Jammu, July 26
Over 25 persons, including 10 policemen, were injured as protesters resorted to stone-pelting and arson over the Amarnath land row here today. Four of these cops are reported to have sustained serious injuries.

Though many parts of the city witnessed protests, Muthi and Mishriwala, which primarily house the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, witnessed pitched battles between the police and the protesters.

Bashir Ahmed, a cop, was critically injured after a mob pelted stones and later thrashed him in Muthi. The protesters also set ablaze two vehicles, including that of a government official on the Circular Road, and damaged several others.

Later, the police lobbed tear gas shells and cane-charged the agitators to disperse them. In the Pacca Danga area, protesters reportedly threw petrol bombs at the police, while in Purani Mandi, a cop, Charanjeet Singh, was taken hostage.

The protesters also resorted to stone-pelting in Parade, Purani Mandi, Kanak Mandi and Sabzi Mandi and burnt the effigies of NC chief Omar Abdullah.

Reports of protests were also received from Digiana, Gangyal, Bishnah and Vijaypur. The Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed at Pacca Danga and Muthi.

Angry protesters also tried to stage a protest outside the house of SDPO (West) M.L. Kaith, who is in the eye of storm, following the alleged police action, while shifting the body of Kuldeep Dogra from Jammu to Bishnah on Thursday.

However, the protesters did not succeed, as heavy police was deployed outside his house. Later, IGP K. Rajindera paid a visit to the injured policemen at the Government Medical College (GMC).

When contacted, the IGP said, “We are exercising restraint to avoid any loss of life and are trying to keep the situation under control. We are also identifying the people responsible for the violent incidents, besides holding talks with prominent citizens to reduce the level of violence.”

Meanwhile, the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti has extended the Jammu bandh call till Monday. Earlier, the samiti had given the shutdown call till Sunday.

Jammu, July 26
The Amarnath land agitation has hit hard daily-wagers here as they seem to be virtually fighting a battle for survival. With the city observing a shutdown since the last three days, daily wagers seem to be harried lot.

Parkash, a father of three daughters, said, “I sell lemon juice on the roadsides. I haven’t earned a single penny in the last three days due to the shutdown. I have already spent my savings during the 8-day curfew in the beginning of the month.”

However, his wife, who works as a domestic help, has ensured that the family at least got two square meals a day. “Had it not been for her we would have died of starvation,” he adds.

But, everybody does not have a support like Parkash. Ramdin, a daily-wager, and the sole breadwinner in his family of six said, “I moved from UP to Jammu in search of a livelihood. There was no dearth of work before this agitation. However, I have been returning empty-handed for the last three days. I don't even have enough money to take my family back to my native village in UP,” he laments.

Fate has been more cruel to his companion Suraj, who is facing such a crisis for the second time this month.

“Earlier, I had been working as a daily wager at an industrial unit, but the power crisis has left me without a job. I had recently come to the city hoping to get some work,” he said.

Similarly, Sarwan, a tongawallah, rued, “ The stir has hit my earnings hard. I earned between Rs 150-250 on a normal day, but now it has become difficult to feed my family of five, including three children.”

Sounding irked, Mansaram, a vegetable vendor, said, “Those protesting on the issue are unaware of what we have been passing through all these days. I have rented a room and have to pay the rent. I am forced to borrow money to do so.”

"It's not that we believe he is behind the blast. We don't have any conclusive evidence so far but his statement is a necessary formality," a senior officer said.

In this regard, the necessary permission from the SC would be obtained by pursuing the application filed in the apex court through the Advocate General.

Jammu, July 26
Flaying the speech of NC president Omar Abdullah during the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on July 22, the Panun Kashmir today claimed that Omar’s speech was based on false facts and amounted to breach of privilege of Parliament.

Panun Kashmir chairman Ajay Chrungoo and general secretary O.N. Trisal, in a joint press release issued here said, Abdullah had claimed that there had been no attack on Amarnath pilgrims.

They argued that it was not true and pilgrims repeatedly came under attack.

Both Chrungoo and Trisal said Omar’s speech was Kashmir-centric and was an attempt to convey that he could be more “communal” and “fundamentalist” than PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.

“Omar’s speech brought out communal designs of the NC, which had been camouflaging it with secularism for the past six decades,” they said.

Both Chrungoo and Trisal asserted that Abdullah was nobody to decide whether land should to be given to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) or not.

They added that only Kashmiri Hindus could decide on the issue.

Poonch, July 26
In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops allegedly fired at a forward post in Krishna Ghatti sector of this frontier district this morning.

However Indian troops observed restraint and didn't retaliate from across the Line of Control (LoC).

Army sources claimed that at around 9.30 am today, militants making an infiltration bid fired three rounds of rocket propelled gun (RPG) at Indian troops at a forward post manned by Gorkha Rifles in the Nangi Tekri area of the Krishna Ghatti sector of this district.

The RPG fire by the militants was followed by Pakistani troops firing heavy volume of bullets — to push militants into the Indian territory, they added.

