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IAF connects Ladakh remote areas
Ultras attack patrol party, kill 2 jawans
Pak needs to befriend India to survive: Farooq
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Mirwaiz offers support for talks with Pak
Students distance themselves from Andolan Samiti
Delimitation Panel
CEPD staff call off strike
State history to be taught in schools
Mob stages protest after infant dies in hospital
Child rights panel soon: Omar
Guv, Omar greet people on Navratras
LeT ultra’s wife nabbed
Deputy CM’s domestic help commits suicide
Chenani MLA misbehaves with the elderly
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IAF connects Ladakh remote areas to
mainland
Srinagar, September 18 A defence spokesman said here that Group Capt SC Chatekar touched down on the Nyoma airstrip at an altitude of 13,300 feet with Air Marshal NAK Browne, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, and Lieut-Gen PC Bhardwaj, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, on board. The landing comes only 15 months after an AN-32 landed at Daulat-Beg-Oldie (DBO), the highest airfield in the world, situated at an attitude of 16,200 feet. Nyoma has been developed with an aim to connecting the remote areas of the Ladakh region to the mainland. This would also ensure that movements in the area continue when the road traffic gets affected during harsh winters, besides enabling improved communication network in the region, facilitating economical ferrying of supplies as well as promotion of tourism to the general area. Though helicopters have been landing at this ALG, this is for the first time that a fixed wing aircraft has landed at the compacted airstrip of Nyoma, located 23 km from the border, the spokesman added. After deliberating on all aspects and carrying out aerial and ground recce, it was concluded that Nyoma could be developed for fixed wing operations as well. The Herculean task of developing the ALG to the standards required for fixed wing operations was undertaken by the Engineering Regiment of 14 Corps. The successful landing of a fixed wing aircraft at Nyoma marks the culmination of the joint effort by the IAF and the Army to enable the IAF to operate in the inhospitable terrain of the Ladakh region in support of the Army. The joint development of Nyoma braving the extremely difficult working conditions and hostile weather is yet another step towards enhanced cooperation between the two services.
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Ultras attack patrol party, kill 2 jawans
Udhampur, September 18 The deceased jawans have been identified as Abdul Gani and Riyaz Ahmed, both residents of Gajote village in Bhaderwah, while as identity of the injured has been established as Mohammad Yakub of Bhalla, Bhaderwah. Local residents have expressed strong resentment over the killing of the jawans by the so-called “jehadies” on the auspicious occasion of Jamut-ul-Vida - the last Friday of the holy month of Ramzan. Sources said jawans of the STF were on a routine patrol when they were ambushed by a group of militants in the Shekhli Top area of Marmat this evening. The militants, who were hiding on the side of the track, hurled grenades on the jawans and resorted to indiscriminate firing from a point-blank range and killed two of them on the spot. The third constable was survived as he received bullets on his legs. After killing two STF men and looting their weapons, the militants slipped away from the spot. Even as no militant outfit has claimed the responsibility of the attack, police sources said terrorists of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit were involved in the attack. During the past one month, intelligence agencies have been receiving information about the movement of some dreaded Hizbul militants in this belt. It was after these information that patrolling has been intensified in this belt, which was earlier considered as the stronghold of the Hizbul Mujahideen. Iftar party was in process in Bhaderwah when senior officer got the information about the attack. Senior police officers rushed to the spot. The bodies of the STF men were later sent to their native place at Gajote village. |
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Pak needs to befriend India to survive: Farooq
Jammu, September 18 Refusing to comment upon recent Pakistani misadventures, including Wagah and Pargwal incidents, he said the Defence Ministry had to take cognisance of these incidents. He, however, felt that Pakistan could not go beyond creating minor disturbances. Responding to media queries here this afternoon after attending a function organised by the J&K Housing Board Corporation, Farooq said post 26/11 there had been immense pressure from the international community on Pakistan to take action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks. “An FIR has been registered against JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and I hope that the Pakistan government will pursue the case seriously,” he said. However, he advocated a peaceful dialogue with the neighbour. On state’s rural areas without electricity, Farooq said he would explore possibilities to provide solar energy to remote villages. “We also have a plan to make Katra a green city having solar lights. A committee has been constituted for the purpose,” he added. “On November 14, birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, we are going to inaugurate a solar mission to take solar power to remote parts of the country,” he said. On his MLA brother Mustafa Kamal’s recent controversial statement on the accession of the state to the Union of India, which he had described conditional, Farooq said I didn’t attach importance to his
