Srinagar, June 14
Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta said here today speculations over the issue of video CD allegedly circulated by the Al-Qaida were useless till the matter was thoroughly investigated. He said the state and central government agencies were looking into the matter and there would be a response only when it was investigated and cautioned against scaremongering .

Though the challenges before security agencies broadly remained the same, there was an improvement in the overall situation in the state, the home secretary said adding there was no room for complacency.

He was talking to media persons here this afternoon after having detailed separate meetings with Governor S K Sinha, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and senior civil, police and security officers. Gupta, accompanied by senior officers of the Defence, the External Affairs Ministries and other officers arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit to the state to discuss the recommendations of the Working Groups constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the second round-table conference. He met Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here yesterday and the Governor this morning. He also had detailed meetings with the officers of different agencies of the government

Gupta said an action plan was being worked out to examine the recommendations made by the Working Groups on various issues related to the problem of Jammu and Kashmir. "In the third round-table conference it was felt some sort of mechanism should be there to examine the recommendations in detail", the secretary said. Madhukar Gupta said "We will now try to work out how to move forward in case of recommendations" of the Working Groups, he told media persons.

To a question on the demand of troop cut, the secretary said discussions on various other issues than the Working Groups recommendations were held here. He added recommendations could not be made in any particular case like de-militarisation, and added he would work out his own assessment. A separate committee of the Defence Ministry was already reviewing the issue of troop cut, he added. "What needs to be done ahead that will be done", Gupta commented.

Srinagar, June 14
The Army today recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunitions during search operations at two places in Kupwara district, a defence spokesman said.

Acting on a tip-off, troops conducted a search operation in the Kupwara sector and recovered four AK-assault rifles, 11 magazines, 224 rounds of ammunition, one under barrel grenade launcher (UBGL), 12 UBGL grenades and eight hand grenades, he said.

The Army, in another search operation, also recovered one AK-assault rifle, three magazines, 263 rounds of ammunitions, one UBGL, 35 UBGL grenades, three hand grenades, two RPG rockets and a binocular from Durgmula forest in Kupwara district, the spokesman said. — PTI

Rajouri, June 14
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has asked Muslims to condemn the forces trying to create dissension within the community for their selfish interest.

Addressing a public meeting at Mendhar in Poonch district today, Mehbooba condemned the recent acts of desecration and damage to Muslim shrines in Baghdad and Samrah in Iraq and termed it a diabolic conspiracy of the western powers to divide the Muslims. She said Kashmiris who were emotionally attached and had reverence for Sayeed Abdul Qadir Jeelani were outraged over the terrible acts of highhandedness by western powers.

Bhaderwah (Doda), June 14
After Gulmarg and Pahalgam, the picturesque valley of Bhaderwah,will be brought on the national tourist map tomorrow. Union tourism minister Ambica Soni will formally inaugurate the Bhaderwah festival tomorrow to mark a new beginning in this town.

This festival will provide an opportunity to the tourist operators of the country to explore the tourism potential of this virgin area. Tour operators from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi and Rajasthan have specially been invited by the government for this purpose.

Union water resources minister Saifudin Soz and Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will also be present on the occasion.

The state government has planned to organise this festival on the pattern of the Sindhu Darshan festival of Leh which has become popular during the past five years.

Jammu, June 14
Will Miss Anara, a film based on the life of former Miss Jammu Anara Gupta, be exhibited here during its countrywide release on June 22?

This question has assumed importance after prominent lawyer Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed today sent a legal notice, on behalf of Shiv Sena leader Amit Chouhan to a chief secretary and a district magistrate under Rule 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Cinematograph Rules 1989, for seeking ban on film’s exhibition.