Samba, May 12
Within 18 hours of mayhem that people witnessed yesterday, security forces shot dead another Pakistani militant before he could storm an Army garrison here today.

The militant, who managed to escape from the Kaily Mandi encounter yesterday, could not succeed in inflicting casualties and was killed by the troopers after a two-hour-long fierce gunbattle.

But the renewed gunfight which lasted for two hours brought to the fore loopholes in the security apparatus of the BSF guarding the 187-km-long international border (IB).

The BSF had claimed to have foiled an intrusion bid in the Bainglad area during the intervening night of May 8 and 9.

With its headquarters in the PoK’s Jabbarwal area, Al-Mansoorian, an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit, has claimed responsibility for the Kaily Mandi attack.

Official sources said the slain ultra was a member of the group of militants which shot dead six persons in Kaily Mandi.

Eyewitness Rajesh Singh Samyal said after security forces killed two militants in Kaily Mandi, police teams searched through the night.

Today around 9 am, gunshots were heard from an Army camp of the 168 Brigade, just 200 metres away from Kaily Mandi.

Official sources said after escaping from Kaily Mandi, the self-styled commander of the Al-Mansoorian outfit had been hiding in a bushy area near the 168 Army Brigade since Sunday night.

However, soldiers at the sentry post noticed some movement behind the bushes and fired some shots in the direction which were retaliated, they said.

Search parties who had already been scanning the area since last evening, were immediately requisitioned and a gunfight ensued between the troops and the militant. The militant in Army fatigues was liquidated in the two-hour-long gunbattle.

Sources said Lt-Gen Vinay Sharma, Commander, 9 Corps, expressed the apprehension of more Pak militants hiding in Kathua and Samba, adding that he had asked his troops to continue scanning the area.

One AK-47 assault rifle, one under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL), 10 AK-47 magazines, 270 live rounds of AK-47, eight rifle grenades, 10 UBGL grenades, one global positioning system besides some dry fruits were recovered from the site of the encounter, he added.

Samba, May 12
Thirty-six hours of continuous crossfire, bloodshed and a reign of terror is what people have witnessed since Sunday. The lull after the declaration of cross border ceasefire in 2004 was broken on the intervening night of May 9 and 10, when people woke up to the sound of heavy firing and gunshots.

It was later known that an infiltration bid had been foiled by “alert jawans” of the Border Security Force (BSF).

Within the next 24 hours much to the shock of people, militants attacked one of the villages in the district, killed six persons and seized the inmates.

The 12-hour-long gunfight that broke between the security forces and the holed up militants came to an end after the Army gunned down two of the militants.

Today, people were again woken up to gunshots as another militant hiding in the area was engaged in gun battle with the security forces. The militant was later shot dead.

After three major incidents within a span of 36 hours, residents of the area are a terrified lot and many feel that the days of cross border ceasefire were over.

“We fear for our lives. We were harvesting the benefits of cross border ceasefire, but now these two major incidents have shocked the entire district,” Mangat Ram, a resident of Kaily Mandi village in Samba district said.

Villagers fear they would have to pay the price of their loyalty towards their country as their fellow villagers, who were killed on May 14, 2002, when militants attacked an Army station in Kaluchak. About 38 soldiers, their wives and children were shot dead by militants.

The villagers said they feared that more militants might have sneaked into the Indian side and might attack them in a similar fashion in the coming days.

“If the BSF’s claim of averting the infiltration bid was not true, then we fear that more Pakistani trained militants might have sneaked into the Indian side and might resort to killing innocent people in the near future,” said another villager.

Though security forces said that a combing operation had been launched and a red alert sounded in the areas after the “failed” infiltration bid, residents are forced to spend sleepless nights in the fear of further attacks by militants.

“We have no other option but to stay awake during the night as we fear that militants who have sneaked into the Indian side might try to kill innocent people. In the past, we have witnessed many massacres by armed militants in the area,” Kulwant Singh, another villager said.