statement. |
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Mirwaiz offers support for talks with Pak
Srinagar, September 18 He asserted that people of Jammu and Kashmir were for peace, which, however, depended upon an everlasting resolution of the Kashmir issue as per their aspirations. The Mirwaiz was addressing a mammoth gathering on the occasion of Jumat-ul-Vida (last Friday) of the holy month of Ramzan at the Jamia Masjid here this afternoon. He rejected the Central government’s view that the Hurriyat Conference believed in violence and disturbance and the Prime Minister’s assertion that people of Kashmir were tired and pronounced their decision by participating in the elections. Lakhs of devotees offered Friday prayers at the Hazratbal shrine, where Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also offered prayers. It was like old golden days of the Kashmir history that an unprecedented number of devotees assembled at the Hazratbal shrine, which is considered the epitome of spiritual blessings in the valley. Its entire premises was jam packed. The lawns were full from the place of Imam Sahib up to the shores of the Dal Lake. Huge congregations were also held at the Syed Sahib mosque and other grand mosques here and in Anantnag, Baramulla, Pulwama, Kupwara, Budgam, Kulgam, Shopian, Bandipora and Ganderbal districts as also in Ladakh, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and other districts of the state. The Mirwaiz in his address once again urged the migrant Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homeland and join the “freedom struggle”, as it was a fight for the rights of the people of all three regions of the state. He reiterated that the Kashmir issue was a political issue and needed to be resolved politically. Referring to the international view on the Kashmir issue, the Mirwaiz pointed out that the global community had accepted that the resolution of the Kashmir issue was inevitable. He held that the US, the UK and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) members had been impressing upon India to resolve the Kashmir issue. He added that the mainstream political parties in the state were also in favour of resolving the issue, saying the elections were no solution. The resolution of the Kashmir issue was necessary for peace in South Asia, he said. Meanwhile, Mubarak Gul, adviser to the Chief Minister, has welcomed the Mirwaiz’s statement emphasising peace. He said the Mirwaiz was a seasoned and respectable politician and his statement gave hope to the people about peace and tranquillity. Gul said the Chief Minister had already through several statements made it clear that he could become the facilitator for a dialogue between the Central government and the separatists. |
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Students distance themselves from Andolan Samiti
Jammu, September 18 The students under the banner of the Jammu Joint Students Federation (JJSF) have decided not to boycott classes. Earlier, they were agitating for the university under the CUAS banner. JJSF vice-president Pratap Singh Jamwal said: “We are attending classes for the past few days regularly. We have realised that the CUAS has used the students for gaining their own vested interests.” He said: “Though the CUAS claims to be a non-political organisation, it is working under the influence of some political parties.” Pratap alleged that six students were injured and some were arrested by the police during the lathicharge on September 1 but the CUAS did nothing for them. While regretting that the CUAS did not involve students in their decision-making process, he said: “The CUAS framed district, tehsil and block-level committees but we do not know who were registered as its members.” Rejecting all allegations, CUAS convener Pavitar Singh said the samiti always stood first for the students. President of the JJSF and co-convener of the samiti Pushvinder Singh Manhas also regretted that the CUAS had not given its support to the students but said they were trying for solving the differences. Expressing disappointment over this rising gap, he said: “I am trying to end their differences. But if the situation remains same, then the students might fight the agitation on their own level apart form the CUAS.” |
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Panthers party hails SC decision
Tribune News Service
Jammu, September 18 Addressing mediapersons in Jammu, Mankotia said party chairman Bhim Singh had consistently pursued the case in the state High Court and the Supreme Court on the issue of delimitation. The party has been fighting for equality of representation in the Assembly for the people of the Jammu region, who despite having parity in population, have been given nine lesser MLAs in the Assembly as compared to the Kashmir region. The party would continue its struggle on the issue both in public and in the courts, he said. Mankotia also urged the government to declare Jammu province as drought affected and provide relief to the farmers. He criticised the Public Service Commission (PSC) for its decision to hold exams and interviews of candidates of both regions in Srinagar. Mankotia asked the PSC to hold the exams and interviews region wise.
