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Pak raises terror teams
to target BSF personnel
Uneasy calm in forward villages
Voices against terrorism get louder in Pak-occupied Kashmir
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War of words between Congress, NC hots up
Sikhs demand minority status, threaten stir
BJP doesn’t need certificate of secularism
from Congress: Manhas
Ex-militant returns
after 20 yrs to celebrate Eid with family
No separatist leader to be released on Eid
Arms seized
2 soldiers killed as tree falls on them
Fund crunch hits cricket activities in Jammu
15 pilgrims hurt as bus overturns
18 students hurt in mishap
Army Chief visits Siachen, forward posts
Concertina wires around CRPF bunkers bother residents
Kashmir University to hold seminar on Rumi’s works
In labour pain? Dial 102 for free ambulance
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Pak raises terror teams
to target BSF personnel
Abdulian (Indo-Pak Border), August 18 The Rangers are learnt to have constituted at least two or three special teams comprising terrorists and ISI men. These teams have been assigned the task of targeting BSF personnel along the international border. The latest casualty in their nefarious game plan was BSF constable Chandan Rai of Assam, who was killed at the Abdulian border outpost here on August 16. On May 30 this year, the Rangers had sniped at another BSF constable in the Regal post of Samba sector, which resulted in his death. On August 11, they again tried to snipe at another BSF man at Pindi post in Hiranagar sector. “These teams, which have four or five members each, have been provided with special weapons for the purpose,” a top BSF source told The Tribune. “Having failed in their sinister designs of digging a trans-border tunnel in Samba sector, our assessment is that they have constituted two or three teams having four or five members each. They are terrorists and ISI men trained in the task of sniping at BSF personnel,” said the source. The Rangers have been frequently violating the ceasefire in Hiranagar, Samba, Arnia and RS Pura sectors since July 28. “The BSF had been successful in maintaining zero infiltration along the international border for the past two years and that is why they thought of the tunnel, which was also detected in time. There is also dense deployment of BSF troops on the border, which has made infiltration virtually impossible. Now, out of sheer frustration, it seems, they have constituted special teams to snipe at our personnel,” added the source. A senior BSF officer said there were militants in various launching pads on the other side of the border. He, however, refused to divulge their locations and numbers.In June this year, Pakistan had also sniped at BSF constable PK Mishra and Lance Naik Harvinder Singh of the Army in KG sector along the Line of Control. They had also injured four other soldiers and the situation had escalated to such an extent that the Army had to move an artillery battalion from Mendhar to a forward location. |
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Uneasy calm in forward villages
Jammu, August 18 “Though there was no firing by Pakistan today in RS Pura sector, based on intelligence inputs, we apprehend a fresh misadventure by them,” IG, BSF, Jammu Frontier, Rajeev Krishna told The Tribune. The IG said the BSF was working on intelligence inputs and had also apprised the district administration of these. Krishna said in the wake of the sudden spurt in truce violations by the Pakistan Rangers, the BSF was keeping tabs on the situation. “We are alert to the situation,” said the IG. However, BJP MLA from Suchetgarh Sham Choudhary described the situation as volatile. “Though there was no firing today, fear of a fresh spell of heavy fire still grips villagers in the forward areas,” said Choudhary. He said there had been no migration from forward villages, particularly Abdulian and Chandu Chack. “BSF officers have asked the villagers not to venture out in their fields near the border. As a result, farming, the only source of livelihood of the villagers, has come to a grinding halt,” said Choudhary. The villagers did not go to their fields even today. Their cattle are starving, said the BJP MLA. Taranjit Singh Tony, a youth leader, said the BSF had asked the villagers to stay indoors till the flag meet took place to de-escalate the situation. “However, staying indoors under hot and humid conditions in the absence of electricity has aggravated the problem of the villagers. They are virtually living in a mess with enemy bullets hitting their houses,” he said. Unconfirmed reports said around 9 pm last night, the Pakistan Rangers had fired just two rounds in the Abdulian area. The BSF did not retaliate. Yesterday, the Rangers had opened fire from their Suragpur and Nandpur posts and targeted villages and hamlets close to the border in RS Pura sector, triggering panic among villagers. The Rangers had also fired five mortar shells on this side. Interestingly, on August 15, the Rangers had visited the octroi post of the BSF near the Abdulian post and exchanged sweets and fruits with BSF officials to celebrate Independence Day. |
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Voices against terrorism get louder in Pak-occupied Kashmir