Srinagar, May 12
Visiting British High Commissioner in India, Sir Richard Stagg, today met Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mohammad Yasin Malik, chairman of the separatist Hurriyat Conference and the JKLF.

The High Commissioner on his maiden visit to the state was accompanied by the First Secretary in the High Commission, Victoria Whitford. He met Governor Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd) on Saturday last.

Azad and Sir Stagg had a breakfast meeting during which they discussed the overall situation and development scenario in the state.

Azad informed the High Commissioner that the situation in the state was normal and development work was going on in full swing. Azad informed him that infiltrations from across the border, especially during the past two months, was the only concern and hoped that the new government in Pakistan would cooperate with India to check this and take forward the process of dialogue and peace.

Azad said the past two years in the state had recorded the lowest number of killings and incidents of violence. He said human rights violations had been brought down to a negligible number, while no custodial disappearance was reported in 2007 and the current year till date.

Azad said political activities had picked up across the state and although elections had not yet been announced, as many as 1,670 public meetings had been held by various political parties in the past few months throughout the state.

About starting the trade across the LoC, Azad said India was ready and infrastructure in terms of custom building had been put in place one-and-a-half-years-ago and items for the cross-LoC trade had been identified. He said things had slowed down in the wake of the internal situation in Pakistan, following the events unfolding in February, 2007. He hoped that with a new government in place in Pakistan, things would move forward. He said foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee's upcoming visit to Islamabad later this month would provide boost to bilateral relations, which he, quoting Pakistan’s defence minister, said were the best during the past four years.

The British High Commissioner evinced keen interest in the political and development activities in the state. He described his maiden visit to the valley as “very good”.

Srinagar, May 12
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said India had made all arrangements for cross-LoC trade with Pakistan and it was now for the neighbouring country to decide when it wanted trucks to ply on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.

Addressing a public meeting at Uri, Azad said India had done everything that was required of her to open the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road for trade. He said the ball was now in Pakistan’s court to let trucks ply on the road.

Azad said trucks carrying goods from either side should have started plying between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad by now. He said some vested interests wanted people to believe that Pakistan was ready for cross-LoC trade but the central and the state governments did not want it to happen.

“Why would we construct godowns, customs office and double-lane the road leading to the Kaman Post if it was not for starting the trade?” he asked. He said the Pakistan government should fulfill the wishes of the people on both sides regarding the trade through the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road.

He said foreign minister Pranab Mukherji would visit Pakistan later this month and would discuss with his counterpart the cross-LoC trade. Azad said he hoped that the new government in Pakistan would carry forward the dialogue process initiated by India with its predecessor government to usher the subcontinent in an era of peace and progress.

Azad lashed out at leaders and groups promising people with misleading slogans. He warned people against such groups and leaders.

He said his party and government had chosen the path of peace and development instead of hollow slogans.

Azad expressed satisfaction that after 60 years of acrimony, the Pakistani leadership for the first time also did not want war with India on Kashmir and preferred dialogue instead.

In his address, union minister for water resources and JKPCC president, Prof Saifuddin Soz said the Congress had taken upon itself to provide peace and relief to the people and was actively engaged in providing service to the masses.

He said he and Azad were writing a new chapter of service to the people through the Congress in the State.

Soz said he hoped that the cross-LoC trade would soon take off and Kashmir fruit would reach the central Asian markets through Uri.

He hoped that the Suchetgarh-Sialkote road would also be opened.

Jammu, May 12
The entire Jammu city remained shut following the bandh call given by various political and social organisations in view of yesterday’s militant attack in Samba. Six persons lost their lives in the attack.

Today’s bandh had the support of almost all mainstream political parties of the Jammu region. However, the PDP had not supported the bandh call.

Entire township, including schools, colleges, business establishments, remained closed following the strike call. BJP supporters were seen requesting violators of the bandh to support it at some places.

Though at many places protest demonstrations against Pakistan and Pakistan-sponsored militants were taken out, however, no violence was reported from any part of the city.

The police had made elaborate security arrangements to avert any untoward incident in the area. Vehicular traffic remained off the road in the city, forcing majority of the people to remain indoors.