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CEPD staff call off strike
Jammu, September 18 General custodian Vaseer Khan clarified that the recommendations as per the employees demand had been sent to the secretary of the Revenue Department for clearance, which is likely to come in a couple of days. Creating 125 posts out of the way in the CEPD in Kashmir wing in 2006 is now proving hazardous for the department in
Jammu. Ashok Kumar Safaya, general secretary, CEPD, said: “This matter had created a lot of mayhem in the Assembly that time, which led to the setting up of a committee under Panthers Party chairman Bhim Singh, but the matter got stuck in dirty politics. Raman
Bhalla, Relief and Rehabilitation commissioner, has assured us of justice.” The CEPD earns a revenue of Rs 10 crore every year, out of which it pays Rs 1.80 crore as annual salaries for its 96 employees. According to CEPD Employees Union president Abdul
Rashid, the department had expressed its inability in name of shortage of extra funds to give them salaries as per the sixth pay commission. We had decided to go on strike, but we called it off on the assurance from officers
concerened,” he said. |
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State history to be taught in schools
Srinagar, September 18 Presiding over a meeting,the minister stressed the need for ensuring better use of the academic session and revamping of the examination system. He said internal assessment during the academic session was being made compulsory in the examination system. Peerzada was informed that workshops on the state’s history were being organised to make people aware about the history.He directed the state board authorities to incorporate the state’s history in the syllabus at the
earliest. He also disclosed that the syllabus to be framed would be on a par with the leading boards of the country and the books
would be provided well in time so that students did not face any problem. Secretary, School Education, G.A. Peer, Director, School Education, Kashmir, Shagufta Parveen, Chairman, Board of School Education, D.B. Gupta and Secretary, BOSE, Sheikh Bashir Ahmad attended the meeting. |
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Mob stages protest after infant dies in hospital
Jammu, September 18 Sources said newly born baby boy of Adil Malik of Trikuta Nagar died of severe jaundice and other infections on the intervening night of September 16 and 17. SMGS Hospital’s Deputy Medical Superintendent Satish Sharma said despite all possible treatment, the baby died. “The family had been told about the complications, but this evening a mob stormed the hospital, manhandled our doctors and smashed windowpanes of the hospital”, said Dr Sharma, and added a police complaint had been lodged.
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Child rights panel soon: Omar
Jammu, September 18 He gave this assurance to a delegation of CRY, which met him under the leadership of Deepika Thusso, an advocate and CRY project holder, recently. While addressing a press conference here today, Deepika said Omar assured them that even if it required framing a new legislation, he would go ahead after discussing the legalities of the same with the department concerned. She said the Chief Minister also assured them that efforts would be made to implement the Juvenile Justice Act, 1997, which had not been implemented even after 11 years of its promulgation.
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Guv, Omar greet people on Navratras
Srinagar, September 18 In a message, the Governor said the Navratras had an added significance in Jammu and Kashmir as over three lakh devotees pay obeisance at the Vaishno Devi shrine during the period. The Chief Minister hoped that the auspicious occasion would be a harbinger of peace and prosperity for the people of the state. |
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LeT ultra’s wife nabbed
Udhampur, September 18 Although cops are tightlipped over the arrest, sources said Shamina was arrested along with an overground worker (OGW), Shamim Ahmed. The sources said she was on her way to meet Javed who had been hiding on the border of Udhampur and Bhaderwah. Shamim was taking the woman to the hideout. After preliminary investigations at Chenani police station, the duo was taken to Udhampur for questioning.
— TNS
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Deputy CM’s domestic help commits suicide
Jammu, September 18 Official sources said Sansar Chand, a native of Kalakote, allegedly consumed some toxic substance around 1.45 pm. After he was spotted frothing from mouth, staff of the Deputy CM immediately shifted the victim to Government Medical College where he died around 2.30 pm. Sources said the body was handed over to his family after the autopsy. However, despite repeated attempts police officers concerned could not be reached for their comments while duty officer at Nowabad police station feigned ignorance about the incident. |
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Chenani MLA misbehaves with the elderly
Udhampur, September 18 They demanded an unconditional apology from the legislator. Two days ago, the MLA of Chenani, Krishan Chand, had gone to Nala Koura to attend a family function. His cavalcade was stopped by some people at Ghordhi near Chenani. The villagers wanted to apprise him about their problems. They alleged instead of listening to their grievances, the MLA and his bodyguards manhandled some elderly persons who were standing near his vehicle. Without listening to them, Krishan Chand went away. The residents have given three days’ time to the MLA to
apologise.
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