Srinagar, June 25
The Amarnath yatra from the traditional route of Pahalgam will commence tomorrow, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board’s CEO BB Vyas said today.

The annual pilgrimage had not started from this route yet due to bad weather and accumulation of snow but has been going on via the Baltal route since June 16.

Vyas said board chairman NN Vohra took the decision after examining the report of a joint team comprising senior officers of the state administration, besides Vyas, which undertook several visits to the track in the past two days. Vohra also took note of the reports on the status of the track submitted to him by the Pahalgam Development Authority, Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, and the Jawahar Mountaineering Institute.

Vyas said the state had assured the board that all logistical and other support would be made available for the smooth conduct of the yatra.

The administration would ensure that not more than 2000 registered pilgrims per day would be permitted to proceed on the yatra on a “first-come, first-served” basis. The number of pilgrims to be allowed to move per day shall, however, be reviewed after the track stabilises further.

Vyas said they would not allow old, infirm people and children below 12 years to undertake the yatra from this route due to its difficult terrain. Woman pilgrims would also be advised to avoid the yatra from this route. The board would issue a further clearance report in 10 days.

Zero Line, Chamliyal, June 25
Even as the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers again converged on the border here today as facilitators to the confidence building measures (CBMs) between India and Pakistan, the nagging Kashmir dispute did not attract the Gen-X in Pakistan anymore.

As part of a 27-member delegation of the Pakistan Rangers to the annual Chamliyal Mela on Zero Line in Samba district, Tipu Malik, 22, a resident of Hajipura in Sialkot, whose forefathers hailed from Samba district, said, “Though disgruntled politicians in both countries continue to rake up the Kashmir dispute to further their hidden agenda, youths in Pakistan simply do not believe there is a dispute.”

“There are elements in Pakistan who stake claim over Kashmir and swear to live and die by it, but the Pakistani youths want to break free and see peace and love between the two countries,” said Malik.

As Tipu started to talk openly with this correspondent, an officer of the Pakistan Rangers whisked him away to the other side of the border.

Earlier DIG, BSF, AK Sharma and Pakistan Rangers’ Punjab sector Commander Brig Mohammed Masud addressed a joint press briefing. Despite facing acerbic queries in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack, Sharma and Masud evaded answers requesting the media not to ask ‘political’ questions. “Even as CBMs are going on in the right direction, we are also frequently holding flag meets and the annual fair, one of the CBMs. This is certainly a step in the right direction,” said Sharma.

People in Pakistan were also enthusiastic about this fair and they had conveyed a message of peace and love to the people of India, Brig Masud added.

Later, the Pakistan Rangers offered a ‘chaddar’ and sweets at the famous tomb of Baba Daleep Singh Manhas, called Baba Chamliyal.

The BSF in return dispatched trolleys of ‘shakkar’ and ‘sharbat’ (soil and water) from the famous shrine. Devotees believe that the shakkar and the sharbat of the shrine heal skin ailments.

Udhampur, June 25
Two class IV employees of the Health Department have been playing with the lives of residents of the remote Panchari block of Udhampur district.

As doctors appointed in this backward belt manage postings in towns, the Health Department authorities have ‘unofficially’ delegated powers to these two class IV employees to provide medical facilities to the people.

Though officers of the Health Department have been desperate to save their skin, resentment is brewing among the residents of this block against the apathetic attitude of the authorities in providing medical facilities to them.

The pathetic approach of the Health Department can be gauged from the case that after the transfer of a doctor, a safai karamchari was transferred to the Nallinikkah Medical Aid Centre and was designated as the in charge of the centre. This centre caters to the needs of more than 8,000 people. The safai karamchari took away all medicines and equipment provided by the department to his home and started treating people there.

The Nallinikkah centre caters to the needs of residents of Lower Basnote, Dubhi Galli, Lower Nekunj, Lower Damnote, Lower Gahlote, Parand and adjoining villages. As the safai karmachari had taken medicines and equipment to his home, patients visited his home for treatment and he used to charge money from poor villagers for giving them allopathic medicines.

“For the past three months, we have been receiving complaints about the sale of government medicines in the open market,” SHO, Panchari, Raghubir Singh told The Tribune. He added, “We raided his house and seized a stethoscope and a blood pressure measuring apparatus from his possession.” Medicines worth lakhs were also seized from the house of the safai karamchari.

Similar is the story of the Galiyot Medical Centre, where a nursing orderly has been working as a doctor for the past six months. The only doctor appointed at this centre got himself attached with the CMO office in year 2008. The centre was handed over to a pharmacist, who was also transferred in January this year. The orderly was designated as the in charge of the medical centre due to the non-availability of a doctor. The police arrested the orderly and seized a huge quantity of medicines from his possession.

Though health services are very poor in Udhampur and Reasi districts, the situation is worse in remote areas like Panchari, Mahore, Arnas, Gool and Chenani.

Srinagar, June 25
The Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has given a call for strike tomorrow and asked the people to march to Cheshmashahi, a secluded green belt in Srinagar where Geelani is reportedly under arrest at a guesthouse, to protest the arrest of the hardline leader.

The police arrested the acting president of Hurriyat (G) Ghulam Nabi Sumji even as Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, president of moderate Hurriyat faction, endorsed the strike call.

Meanwhile, the special investigation team probing the alleged rape and murder of two Shopian women has told the court that it was expecting a breakthrough soon. The assertion from the SIT was made in its status report submitted to a Shopian court. The SIT said it had questioned a number of police personnel and others to unravel the mystery behind the mysterious crime.

Though a sense of normalcy has returned to the rest of the valley, people in Shopian have been observing a complete strike and formed a body to steer their movement. Shaqil Ahmad Ahangar, husband of Neelofar Jan and brother of Aasiya, both victims, has moved the court, demanding the registration of a case and the arrest of officials found guilty by the judicial commission. The commission had recommended their prosecution but the government has gone for a departmental inquiry after placing five officials, including four cops, under suspension. The state government today ordered the suspension of two doctors for the incomplete report of the post-mortem of the Shopian victims. 

Srinagar, June 25
Senior diplomats from the UK and Australia have held meetings with the political parties and the separatists, including the Hurriyat Conference and the JKLF for the past few days.

A delegation of the UK diplomats held discussions with APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Yasin Malik. The UK and Australian diplomats met PDP president Mehbooba Mufti here today.

Interacting with the visiting diplomats, Mehbooba said self rule was a vision of hope, political reconciliation and economic development that could lead to the final resolution of the Kashmir issue. She said the document had the potential of reconciling the positions of both India and Pakistan in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

A three-member Australian delegation comprising first secretary of the Australian High Commission Tim Higgins, second secretary Michael Cheyne, and Australia’s consultant on South Asia Mike Hillman and a British High Commission delegation led by first secretary (political) Jasper Thorenten called on her.

The diplomats discussed with the PDP president the current political scenario in the state and also exchanged views on the party’s current campaign for strengthening civil society and democratic institutions. Mehbooba shared with them the perspective of the party on the current status of the peace process. They also discussed matters relating to youths like the unemployment problem and enhancing their employability, a PDP spokesman said.

Mehbooba told the diplomats that the state had made impressive strides in rejuvenating the democratic process through successive elections. However, these needed to be followed up through bold initiatives from the country’s political leadership in order to fully empower the civil society and allow civil institutions to function without any interference.