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PDP leader’s relatives
among 7 killed
Azad under pressure to expand ministry
Security beefed up in Uri, Tangdhar
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Married ‘minor’ questions parents’ motive
Lone brothers bereaved
Fourteen Bangladeshi nationals held
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PDP leader’s relatives
among 7 killed
Srinagar, November 8 Militants forced their entry into the house of Mohammad Ashraf at Larkoti in Rajouri district last night and killed him and his wife Nasira Bano and fled. Ashraf, a Jammu and Kashmir Police constable, was the brother of senior PDP leader and state Legislative Council member Tassadaq Hussain, the spokesman said. Ashraf had come home to celebrate Eid with his family. Militants also shot dead Abdul Ahad Chopan, a resident of Yadipora Pattan, in an orchard at Indergam in north Kashmir last evening. Security forces gunned down two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commanders during an encounter at Gundi Dharam in Udhampur district of the Jammu region last evening. The slain militants were identified as Abu Adil, a tehsil commander, and Abu Aris, an area commander. Both were residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The spokesman said both the militant commanders were active in the area for the past five years and involved in several incidents. Two AK rifles, six magazines, 70 rounds, two wireless sets, one line damager, one digital recorder and two LeT letter pads were also seized from the slain commanders, the spokesman added. He said two persons — Abdul Majid and Irshad Hussain — were killed and two others wounded when an abandoned Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off in Quil Muqam woods in north Kashmir district of Baramulla yesterday. The four civilians had gone to the jungle to collect firewood when the IED exploded. The wounded were admitted to a hospital, he added. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has condemned the killing of the senior PDP leader's brother, saying such incidents will not deter the government from restoring lasting peace in the state. Expressing sympathy with the bereaved family, the Chief Minister said innocent killings were against human values and do not resolve any problem. Mr Azad said such acts have no meaning when India and Pakistan are carrying forward the peace process and the people of both the countries have come forward in a big way to help each other following the recent earthquake.
— UNI |
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Azad under pressure to expand ministry
Jammu, November 8 Mr Azad, who had initially said that he would constitute a small ministry, has now indicated that the cabinet would be expanded shortly. While there was no restriction on the size of the ministry as the 97th Amendment was not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Azad has indicated that he will have not more than 30 ministers. The Congress high command that had supported the constitutional amendment restricting the size of ministries in the state, might not be in a position to let Mr Azad constitute a jumbo cabinet. His supporters were demoralised as the party high command not only left his loyalists out of the ministry, but there was disenchantment as most of the ministers have been assigned insignificant portfolios. All this was contrary to the expectations of the Congress activists who were looking for a larger share in the coalition ministry. However, the ministers belonging to the PDP have not only retained their earlier portfolios, but additional charge of certain important departments has also been given to them. A staunch loyalist of Mr Azad said that such actions have sent the signal that the PDP has emerged stronger even in the Congress-led coalition government. The important portfolios of finance, planning and development, agriculture, public health engineering, irrigation, forest and housing have gone to the PDP. The Congress ministers were sulking with insignificant portfolios of transport, youth services, haj affairs, animal husbandry and information technology. It is being pointed out that in a bid to clip the wings of his detractors within the Congress, Mr Azad has assigned insignificant portfolios to his own ministers. The important portfolios of power, industry and social welfare have gone to the Ladakh region from where Mr Nawang Rigzin Zora and Haji Nissar Ali have been re-inducted in the ministry. Both of them had won the election as independents and later became associate members of the Congress legislature party. |
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Security beefed up in Uri, Tangdhar
Poonch, November 8 It is being anticipated that because of the large-scale destruction around these areas in PoK and this side, the crowd that would gather at the two places in the valley will be larger than here. A large number of divided families reside especially in the Uri area and across the LoC. As opening of the LoC after 58 years of the partition would be an emotional occasion, it is expected that a large number of people might turn out at the crossing points in the hope of catching a glimpse of their near and dear ones on either side of the fence. Moreover, hype on the issue of opening the LoC created by the media on both sides has resulted in frenzy among the people, who had gathered in the Titrinote village of PoK yesterday. The Pakistani police resorted to bursting of teargas shells, fire in the air and lathi charge when the mob tried to surge ahead towards the Indian territory while the relief material was being trans-shipped into Pakistani trucks on the LoC. Both countries have yet to finalise the modalities for allowing individuals on either side to cross the LoC to meet their relatives. However, it might not be a simple procedure and modalities on the lines of the passengers who were being allowed to go to Muzaffarabad from Srinagar in bus might be adopted. In that case, the regional passport officers at Jammu and Srinagar would come into picture and clearance of both countries would also be required. Meanwhile, the 10-bed hospital established by the Indian army at Gulpur near the LoC exclusively for the earthquake victims in the PoK has been laying vacant as not even a single person from the other side has come for treatment. The army has also established a hall for 100 persons to provide a place for members of the divided families to meet. It would become functional only when the modalities for crossing of individuals are finalised by the two countries. |
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Married ‘minor’ questions parents’ motive
Jammu, November 8 Case against Seema’s husband was filed with a police station in Chamba by her parents who alleged that Rohit Sharma had “raped” her. Seema Devi, fled from her parents’ house, to reach Jammu and camping with parents of Rohit Sharma. Rohit’s parents gave her shelter and are aware that their son had married Seema. Seema said today that “she married Rohit on May 24,2005 in a temple”. Seema saw Rohit who was working in a hotel in Chamba. Parents of Seema opposed the marriage. She said “when she insisted on marrying Rohit her parents sent her to the house of her maternal uncle.” She said her uncle Mangat Ram of Khandwal village tried to force her into prostitution” “I refused to oblige my maternal uncle who informed me that my parents had sold me to him for Rs 50,000.” She said “when I resisted attempts at being raped by my uncle with the help of an advocate got himself married to me.” She said that her mother is a liquor addict. “I would run from my house to a near relation but she too disowned me after coming under the pressure of my parents,” Seema said. She said, “I do not know whether I am a minor or Rohit is a minor. I love him
and I will live with him”. She said she escaped clutches of her parents and maternal uncle when “I wanted permission to visit holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. When I landed in Jammu I went to Rohit’s parents who gave me shelter.” “I will not return to Chamba because I will be forced to act as a call girl.” |
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Lone brothers bereaved
Srinagar, November 8 She was 75 and is survived by her husband Master Ghulam Mohammad Ganai, one son and two daughters. Taja Begum was the mother-in-law of assassinated Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone. The sources said she was buried in her hometown Sopore in north Kashmir this evening.
— UNI |
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Fourteen Bangladeshi nationals held
Jammu, November 8 While 12 Bangladeshi nationals, including three women and two children, trying to infiltrate were apprehended at N.S. Pura, 7 km east of Jurian in Akhnoor yesterday, two others were taken into custody at the border outpost of Chambliyal in Samba sector when they were trying to exfiltrate to Pakistan via the international border, the sources said. Rs 230 in Indian currency was recovered from them, the sources said adding, after preliminary questioning, all Bangladeshi nationals would be handed over to the police for further investigation. The Border Security Force (BSF) troops had arrested 17 exfiltrating Bangladeshis from the Nikki Tawi area of R.S. Pura sector yesterday. — PTI |
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