Jammu, October 12
A 19-member delegation of the PoK traders, headed by Zulfiqar Abbasi, arrived here today. The delegation was accorded a warm welcome by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Federation of Industries.

Addressing a meeting of the traders from both the sides, Abbasi stressed on the need for better infrastructure and communication modes for the success of the cross-LoC trade.

He supported the idea of opening all the historic routes for trade. He said they could only exchange gifts in such vehicles.

Abbasi said it took almost three years for their delegation for a visit to Jammu and Kashmir due to delay in getting travel documents. He urged both the governments to ease the travel process so as to make the cross-LoC trade meaningful.

He also laid stress on joint chamber of commerce for better trade ties between the two regions.

Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Ram Sahai said other cross-border routes in the region like Suchetgarh-Sialkot and Nowshera-Mirpur should be opened.

He said many items of export quality from Jammu have not been included in the list, adding that Jammu has the potential to become the most attractive destination for cross-border trade.

Divisional commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey while assuring all cooperation in facilitating cross-border trade said the demand of opening other cross-border routes in Jammu region were also under consideration of the government.

Udhampur, October 12
Over 80 houses were burnt and scores of cattle perished in a devastating fire in Choy Drahama village, about 20 km from Wardwan block, in Kishtwar district late last night.

Although there was no report of loss of any human life, the whole village population was rendered homeless as their houses were gutted. More than 60 cattlesheds and a religious place were also burnt to ashes in the fire.

"According to initial reports, 58 houses were completely gutted while 24 were partially burnt in the fire", Kishtwar deputy commissioner Sudershan Sharma told The Tribune, adding that rescue teams along with relief material had been dispatched to the village through a chopper.

Keeping in view the topographical location of the affected village, the deputy commissioner contacted the authorities of Kashmir province for getting help through the Inshan area of Anantnag district.

While admitting that there was no means of communication with the village, the deputy commissioner said the exact figure of the injured would be known only after the rescue teams reached the spot. Relief material, including tents, kitchen items, ration and warm clothes, was being rushed to the area for the affected families.

Reports said the fire broke out around midnight in Choy Drahama village of Wardwan block in Marwah tehsil. Before the people could control the fire, it engulfed the entire hamlet. As the village was located in the remotest area and there was no means of communication, the authorities got information of the incident only this morning when some villagers reached a nearby Army post.

It is believed that it was an accidental fire. People usually use firewood to keep their thatched houses warm due to severe cold conditions in this belt bordering Anantnag district of south Kashmir. As most of the houses in this belt are made of dried grass, villages are vulnerable to fires.

A crowd of 70-odd people waited with baited breath at the new and picturesque Srinagar station for the first train of the valley “open to the public” to arrive.

There were people from all walks of life, including students and those employed with the local government, looking to their right towards Rajwensher from where the train was suppose to come.

However, as is the hallmark of the Indian Railways, the train was late. Scheduled to arrive at the station at 7.35 am and depart at 7.38 am, the train arrived about 15 minutes late at the Srinagar station, which is the showpiece of this sector all decked with exquisite wooden carving from the entry till the big hall on the first floor.

The train was flagged off by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday in company of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

As the train, pulled by the diesel engine, chugged into the station there was sudden excitement with the security personnel asking those present to move towards the rear of the platform.

But the crowd waiting to board the train refused to back up and was rushing for the coach gates as the train came to a halt.

The opinion, however was divided on whether the train service over the 119-km stretch between Rajwensher and Anantnag would be a success or not.

While some said the Railways would have to out in a lot of effort to make this experiment a success, the others said this would be a success, especially since it would save a lot of money and if it ran in conjunction with the office timings.

“It will be a boon for the service class,” said Farooq A Lone, chief executive officer of the Gulmarg Development Authority, who boarded the train at Srinagar and was going to Anantnag to meet his parents, it being a Sunday today.

He pointed out that at a cost of Rs 11 between Srinagar and Anantnag, it could not have been cheaper. “I used to burn fuel of almost Rs 300 in my car every Sunday to go to meet my parents, now it’s so cheap.”

Another passenger Parvez Ahmed pointed out that if the rail authorities changed the timing of the train it would be a great success.

He also suggested developing the infrastructure outside the station and improving the connectivity from the city.

Dawood, a class 8 student boarded the train, all armed with his digital camera. He had been on a train earlier, but the sheer joy of being among the first passengers on the first-ever train in the valley had him all smiling.

He went about clicking pictures and said, “Now there would be some urgency in life. People would have to be on time at the station to catch the train”.

