Srinagar, February 16
Normal life was affected across the Kashmir valley by strike called to protest against excavation work by Israel near Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Demonstrations were also held at different places here in protest against the proposed work.

Strike’s call was given by the Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen and supported by several religious and political organisations. It coincided with the public holiday on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri that was observed with fervour in the valley.

All shops and business establishments were closed here and traffic was off the roads. However, autorickshaws and private vehicles plied in some areas of the city.

Life was also affected in other major towns of the valley including Baramula, Sopore, Kupwara, Budgam, Anantnag and Pulwama. Vehicles on few inter-district routes, while autorickshaws and private vehicles plied in some areas. Srinagar and other major towns of the valley wore a deserted look due to strike.

Demonstrations by people were held at different places in Srinagar. Demonstrators marched in processions carrying placards and banners in the Khanqah-e-Moalla, Dalgate and other areas of downtown city. However, demonstrations passed off peacefully. There were no reports of clashes with the police.

Meanwhile, the Hurriyat Conference and other organisations expressed concern at the alleged human rights 
violations in the valley at the hands of police and security forces. These organisations have spearheaded demonstrations against the government for alleged rights violations in fake encounters by the police and security forces. Five cases of missing persons killed in fake encounters are under investigation by the police. These were unearthed last month. Addressing a Friday congregation here former APHC Chairman, Maulvi Abbas Ansari expressed concern at rights 
violations.

A Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) spokesman expressed concern at Kashmiri “youth being subjected to enforced disappearance”. Its chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik observed three-day fast here last week to protest against killings in fake encounters .

“Family members of the disappeared youths have been running from pillar to post seeking the whereabouts of their loved ones for years, but those in power have failed to provide the whereabouts of the missing persons,” the spokesman added.

Jammu, February 16
The J & K State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has sentenced Surinder Singh, owner of a finance company, to three years’ imprisonment for duping a retired Army officer of his 
savings.

Justice G.D. Sharma, President of the commission, and Mr Khalid Hussain, member, ordered that a copy of the judgement be sent to the District Jail, Jammu, where Surinder Singh was already undergoing imprisonment.

Lieut-Col Parveen Singh Raina, who retired from the Army in 2002, filed a complaint before the commission that Surinder Singh lured him to deposit his savings in his finance company, “Khalsa Traders”.

The commission ordered the principal amount, which amounted Rs 4,59,510 with interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum be refunded to him.

The accused refunded only one instalment of Rs 50,000 and absconded thereafter. He was traced at Mumbai where the police executed his warrants of arrest in March 2005. Thereafter, he was lodged in the jail. — TNS

Jammu, February 16
The detection of over 100 mobile phone SIM cards, which have been issued by a private cellular company to terrorists on fake documents of Army officials, has once again put the security forces on 
tenterhooks.

The racket was unearthed following the recent explosion carried out with a mobile phone in the Kashmir valley. The SIM card of the mobile phone was reportedly issued to an Army official.

The intelligence agencies are learnt to have detected around 100 mobile phones of Airtel that were allegedly issued to terrorists on fake documents of Army personnel. The documents were prepared by dealers of the company in the Sopore area.

The security agencies have asked the mobile companies not to appoint dealers for SIM card without the permission of the state CID.

Sources said several phones, for which SIM cards were issued on the basis of fake documents, had been disconnected.

The security agencies were unable to find the users of these SIM cards as these were pre-paid connections. However, five persons, who were involved in the verification of the applicants, had been detained. They had told the police that they were threatened with dire consequences by terrorists, the sources added.

The sources said hundreds of such mobile connections were being used by terrorists.

Mr Manohar Singh, SSP, Doda, said a person was recently arrested in the area for supplying more than 60 pre-paid SIM cards and mobile handsets to terrorists at their hideouts.

Earlier, the seizure of mobile phones with SIM cards of Airtel from inmates of the local high security jail at Kotbhalwal led to action against the DGP (Prisons) and the Superintendent of the jail.

Though the BSNL has a strict verification procedure in place, cases of its connections having been released on fake documents have come to light.