Defence spokesperson, Lt-Col S.D.Goswami told The Tribune by phone from Jammu that militants fired three rounds of RPG on the Indian post in the Nangi Tekri area this morning.

"The fire by militants was followed by Pakistani troops’ firing on Indian troops which continued till late afternoon,” the defence spokesperson claimed. “However, our troops exercised restraint and did not retaliate”.

Meanwhile, a foreign wire agency report from Islamabad quoted chief military spokesman Major-Gen Athar Abbas as saying, that ‘Indian troops fired with mortars and machine guns at Battal in Rawalakot sector at 11 am but there were no casualties on our side.’

This is the fifth alleged ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops in the past fortnight in this district.

He said some people were trying to create the tension and it was our duty to
expose them.

Srinagar, July 26
Former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had a long wait for confidence building measures to translate into real benefits and now the escalating public cynicism threatened the essence of the peace process.

Addressing a series of meetings with party workers on his return from the US, the PDP patron here today said the recent mass agitation over the diversion of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) precariously manifested intense undercurrent of resurrecting disquiet and disillusionment fermenting among the people.

“While acknowledging the public unrest, the government instantly responded to the situation by revoking the order, it should not be brushed aside as just-the-once incident,” Mufti said.

He cautioned that similar challenging situations could erupt again if steps were not taken to speed up and consolidate the confidence building and reconciliation process for the ultimate resolution of the Kashmir issue.

The PDP patron said the much-needed peace process initiated in 2003 had started transforming the situation positively, not only within Jammu and Kashmir but throughout the sub-continent.

“The alienation levels of the public had perceptibly gone down and the overall atmosphere was that of respite and reconciliation”, he said.

Mufti said Kashmir had, for the first time, started radiating peace, rather than war-cry across the borders.

He said the inter-regional and inter-community harmony, within the state, had during this period also started showing visible elements of amiability and reconciliation with no discordant voices emerging from any region.

He, however, lamented that to the detriment of the peace efforts, the political impetus to the confidence building process started waning discernibly during the years that followed.

Mufti stressed the need for reviving the peace process with political courage through concrete initiatives.

He sought to reinforce resolve to work through peaceful means and through public participation towards restoration of permanent peace in the State without getting discouraged by the recent acts of violence.

He urged the Government of India to initiate with political courage the process of simultaneous implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir related inter and intra-state confidence building measures including rehabilitation of the victims of violence and allowing free movement of people and goods across the borders in the state.

Srinagar, July 26
The Army celebrated the ninth anniversary of Vijay Diwas, which marks its victory over Pakistan in Kargil war in 1999, with vigour and fanfare at Dras, the Army spokesperson said today.

A function was held at the magnificent Dras Memorial yesterday. The memorial had been constructed by the Army in memory of the brave sons of the soil, he said.

The function commenced with a wreath-laying ceremony. The Commander, Dras Brigade, paid rich tributes to officers and soldiers who sacrificed their lives while fighting the enemy. Other senior military officers and civilian dignitaries also laid wreaths on the occasion.

The spokesperson said after the ceremony, the Commander addressed the troops of Dras Garrison. He called upon the soldiers to draw inspiration from the martyrs and rise to the challenges posed by the inhospitable terrain.

Following the address, a tea party was organised, in which all officers, junior commissioned officers and soldiers of Garrison along with ex-servicemen, relatives of martyrs and civil dignitaries were present.

The ceremony concluded by lighting candles and mashaals at the war memorial in memory of the martyrs.

JAMMU: The Army in Jammu today celebrated Vijay Diwas to mark country’s victory during the Kargil war.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Tiger war memorial of the Tiger Division to pay homage to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the pride and honour of the country.

General Officer in Command of the Jammu-based Tiger division, Major- Gen DL Chowdhary, followed by other senior officers, laid the wreath.

The sixth battalion of Madras Regiment of 36 infantry brigade presented the
ceremonial guard.

Army buglers played the “Last Post” followed by two minutes’ silence to remember the brave martyrs of the Kargil war, 1999.

Jammu, July 26
Widow of Kuldeep Dogra, who allegedly committed suicide, protesting against the remarks made by Omar Abdullah over the land row during his speech on the trust vote in Parliament today, alleged that the deceased’s family had not given permission to the administration to form the last rites of Kuldeep.

Addressing mediapersons in Bisnah, Shilpi, Kuldeep’s widow, strongly refuted the Jammu divisional commissioner’s statement in which he said that proper permission was taken from the family members to cremate the deceased.

The administration lied that we had given it any permission to cremate the body, instead it forcefully took away the body,

She said, adding that the police took the body to Bisnah where they just tried to dispose it of, using tyres and liquor, without performing any rituals. But when the people came to know about this, they saved the body from mutilation.

However, the top officials said because of a volatile situation, a police officer had committed this error, hence some rituals could not be performed while cremating Dogra’s body before dawn.