As the train rolled out of the Srinagar station and chugged its way through the valley, the awe it generated was there to see. Not only were the children, inside the eight coaches, chattering away but the people all along the route just stood in their path to look at the engineering marvel.

The people just stared at the “red beauty” making its way through at almost 95 kilometers per hour, the top speed which the train touched at a section of the journey.

As the train starts moving, the announcement, “Welcome to Indian Railways,” in English and surprisingly Hindi makes you feel comfortable.

The security as such on the train was very strong with RPF men guarding each of the eight coaches while the CRPF men guarded the stations.

When asked whether the train would be a success or not, D Maurya, the ticket checker, replied: “So much of hard work and persistence has gone into developing this rail line, why would it not be a success.”

Srinagar, October 12
At least 18 persons, including seven security personnel, were today injured in fresh clashes that erupted during protests against the killing of two youths in police firing on Friday.

Though the administration imposed restrictions in many parts of the valley, normal activities resumed after two days of the strike call given by separatists against the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the state.

Violent clashes also rocked Nowhatta and adjoining localities for the third day today. Reinforcements were rushed to the violence-hit areas and prohibitory orders banning assembly of four or more persons were being reimposed to defuse the “tense situation.”

Earlier, the police assisted by the CRPF, fired tear gas shells and used batons to chase away the protesters. In the ensuing clashes, eight persons, including four security personnel were injured.

Meanwhile, three CRPF personnel were injured when a mob attacked them with stones at Kawdara and Fatehkadal localities. Sources said tear gas shelling and lathi-charge proved ineffective to control the mob. At least six protesters were also injured in the incident.

The injured was identified as one Suhail Ahmad, a resident of Basant Bagh locality, who was hit by a bullet when CRPF personnel allegedly opened fire to disperse a stone-pelting mob at Khankahi Moulla.

Local residents claimed that a curfew had been imposed in these areas since yesterday, a charge denied by the police. “No curfew has been imposed in any part of the city,” a police official said.

Two persons were killed and 75 others, including 34 security personnel, were injured in day-long clashes in the Nowhatta area on Friday. A “civil curfew” was also observed in the valley on the call of the separatists against the Prime Minister’s visit.

Although life returned to normal in Srinagar today, reports coming from Baramulla district said a large group of people staged a peaceful protest, demanding that the youths, who were arrested from their houses last night and shifted to an unknown destination, be released. Senior police officers pacified the protesters. — PTI

Jammu, October 12
While the state government is providing a paltry Rs 200 as pension to the state’s elderly and widows, its irregular payment has left beneficiaries worried these days.

For septuagenarian Bansi Lal, the old age pension meant a lot after his family deserted him. Visibly frail and feeble, Bansi said: “What we are receiving is pittance and on top of it, the payment of pension is irregular”. He praised the government for taking some steps for the benefit of the elderly.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Maya Devi, a resident of Bohri, said the prices of essential items had increased tremendously in the past years. Maya said the impact of price rise was more on elderly since they were not earning.

Maya said sometimes they received pension on time and at times it was delayed. “The delay in payment forces us to make a tiresome journey to the office of the Social Welfare Department which involves undue spending on transportation.”

Meanwhile, director, Directorate of Social Welfare, Laj Ram admitted that there might be a delay in some cases, but they invariably ensured to release pension to the beneficiaries as early as possible.

Laj Ram said a proposal for raising the pension for physically challenged to Rs 500 per month was under consideration.

Srinagar, October 12
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's fresh offer to hold talks with separatists in Kashmir drew a cold response from the Hurriyat Conference today which claimed there was "nothing new" in the proposal and harped on its demand for a tripartite dialogue.

"Kashmir is disputed and has to be resolved through tripartite talks only and not through a bilateral dialogue," chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said.

Mirwaiz said he disagreed with the Prime Minister "that Kashmir is an integral part of India and talks with separatists can be held bilaterally and not through a tripartite process by involving Pakistan" into such an exercise.

In a fresh attempt to reach out to separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister had on Friday during a visit to Jammu and Kashmir offered to hold talks with all sections of people, including those who have stayed out of the political process.

"There is nothing new in it (offer of talks).

Kashmir is a dispute and needs settlement as per the wishes and aspirations of the people," chairman of the hardline faction of Hurriyat Syed Ali Shah Geelani said.

Apparently referring to the moderate Hurriyat Conference, Geelani said "some of our colleagues held talks with New Delhi in the past but those proved futile. "Bilateral and trilateral talks have yielded no results. I am of the view that there should be no talks unless India accepts Kashmir as a dispute and withdraws its troops." The Hurriyat hawk, however, was quick to add that he was not opposed to the talks to resolve the issue.