Srinagar, February 16
Like in other parts of the country, Mahashivaratri was celebrated with religious fervour and traditional gaiety in the Kashmir valley today. But the occasion has been different here after the migration of Kashmiri Pandits with the eruption of militancy 17 years ago. Only over 10,000 population of Pandits is living in different pockets across the valley.

About 5,000 pilgrims, most of them Hindus from outside the valley, offered special prayers at the Shankaracharya Temple overlooking the famous Dal Lake since early morning today. More than 200 vehicles carrying these pilgrims had arrived at the temple where long queues of pilgrims kept waiting throughout the day. "This is apart from a number of security personnel visiting the temple today", said a CRPF jawan near the place of worship.

Pilgrims also visited other Shiva temples across the valley on the occasion, reports received here said. “Havan” was organised at the centrally located Hanuman Mandir in Hari Singh High Street (HSHS) here.

For the Pandits residing in Kashmir, who celebrate it as "Heerath" and had been offering special pooja in their homes on the occasion of Mahashivaratri before sending special offerings to their relatives, particularly to the daughters in their in-laws, it is a different story now. The special gifts on the occasion comprise distribution of walnuts from at least 5,000 to any lower number with priority to the daughters in their homes and other relatives. The migration of a majority of the members of the community has changed the very atmosphere of the festival here. "I have delivered a bagful of walnut at my daughter’s place in Delhi last December only," said a resident, Bansi Lal Bakaya. It could not have been possible for him, like many others, to deliver the gift right on the occasion of Mahashivaratri.

For the parents of married daughters, the festival is more like Ed in Kashmir, opines Mr Bakaya. The special food on the occasion in Kashmir has been the water produce, fish and “nadroo (lotus roots)”, which are specially distributed and arranged for the occasion.

The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Lieut-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd), and Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad have greeted the people on Mahashivaratri.

Jammu, February 16
Aspirants for a berth in the Legislative Council of Jammu and Kashmir have made a beeline to Delhi to seek ticket from the Congress high command for the March 5 elections.

Eight seats in the council are vacant and the Election Commission issued a notification for these seats yesterday. February 21 is the last date for filing of nominations.

The ruling coalition partners, the Congress and the PDP, are yet to meet and finalise the sharing of these seats. However, a broad consensus has been reached to keep three seats each and leave two for the National Conference (NC).

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also flew down yesterday to consult the party leadership on the issue. PCC chief Peerzada Sayeed will reach the Capital tomorrow.

Mrs Ambika Soni, Union Minister in charge of the party affairs in J&K, will hold preliminary consultations with Mr Azad and Mr Sayeed before Mrs Sonia Gandhi approves the candidates.

Prominent among the Congress aspirants are Mr Dharampal Sharma, vice-president of the PCC and former MP, Mr Janak Raj Gupta, a former MP, Mr Rajinder Singh Chib, a former minister, Mr Hari Singh and Mr Balwan Singh.

There were reports that Dr Karan Singh was seeking a ticket for his son, Ajaat Shatru, who had deserted the NC and joined the Congress. Grass-root activists are keenly watching to see whether the Congress high command will oblige the "turncoats" in the race or give the ticket to those who have remained loyal to the party.

Party sources point out that one of the seats might go to a senior Congress leader, Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, who is among those MLCs retiring this month. He was hopeful of being given the ticket again, leaving only two seats for other aspirants.

The patron of the PDP, Mufti Sayeed, said the sharing of seats with the Congress would not be a problem.

On the other hand, the Panthers Party, which is supporting the coalition government from outside, is restive on the issue. Four MLAs of the party met their leader, Mr Bhim Singh, here yesterday and asked him to take up the issue with the Congress leadership.

Mr Balwant Singh Mankotia, MLA of the party, said when the PDP could have a lion's share in the Legislative Council, why the Panthers Party should be discriminated against by having been given only one seat in the upper house.

The NC, which is the main loser with five of its members retiring from the upper house, has yet to finalise its two candidates. It might try to take benefit of the bickering within the ruling coalition and induce cross voting as it did in the previous council elections.