Meanwhile, residents in the city had to face various hardships following the bandh.

“By calling a bandh we are doing no harm to others, instead our economy suffers,” said Vikas Kumar of Jammu.

Jammu, May 12
After a lull of almost five years, militants struck in Jammu in a big way, killing six persons and injuring as many others. The major militant attack just ahead of the annual Amarnath pilgrimage and at a time when the state has to go for Assembly elections later this year attains a major significance.

By striking in Samba, the militants again proved that they can hit their targets anywhere and anytime.

Whatever the motive of the attack is, it has succeeded in negating the claims of the security forces and the government that “days of militancy in the state were numbered.”

The security forces claim that due to their increased vigil on the Line of Control (LoC) and the political upheaval in Pakistan, the logistical support to the militant outfits operative in the state have been restricted.

Just few hours prior to the yesterday’s militant attack in Samba, the BSF had claimed to have averted a major infiltration bid in the same sector. BSF officials had said “The militants had entered the Indian side of the International Border and they were located while tempering with the barbed fence and the bid was foiled by the alert jawans.”

Experts here say that the militants wanted to show their presence as they were being undermined, “That could be the reason why these militants chose to attack in such a manner and took a shelter in a house,” a source said.

“The motive behind the attack could have been a result of their frustration of being continuously undermined by the security agencies,” he added.

It has become a habit of the security forces to ‘belittle’ any attack by the militants by terming it a publicity stunt, but every time the militants strike anywhere, innocent lives are lost and that too happened in the yesterday’s attack.

“These types of attacks are aimed at spreading a reign of terror amongst the people of the country and to force them to surrender to the ill wishes of the outfits behind those attacks,” they added.

Rajouri, May 12
Shoket (police constable) and Shamsher (SPO), both brothers, of the police presently attached with the Army for counter-insurgency operations, gunned down a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant just close to an Army camp in Draba area in Surankote of border district Poonch late last night.

The slain LeT militant was identified as Abu Mosa.

The police department sources said the brothers were fired upon by the militants, who are believed to be two in number, last night while they were at home.

In the ensuing encounter one of the militant was killed whereas other managed to flee from the spot.

The sources said in the encounter Shamsher also received injuries due to splinters of the grenade and was shifted to the Military Hospital in Surankote.

Meanwhile, the security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

Poonch SSP Jagjit Kumar said “By killing the LeT militant, our boys have done a commendable job.”

Srinagar, May 12
As the state witnesses infiltration bids from across the border, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said he was concerned over the issue and hoped that the new government in Pakistan would cooperate with India to resolve it.

“The infiltration of militants from across the border, especially during the past two months, is a concern,” Azad told British High Commissioner Sir Richard Stagg at a breakfast meeting here.

He also expressed hope that the new government in Pakistan would cooperate with India in checking infiltration and taking forward the peace process.

Minister for external affairs Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Islamabad later this month would give further impetus to the peace process, he said.

The Chief Minister informed Stagg that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was almost normal with political activities and development work going on in full swing. He said the past two years had been the best in the state in terms of the number of killings and violent incidents.

He also said human rights violations had been brought down to a negligible figure while no custodial disappearance had been reported during the last year and the current year in the state. — PTI

Jammu, May 12
JKNPP chairman Prof Bhim Singh today asked the state government to order an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into yesterday's Samba encounter in which civilians, including a photojournalist, were also killed.

Prof Singh also demanded a white paper on the entire chain of events in the case. He also expressed doubt on the BSF's claim of foiling infiltration in Samba sector a couple of days before the encounter. "If nobody crossed over to Indian territory why vehicles were being checked by the police from Hiranagar to Jammu," he wondered.

He also asked the government to come clean as to whether Hoshiar Singh, a political leader killed by the militants, was their target or was it an accidental killing. According to him, Hoshiar Singh's home was close to the international border on whose one side is the border and on the other a checkpost, each of the police and the BSF. He said in such a scenario whichever side the militants came from, it brought to the fore negligence on the part of the police and the BSF. He also asked whether any security cover was provided to Hoshiar Singh.

