J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Crackdown on graft: 10 officers removed
Srinagar, August 13
In its first crackdown against corruption, the Azad-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir has ordered the removal of 10 officers and officials, including a KAS officer.

4 militants among 7 killed in valley
Srinagar, August 13
Four militants were among seven persons killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

Jamait-e-Islami chief for peace talks
Jammu, August 13
Even while announcing that Jamait-e-Islami had no link with militants and opposed violence, the recently elected Amir of the organisation, Sheikh Ghulam Hassan, has advocated the need for resolving the Kashmir issue either through trilateral talks or by allowing the people of Jammu and Kashmir their right, as provided in the UN resolution, for self-determination for settling the dispute.

Night curfew in border areas imposed
Jammu, August 13
The authorities have imposed night curfew along the international border with Pakistan to prevent the infiltration of terrorists on the eve of the Independence Day. The curfew will be enforced in a 2 km stretch of the border between 9 pm to 5 am every day till August 20.

Crackdown on graft: 10 officers removed
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 13
In its first crackdown against corruption, the Azad-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir has ordered the removal of 10 officers and officials, including a KAS officer.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad issued the first list of corrupt officials and officers that was approved by the Cabinet, which met under his chairmanship here today. The premature retirement of 10 officers and officials from the government with immediate effect was approved an official spokesman here said.

The officers and officials removed from government service include Syed Asgar Ali, KAS, Mohammad Ramzan Nadaf, Deputy General Manager, JKPCC, Mr Janak Singh, Financial Adviser and CAO, Habibullah Bhat Supervisor CAPD, Ghulam Hassan Rather, Block development Officer, Nazir Ahmad Khan, Plantation official in Rural Development Department, Parshotam Singh, Girdawar, Settlement, Udhampur, Kuldeep Kumar, Patwari, Kathua, Darshan Kumar, Patwari Nowshera and Ghulam Mohammad Sheikhsaz, Tehsil Social Welfare Officer.

Mr Azad, however, for honest officers has announced the Chief Minister’s 22 carat gold medal, Rs 1 lakh cash award and other incentives including out-of-turn promotions to honest and meritorious officers and officials, the official spokesman said.

The war against corruption launched by Mr Azad soon after he took over witnessed various stages of intensity, which included strengthening of vigilance organization, issuing warnings to corrupt and non-performing officials time and again. A free hand was also given to the Vigilance Organisation to nab culprits indulging in corrupt practices and defrauding public exchequer, raids by SVO besides arresting of officers and officials, confiscation of ill gotten property of corrupt elements under the newly amended anti-corruption legislation.

4 militants among 7 killed in valley
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 13
Four militants were among seven persons killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

The police here said that three Pakistani militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Ringpath Kralgund in Kupwara district last evening. A security force jawan was also killed in the encounter.

The militants killed in the encounter have been identified as Shahid-ul-Islam, Abdul Musa and Abu Usama Gazi from Islamabad, Pakistan. Three AK rifles, 12 magazines, two wireless sets, one UBGL, four hand grenades and four UBGL grenades were seized.

The house of Abdul Ahad Wani, where the militants were hiding, was gutted in the exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces.

One militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, Imran, was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the forest area of Chatroo in Doda district this morning. Three hand grenades and a binocular set were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Unidentified militants fired upon two sisters from Kral Mohalla, killing one of them at Harmain Chowk, Shopian, in Pulwama district today. The police said that Mudassir died on the spot while her sister, Muzammil, in their early 20s, received injuries and is undergoing treatment at the local hospital.

A security forces jawan was killed and two others were injured when militants fired upon a patrol party at Watrina, Bandipore, in Baramula district last night.

Unidentified militants fired upon and injured Safir Ahmad Mir at the main chowk, Bandipore, in Baramula district today.

A Pak-trained militant of the JKLF, Ghulam Mustafa Bhat, alias Master Manzoor, was apprehended near a joinery mill at Pampore, on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. 

Jamait-e-Islami chief for peace talks
Our Correspondent

Jammu, August 13
Even while announcing that Jamait-e-Islami had no link with militants and opposed violence, the recently elected Amir of the organisation, Sheikh Ghulam Hassan, has advocated the need for resolving the Kashmir issue either through trilateral talks or by allowing the people of Jammu and Kashmir their right, as provided in the UN resolution, for self-determination for settling the dispute.

In his first interview, after being elected as Amir, to a Srinagar-based newspaper, “Chattan,” Sheikh Ghulam Hassan has said that Jamait-e-Islami was for peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue. He said, “It was possible if India, Pakistan and representatives of people Kashmir remained engaged in a sustained and meaningful dialogue.”

Sheikh Hassan said the only alternative to trilateral parleys was giving the people of Kashmir their right to decide the issue through self-determination. He said, “Violence was no solution to the problem”, adding that “Jamait-e-Islami has neither supported any form of violence nor had it favoured militancy.”

In reply to a question, he said since militancy, in the inception, was a public movement, Jamaat activists too had supported it individually because “our organisation had not lent any overt or covert assistance to militants.” He said that in the beginning even mainstream political leaders and activists had supported militancy.

Referring to Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who alongwith three of his associates stand suspended from Jamait-e-Islami and 14 of his supporters expelled from the organisation, Sheikh Ghulam Hassan said the recently reconstituted Majlis Shoura, apex body of the Jamaat, would decide whether the action taken by “my organisation” against Mr Geelani was to be upheld or revoked.

He, however, made it clear that Mr Geelani had violated the Jamaat constitution by floating Tehrik Hurriyat conference. The Amir stated that as per the party constitution, a Jamaat leader or member could neither lead or be a member of any other organisation.

In reply to another question, he said the Jamait-e-Islami favoured the establishment of rule of Sharia. He said that though “we are not satisfied with the rule of the establishment, we have avoided taking up cudgels with the establishment because we believe that politics is not separate from religion.” He made it clear that Jamait-e-Islami believed in resolving any problem through peaceful means and negotiations and hence it would be wrong if “our organisation was blamed for lending any support to militancy.” 

Night curfew in border areas imposed
Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 13
The authorities have imposed night curfew along the international border with Pakistan to prevent the infiltration of terrorists on the eve of the Independence Day. The curfew will be enforced in a 2 km stretch of the border between 9 pm to 5 am every day till August 20.

Movement of civilians has been banned along with Pakistani border in the districts of Jammu and Kathua. The curfew shall not be applicable on the security forces.

More than 60 terrorists are reported to have already infiltrated in the Poonch district in the past few days. There were inputs that more terrorists might try to infiltrate through the borders in Jammu and Kathua to create violence during the Independence Day.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad last night visited various sensitive places in the city here and reviewed the security scenario.

10 killed as vehicle falls into gorge

Jammu, August 13
Ten persons were killed and one was injured when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir this evening, a top police official said.

The accident occurred when the vehicle carrying 11 people, including the driver, was on its way from Chatroo to Chingam village in Doda district, the Deputy Inspector-General of Udhampur-Doda, Mr L. Mohanty, said on the phone from Batote.

The vehicle fell into a deep gorge at Dangar nullah, resulting in the on-the-spot death of 10 passengers and injuries to one, he said.

The injured person was hospitalised at Kishtwar and is being shifted to the GMC Hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment as he was critical, he said. — PTI