J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Rift in Cong, PDP widens
Pullout of troops, repeal of armed forces Act 
Jammu, March 12
The rift within the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which are coalition partners in Jammu and Kashmir, has widened as both sides have refused to budge from their stand on the issue of the pullout of troops and repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

Five pilgrims die of cold
Jammu, March 12
Five Vaishnodevi pilgrims, including two children and a woman, died of cold here today. Snowfall and incessant rain in the area has resulted in the temperature dipping to 5 degree Celsius in the area.
In video (56k)

Two children watch the fury of the Tawi which was flowing above the danger mark in Jammu on Monday. — Tribune photo by Anand Sharma

Hawala racket busted, 3 held
Jammu, March 12
A hawala racket that allegely financed the Hizbul Mujahideen group was today busted in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district and three persons, including two women, were arrested in this connection, the police said.

2-day holiday in valley schools
Srinagar, March 12
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has declared closure of all educational institutions in the Kashmir valley for two days from tomorrow following a heavy snowfall.

Flights cancelled
Srinagar, March 12
All incoming and outgoing flights were cancelled due to heavy snowfall in the Kashmir valley. An official at Srinagar airport said only one flight from Jammu arrived at 11 am when there was slight improvement in the visibility.  About a dozen flights are operating between Srinagar-Jammu and Delhi daily. However, due to snowfall and poor visibility all the flights have been cancelled. — UNI

Rift in Cong, PDP widens 
Pullout of troops, repeal of armed forces Act 
S.P.Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 12
The rift within the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which are coalition partners in Jammu and Kashmir, has widened as both sides have refused to budge from their stand on the issue of the pullout of troops and repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

While the PDP has made these demands, the Congress leadership, even in Delhi, has refused to oblige them as time was "not ripe" to do so.

The political situation was drifting towards a flashpoint although both the Congress and the PDP have claimed that there was no threat to the government.

In the recent developments, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti have started toughening against each other in public. The killing of two innocent persons by security forces at Tral in the Kashmir valley has come as yet another irritant for the PDP that has been demanding gradual pullout of troops and repeal of the AFSPA.

In a hard-hitting statement Mehbooba has warned that the public opinion in the state will no more be satisfied by any half measures like the holding of inquiries or threat of disciplinary action against the violators of law as is evident from the daily and numerous processions and demonstrations over such incidents all over the state. She urged the Centre to respond to the situation caused by frequent recurrence of such unfortunate incidents, including those of kill-for-cash.

Finance minister and senior PDP leader Tariq Hameed Qarra said the demands were a political agenda of the party on which there was no question of any compromise.

There were reports that the PDP was divided on the issue of pulling out of the Azad-led coalition government. A section of the party was reported to be of the opinion that it would be early to take the extreme step as the next Assembly elections were about 18 months away.

However, the Congress would not like to be taken by surprise and as such Azad and other senior leaders of the party were meeting almost every day to discuss the course of action in case the PDP decided to desert them.

On the other hand, the National Conference (NC) appears to be keen to give outside support to Azad in case the PDP left the coalition.However, political observers feel that even the alternate government would not be stable.Interestingly, the state Information and Public Relations Department has started wooing NC patron Farooq Abdullah by suddenly circulating his pictures of chinar plantation to the media.

Abdullah has said only Azad was competent to decide on the pullout of troops.

The PDP has suffered a setback following the decision of the Congress high command not to accept their demands as this might hit their electoral prospects in other states. Azad air-dashed to Delhi last week where he met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other Central leaders to discuss the thorny issue.

There were reports that Manmohan Singh might now directly discuss the matter with PDP patron Mufti Sayeed.

It is worth mentioning that the PDP has boycotted two successive meetings of the Cabinet in support of their demands.

Five pilgrims die of cold
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 12
Five Vaishnodevi pilgrims, including two children and a woman, died of cold here today. Snowfall and incessant rain in the area has resulted in the temperature dipping to 5 degree Celsius in the area.

The condition of nine of the 13 other pilgrims who are suffering from hypothermia was stated to be critical.All of them, including two children, have been hospitalised.

Reports said two more persons were killed due to landslides on the Jammu- Srinagar highway which was again closed to traffic.

Chief executive officer of the Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board Arun Kumar told this correspondent that the pilgrimage had been suspended for the time being.

Police patrols had been sent to the 13-km hill track to rescue the stranded pilgrims.

Manohar Madhav Matrey (46), a pilgrim from Thane,died of a heart attack at Banganga.The other four killed were seven-year-old Manoj Kumar, eight-year-old Manoj Kumari (both from Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh), Saveranvi (28) from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh and a woman.They died at Lambi Keri between Adhkunwari and Sanjichhat, where they were caught in rain last night.Kumar said doctors, medicines, blankets and heaters had been dispatched to various points on the pilgrimage route.

Meanwhile,more than 4000 persons were stranded on the 300-km- long Jammu-Srinagar highway which was blocked due to landslides and rain at Panthal, near Ramban and eight other points.Reports said more than 1000 vehicles were stranded at various places on the highway.

Col Rajiv of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) told this correspondent over the telephone that there were landslides at Panthal where the highway had remained closed for more than a week earlier this month.

He said earthmovers and other equipment were facing problems in reaching the spot as civilian vehicles were haphazardly parked on the highway.Trucks carrying essential supplies and eatables were also held up.Tawi was flowing above the danger mark within the city because of heavy rain in the catchment areas.

Hawala racket busted, 3 held

Jammu, March 12
A hawala racket that allegely financed the Hizbul Mujahideen group was today busted in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district and three persons, including two women, were arrested in this connection, the police said.

During the raid near the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in the Ramban belt, the police seized Rs 4.25 lakh hawala money along with a satellite and a mobile phone, DIG (Doda-Udhampur Range) Lalit Mohanty said over the phone from Batote.

Mohammad Yousef, Raja Begum and Misri Begum were carrying the money and phones to be handed over to Hizb commander Mushtaq Ahmed in the Gool belt of Udhampur district, Mohanty claimed. — PTI

2-day holiday in valley schools
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 12
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has declared closure of all educational institutions in the Kashmir valley for two days from tomorrow following a heavy snowfall.

This decision was taken at a meeting here this afternoon in the wake of heavy snowfall in the entire valley, including Srinagar, Kargil and Drass.

The schools will now reopen on March 15.

Kashmir University has postponed the entrance examinations for different postgraduate courses. New dates will be announced later. — UNI