Terming the situation in the state as explosive, he said, "It is not merely the question of Samba, the entire international border is on fire." He urged the Governor to immediately dismiss the state government. On photojournalist Ashok Sodi's death, he said it was a mistake on the part of the police and the security forces engaged in the encounter. He said they should have cordoned off the area prone to any untoward incident. 

Srinagar, May 12
A full Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today heard arguments of the Bar Association in the infamous sex scandal, which sent several senior politicians and officers behind bars and fixed May 26 for the next hearing.

The Chief Justice had constituted a full Bench after a Division Bench of Justices Bashir Ahmad Kirmani and Imtiyaz Hussain differed in their judgements on October 18, 2007, in which the CBI was asked to present its probe report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, against those whom it had not prosecuted due to lack of evidence.

However, both the judges differed in their directions.

The Bar Association has also filed a public interest litigation (PIL) demanding probe into the allegations levelled by Congress MP Madan Lal Sharma against two of his colleagues, Speaker Tara Chand and former state Congress president Peerzada Sayeed.

The MP, however, retracted from his charges and instead blamed the media for misquoting him.

The names of a large number of people had cropped up for their alleged involvement in the sex scandal, which was rooted in the sexual exploitation of a minor.

The CBI was asked by the state government to investigate the case but it did not bring charges against many of them as it could not corroborate allegations against them.

Two sitting MLAs and several IPS and at least one IAS officer were charge sheeted and are presently facing trial in Chandigarh.

Srinagar, May 12
Commercial rafting, one of the attractions for adventure lovers and tourists in
world-famous Pahalgam, has been suspended following orders by local
development authority.

“We have suspended the river rafting, a popular sport, because of unnecessary restriction imposed by the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA),” said a spokesman of the local rafting companies who claimed to have invested Rs 2 crore on the project.

He said local tour operators have been operating commercial rafting on the water of Lidder River since 2004, which helped to revive the much needed adventure tourism in the valley.

The rafting is a water-based activity undertaken on running rivers or in wild waters in a rubberised inflatable boat. Manned by trained river guides, this activity is popular all over the world and is attracting more tourists to such destinations, where river rafting is possible.

He said in Kashmir all adventure activities were looked after by the Tourism Department, but surprisingly, the development authorities of different resorts were unnecessarily creating hurdles in the promotion of the tourism.

The spokesman said chief executive officers (CEO) of some development authorities were engineers, KAS or belonged to any other category, with least knowledge about the adventure tourism.

He said the Kashmir Tourism Department had issued permissions to 13 local rafting companies for operating this much demanding tourist product at Pahalgam from May 1.

“But, to our dismay, the PDA had planned to put the river to tender which was neither agreed by the department nor by the rafting companies,” he said.

After solving the dispute, the Tourism Department finally issued permissions in favour of 13 companies, but unfortunately, the PDA had not allowed the operators to undertake this tourist activity in their jurisdiction till date. Instead, the rafting companies have been asked to operate it at Yennar village, which is about 18 km down to Pahalgam.

There were no safety and security arrangements available there, he said, adding that, this segment of the river was not feasible for commercial rafting at all.

He said the companies had engaged nearly 150 river guides and rafting companies and other travel agencies had already sold this tourist product to their counterparts in the country and abroad. — UNI

Rajouri, May 12
About Rs 1.36 crore have been earmarked for carrying out different activities in agriculture and allied sectors in Rajouri district for the current financial year.

This was disclosed by district development commissioner (DDC), Rafiq

Ahmed Sheikh, during a recently conducted district development board meeting here.

“Out of the total allocation, Rs 33.70 lakh will be spent for promotion of livestock, Rs 14.60 lakh for boosting horticulture, Rs 14.50 lakh under the agriculture and Rs 15.50 lakh on development of fish farm and fish rearing in the district”, the district commissioner told the meeting.