But Shilpi said the police had no intention to perform last rituals. If the intentions would have been good, it would have allowed us to carry the rituals ourselves.

Rather the police just wanted to dispose the body and it even went to the extent of desecrating the body, she said.

Jammu, July 26
The state BJP chief Ashok Khajuria has described former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s assertions, as a bundle of white lies, accusing the Congress of promoting perverted form of communalism.

Azad said he and his party stood for secularism and they did everything possible to promote it in the state.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Khajuria said, “The fact is that the Congress, like the PDP, the NC, the CPI, the CPM, the PDF and all other Kashmir-based political and separatist outfits, is a party which believes in and promotes a perverted form
of communalism.”

During Azad’s tenure, the Congress and the above-mentioned parties joined hands to defeat another private member's bill, which had been moved to ensure protection to Hindu temples and shrines in Kashmir, Khajuria said.

He also recalled the way the Congress and other Kashmir-centric parties had joined hands to defeat yet another private member’s bill to the effect, that a clause relating to separate flag in the state Constitution be removed, so as to have only one flag, that is, the Tricolour.

He condemned the police for unleashing a reign of terror on agitating people in
Jammu province.

Jammu, July 26
Over a million people living in Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri, who have been facing severe power cuts owing to damage to two transformers at the Gladini grid station since July 2, may get the required relief within next 20 days.

A senior Power Development Department (PDD) engineer today said the transshipment of the transformer from Patna has begun and “we expect it to reach the site in Jammu before August 15.”

The engineer explained the reason for the time gap that the transshipment would take. He said since the 150 MV transformer could not be loaded in one truck, its various components have been loaded in three to four trailers and five trucks.

He said despite the fact that the PDD officials from Jammu have been asked to accompany the truckloads invariably the movement of these trucks may not be allowed during the day time on the highway.

In reply to a question, the engineers said it might take a week, after the transformer reached Jammu, to assemble all the components.

Another four to five days were required for feeding the transformer with 45,000 litres of oil.

They said the Gladini grid station required at least one more transformer and the problem would be reduced once the transformer from Patna was installed.

They said, “If we get back the two damaged transformers after repairs we may not require the one which the Haryana Government was planning to give on loan to Jammu and Kashmir.”

As a result of 12 to 15-hour power cut, normal life has been paralysed in Jammu for the last 24 days. The industrialists have suffered heavy losses.

Jammu, July 26
A police officer has dismissed the sensational claims of Wajahat Habibullah, chief information commissioner, Government of India, who in his book, said JKLF ideologue Dr Abdul Ahad Guru was killed in 1993 in Srinagar by one Hizbul Mujahideen activist Zulqarnain at the behest of the police.

The senior police officer, who was posted in Srinagar in 1993, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Habibullah’s story is false and fabricated.”

Habibullah, in his book ‘Kashmir conflict and the prospects of enduring peace’, wrote that the police “made an arrangement with Zulqarnain, then in custody, who agreed to kill Dr Guru in exchange of his release. But Zulqarnain was killed soon after he eliminated Dr Guru.”

The senior police officer said he would write to the government to reopen Dr Guru's “murder” case so that the truth behind his elimination was unravelled.

He and his colleagues said, “It is strange that Habibullah told his story after a gap of 15 years.”

They asked, “Why as divisional commissioner in Kashmir in 1993, Wajahat did not lodge a protest with the government? Why he did not inform the government in writing about the conspiracy?”

The officer said, “The image of the police has been maligned and the only way to clear the misgivings was to reopen the case and get it probed either by a judicial commission or by the CBI.”

They wanted Habibullah, retired IAS officer of 1968 batch “to substantiate his story with documentary evidence failing which necessary action be initiated against him.”

Srinagar, July 26
Madhya Pradesh minister L.K. Sharma, who arrived here yesterday to enquire about the welfare of the persons from his state admitted in SMHS Hospital after sustaining injuries in a grenade blast at Batamaloo on Thursday, has expressed satisfaction over the attention and medical treatment given to the injured.

An official spokesman here said Sharma visited the hospital and met the injured. They informed him about the incident and appreciated the efforts put in by the administration and the local people to quickly shift them from the scene of blast to the hospital.

They said the local administration also provided them financial assistance. The injured persons were all praise for the kind of attention given to them. They were also appreciative of the hospital administration.

The minister had a meeting with the civil administration and expressed satisfaction over the speedy shifting of the injured and adequate medicare provided to them. He interacted with director general of police Kuldeep Khoda, the official spokesman said.

Srinagar, July 26
A workshop on new techniques of administering anaesthesia was held at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) ahead of the ninth annual north zone conference of Indian society of anaesthesiologists.

An official spokesperson said the workshop was organised by the department of anaesthesiology and CCU, SKIMS and attended by anaesthesiologists from the Government Medical College and SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, besides medicos from various district hospitals of Kashmir division.

The specialists in the field from reputed hospitals of the country gave practical training to the doctors about latest trends of giving anaesthesia to the patients undergoing surgeries.