"If India accepts Kashmir as a dispute, withdraws troops from the state, revokes black laws, releases all detainees and announce its readiness for trilaterial talks, we are ready for talks," Geelani said.— PTI

Jammu, October 12
The BJP today formally launched its political campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state with a public rally at Gandhi Nagar here.

Addressing the rally, state BJP president Ashok Khajuria cautioned the people of the region against the “machinations and disinformation campaign” being carried out against the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti and the BJP.

“The Congress in its disinformation campaign accuses the BJP of not being sincere while fact of the matter is that almost every Congress minister has been under investigation for corruption and misconduct by the Vigilance and Accountability Commission,” he said.

Khajuria also criticised the statement of Union Minister for Water Resources and JKPCC chief Saif-ud-Din Soz during the all-party meet with the Prime Minister in Srinagar in which he had reportedly said two years back Jammu was secular but had now ceased to be so.

Targeting Congress and Soz, Khajuria said that the recent protest in Jammu was against the “policies of the Congress to appease the communal and separatist forces in Kashmir,” he said.

Khajuria held the policies of the Congress and National Conference responsible for ‘militancy’ in the valley.

“It was their lust to gain power by hook or crook before 1990 that led to start of militancy in the state,” he said.

Khajuria appealed the people of Jammu to unite and vote for the BJP candidates in the forthcoming elections.

Jammu, October 12
The Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti today announced that it would support only those political outfits in the forthcoming Assembly elections that incorporate the samiti’s soon-to-be-released charter of demands in their manifestoes.

Addressing a press conference here today, samiti convener Lila Karan Sharma said their charter of demands will address the issue of discrimination with Jammu province and include points like a separate development fund for the region. However, he said the samiti was not in favour of trifurcation of the state. He also urged the political outfits fighting for the cause of Jammu to introspect before fielding their candidates so as to avoid division of votes.

He made it clear that the samiti would not contest the elections and restrict itself to sensitising the electorate. He said the people of Jammu had been facing discrimination for the past 60 years.

Regarding the Amarnath land agreement, Sharma renewed his appeal to the state administration to implement it in letter and in spirit before the announcement of the elections. He said the government must remember that “we have only suspended our agitation”. He said though the government had issued an order for setting aside the land at Baltal for the Amarnath Shrine Board, it was yet to make a move on the issue of disposal of LPA. He said the government was yet to withdraw cases against the agitators and allot compensation to the traders who had suffered losses during the stir. “We have not even been provided a list of the cases registered against the agitators at various police stations. The government has also not paid heed to the demand for including our two members in the panel formed for the withdrawal of cases,” he averred.

Meanwhile, Sharma announced the samiti’s support to various demands of the Ladakh region, including the demand for UT status. “Like Jammu, Ladakh too is a victim of bias and we think the two regions have common problems,” said Brig Suchet Singh. The samiti also extended its support to their demand for opening of a route to Mansarovar via Ladakh and inclusion of Bothi language in Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

Srinagar, October 12
Two militants of the Pakistan-based Al-Badr outfit, including a close accomplice of its self-styled "operational commander", were arrested after a gunbattle in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir today.

Nissar Ahmad Thoker, alias "Abu Wikas", and Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar, alias "Abu Maaz", were arrested near Check-Sanzipora village in the Handwara belt of Kupwara district, a police spokesman said.

The two hailed from Shopian district of south Kashmir and were hiding near forests. "The arrest of these militants has given a serious jolt to the outfit, especially to the Tamim group, in and around Handwara," the spokesman added.

When a joint search party confronted the militants, they opened fired which was returned by security personnel, the spokesman said, adding that the two militants were later arrested and two AK assault rifles, six magazines, 108 rounds and six grenades seized from them.

Abu Wikas is a close accomplice of Al-Badr's self styled "operational commander" for north Kashmir Tamim Ahmad, a Pakistani involved in almost all militant activities carried out by the outfit during the past one year in Rafiabad, Qaziabad and Mawar areas of Baramulla and Handwara, the police spokesman alleged.

Abu Maaz had recently joined the outfit and was working directly under Tamim, the spokesman said

A cache of arms and ammunition has been seized in Gulmarg sector, an army spokesman said today.

Based on specific intelligence inputs about possible movement of militants in the Babarishi area in Gulmarg sector of Baramulla district, a search was launched last night.

In the joint search carried out by 16 Field Regiment of the Army and 176 Battalion of the CRPF, three pistols, 69 rounds of PIKA ammunition, four rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 10 detonators, a radio set and five IED circuits were seized from a pit, the spokesman said. — PTI