjab Police.

Mr Mann, who was in Kathua yesterday to attend a bhog ceremony, urged Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed to order a CBI probe into the incident, as it was an inter-state issue.

He said the two boys, Gajinder Singh and Arun Masih, were taken away by the Punjab Police on September 21 and “killed” during interrogation.

He alleged that the reign of terror had returned to Punjab with the appointment of Mr S.S. Virk as DGP.

The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, had lost grip over the administration that was functioning in a whimsical fashion.

Mr Mann said he would take the matter to the National Human Rights Commission and also Amnesty International.

Among those present on the occasion were Mr Mehta Adeep Singh, J&K state president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (A), and Prof Mohinder Pal Singh, general secretary.

3 BSF jawans held for halting train

Jammu, October 1
Three Border Security Force jawans were arrested by the police for allegedly halting a train and beating up its driver at the Jammu railway station, officials said here today.

A group of BSF jawans of 26 Battalion, who arrived late on the platform, allegedly halted Himgiri Express last night, caught hold of the engine driver and beat him up for not stopping the train.

Senior railway officials and the police then arrived and defused the situation. Train traffic was disrupted for more than four hours.

Three BSF constables Chota Lal, Gurpreet Singh and Mukesh Kumar were arrested and a case has been registered against them under various Sections. — PTI

Woman dies in fire, kids husband hurt

Jammu, October 1
A woman was charred to death while her husband and their two children sustained severe burn injuries when a kiosk caught fire yesterday at Muthi, near here, the police said today.

A kiosk caught fire at Muthi, about 10 km from here, under mysterious circumstances as a result of which Ramu (35), his wife Mayawati (30), son Karan (5) and daughter Lalli (4) sustained serious burns.

Mayawati later succumbed to her injuries while the other three are undergoing treatment at GMC Hospital. — UNI