“About Rs 14.30 lakh have been earmarked for social forestry, Rs 8 lakh for soil conservation sector, Rs 25 lakh for forest protection and Rs 10.37 lakh for cocoon rearing”.

The district commissioner said besides, providing dose to 2.75 lakh animals, vaccination to 4 lakh animals, 20,000 inferior bulls would be castrated.

He added that 2,400 backyard poultry units would also be established. Besides, 7.05 lakh kg wool and 33.46 lakh kg mutton had been produced during the period”, he said.

Similarly 2005.50 quintal of high yielding varieties of crop seeds and 9,100 MT of chemical fertilizers will be distributed among the farmers.

The production of honey and mushroom is also expected to be recorded as 150 quintal and 100 quintals respectively and 130 hectare orchard area would be covered with plantation of 20,000 saplings of different fruit spices.

As many as 2,000 hectares orchard area was also proposed for treatment against pests and diseases, he added.

The district commissioner also stated that 30,000 saplings would be planted under soil conservation, while 81,000 saplings by the forest department. Besides, 1.10 lakh carps and 6,000 trout fingerlings would be released in different streams and nullahs of the district.

About 3.00 lakh tall and dwarf mulberry saplings would also be planted, he added.

Srinagar, May 12
Mountaineering as an adventure sports is fast catching up with tourists coming to the Kashmir valley.

Recently a five-member team of International Mountaineering Federation (IMF) in association with the Tourism Department of Kashmir took the task of promoting trekking destinations in the state.

The relief and terrain of Kashmir offers exciting opportunities for mountaineering in the state. For adventure sports enthusiasts, the scenic sylvan beauty of the Kashmir valley offers exciting adventure holiday prospects.

“They were out in the mountains, trekking and camping, getting a first hand feel of their experience in Kashmir. And as you can see, they went back very happy and we are very hopeful that they will carry the message across the world to mountaineers and trekkers that mountain routes are opened, our trekking routes are opened and what great opportunity people have to come and enjoy the sport in Kashmir,” said Sarmad Hafeez, joint director, Tourism Department.

The IMF team of five members was here to assist the Tourism Department in promoting trekking destinations for which the team had detailed discussions.

“We are here following the invitation of the IMF and the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Board who have given us a wonderful glimpse of the luxury of living in Kashmir on a houseboat. But I personally feel that it is a very good idea before one goes to experience the thrill of the mountains and the simple offer we have is to bring our technical expertise to the development of mountain tourism,” observed Robert Pettigrew, president of the Access and Conservation Commission.

The team also visited some high altitude trekking places including Aru Pahalgam and is expected to help boost tourism in the valley.

The Kashmir valley abounds in mountaineering destinations as the mighty Himalayas towering 10,000 to 28, 0000 feet above sea level, offers breathtaking vistas surrounding the entire valley.

There are several options for mountaineering in Kashmir since a host of famous peaks including Kolahoi (known as the Matterhorn of Kashmir), Harmukh, Tattakuti, Sunset (highest peak in the Pir Panjal range) and a number of small peaks in Sonamarg and Pahalgam are located in this region.

The Kashmir region is going through a phase of economic transformation and sustaining tourism in the state is vital since it is the mainstay of the state’s economy. — ANI

Srinagar, May 12
The next and probably the last session of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative Assembly before the elections would be held in the new legislature complex, the construction of which has been completed after 26 years.

The foundation stone of the complex was laid in 1982 by the then chief minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. But later the project was stopped in the wake of militancy which erupted in 1989. However, work on the project resumed in 1999, only to be left incomplete in 2003.

An official spokesman said only 25 per cent work had been done in the past about 12 years.

After taking over as the Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad evinced interest in the project and set a deadline of one year for the project’s completion.

The project work was again taken up in August 2007 and in less than a year, the remaining 70 per cent of the work was completed. Presently, final touches are being given to the complex besides, landscaping of the lawns.

Azad visited the complex and instructed the engineers to complete the project within the deadline set by him.

The spokesman said work on the project was in full swing and the next session of the legislature would be held in the new complex. — UNI