Srinagar, November 13
Hurriyat chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani here today blamed the Army for grenade explosion with the help of a arrested local youth at Tahab in Pulwama in which six persons were killed and 26 injured on Friday last. The Army on Saturday claimed the attack was made at the behest of the Hizbul Mujahideen to silence the voice of Abdul Rashid Dawoodi, known for preaching Islam in a peaceful perspective.

Addressing a press conference at his Hyderpora residence here today before leaving for New Delhi to meet the Pakistan Foreign Secretary, the APHC leader said the aim of the security forces was to harass people and give a bad name to militants. The youth was not having a “good character”, and had been with the Army for one year, which led him to play their role, Geelani claimed. The plan had been unveiled, he said, adding “Indian agencies are responsible for this…. as militants cannot target innocents like this”. He held the “government plan” was clear with attempts to target the supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami in the way they had been targeted following the hanging of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhuttoo in April 1979.

Referring to his visit to Tahab village following the incident, Geelani Pointed out he was told that government agencies were bent upon creating a civil war-like situation. Those who handed over the youth, Ghulam Nabi Mir to the Army, were harassed, Geelani claimed. “Now he speaks only what the Army has directed him”, Geelani said and questioned why he had not been handed over to the local police or civil administration. He added this was not an attack on the devotees or the mosque as officially claimed, Geelani held. Brig G S Katoch, Commander of the 70 Brigade on Saturday last told reporters that youth, Ghulam Nabi Mir from Litter Pulwama, who had thrown the grenade towards the prayer congregation of Dawoodi was a hardcore overground worker of the Hizbul Mujahiddeen.

The Hizbul Mujahideen outfit here yesterday also claimed youth, Ghulam Nabi Mir was not associated with it. A spokesman of the outfit told a local news agency here that Mir had been working with the Army and was with the security forces for one year. 

Jammu, November 13
A boy was wounded in a mine blast at Phokharni near the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today.

Mohammad Showkat (8), son of Haji Mohammad, reportedly stepped on an ‘’old landmine’’, lying somewhere in the bushes, while returning home after grazing cattle near the LoC in the Phokharni area of Nowshera tehsil last evening, the police said.

He received serious abdominal injuries and was shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital here. — UNI

Srinagar, November 13
Two militants were killed in separate encounters with the security forces in Anantnag and Kupwara districts of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today.

A self-styled batallion commander of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in a gunbattle with the security forces at Batakoot in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag district, the sources said.

In another encounter, an unidentified militant was killed by the security forces at Warpora in the Handwara area of Kupwara district, the sources said.

A civilian driver of a vehicle hired by the Army was killed in a militant attack on Friday following which the troops had cordoned off the area, they said. Troops came across the militants last evening and killed them in exchange of fire, the sources added. — PTI

Jammu, November 13
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to provide a succour to migrants of the border areas by waiving off their electricity tariff. This decision was taken at a meeting presided over by the Power Minister, Mr Rigzin Zora, here yesterday.

This concession would be applicable to the residents of the areas bordering Jammu who migrated to safer places during the Kargil war.

These migrants will have to produce certificates issued by the tehsildar concerned.