Jammu, August 18 “It has not happened for the first time in Neelum Valley. There have been similar protests in the past and even last year when women had hit the streets in protest against terrorists,” said a top Army source. “Our inputs say even today the valley has 400 terrorists in various terror camps. They are either men from Pakistan’s Punjab province with affiliation to the LeT or foreign mercenaries,” added the source. He said these terrorists were creating all sorts of problems for residents of Neelum Valley. “The people there had earlier met senior bureaucrats of the administration and had then also called on the Prime Minister but the terrorist activity still goes on unabated, which has started backfiring on them,” said the source. The civil administration in PoK has no control over terror groups, which are being controlled by the Pakistani army and the ISI, he added. “Unless and until the civil administration takes control of the Pakistani army and the ISI, entire Pakistan will remain embroiled in terror,” he said. The source disclosed that of late Pakistan had shifted around 300 terrorists from Muzaffarabad division to Mirpur division, south of the Pir Panjal range. Reports from PoK stated that on August 5 when the people had staged a protest against militant activities in Neelum Valley, some women had also approached Pakistani army officers in Athmuqam - district headquarters of the Valley. The women had asked the officers to stop pushing militants to Jammu and Kashmir. Locals reportedly expressed the apprehension that activities of some outlawed Islamic groups in the valley may trigger retaliatory fire from the Indian side. Neelum Valley lies close to the Line of Control. Reports that emanated from the valley also stated that after confronting furious locals during a recent meeting, ISI officials had said that requisite measures would be taken against militants to avoid any possible tension with the Indian Army. Following 9/11, Pakistan had banned several radical outfits, including the LeT, which, however, continues to operate under the garb of Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa. |
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War of words between Congress, NC hots up
Jammu, August 18 Addressing a public meeting at Akhnoor today, additional general secretary of the National Conference Sheikh Mustafa Kamal charged Congress ministers with intimidating NC workers. He said such an attitude of Congress ministers would prove counterproductive and boomerang on them. Kamal has deliberately chosen Akhnoor to step up his attack on the Congress ministers because the area is the native place of Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma, a Congress stalwart and loyalist of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz. Akhnoor is considered a citadel of the Congress as Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and Lok Sabha member Madan Lal Sharma belong to the tehsil. Kamal, who was the chief guest at a function organised to felicitate veteran leader Govind Ram Sharma, directly attacked the Congress ministers. He alleged that the Congress in the coalition government was deliberately targeting the NC cadre to weaken the NC. He told Congress ministers not to forget that “Raj Dharam” bound them together to serve people in a fare and just manner. The Congress should not do anything bitter or adverse to give a chance to the new government to adopt a “pay back attitude” in the future, he said. Kamal said NC workers in the Jammu region were complaining that they were not being treated fairly by the administration. He said the NC workers were harassed and ignored by the administration at the behest of Congress leaders. “Congress leadership should take note of such complaints of the NC workers to ensure the smooth functioning of the coalition,” he said and added that they would take up the matter with the Congress high command. Interestingly, while the NC has chosen the Akhnoor area to attack the Congress, the later has launched a campaign against the government from the Vijaypur Assembly segment represented by NC stalwart Surjeet Singh Slathia. Recently, Congress leaders alleged that the state government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was not taking sincere steps to solve the problems of farmers of the Jammu region. |
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Sikhs demand minority status, threaten stir
Srinagar, August 18 “On the second day of the ethnic Sikh conference, it was unanimously decided by all delegates that if the demands of the Sikh minority community are not met at the earliest, Sikhs will start a protest march from the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar to Parliament House in New Delhi,” organiser of the conference and chairman of the APSCC Jagmohan Singh Raina told The Tribune. Earlier, while taking part in the conference, Raina stressed the need for granting minority status to Sikhs in Kashmir. “The minority status should be given to the Sikhs as per the Minorities Act as it will help the community avail of its basic rights guaranteed under the Constitution,” Raina said. Raina said the Sikh conference also demanded better employment opportunities for the educated Sikh youth in the state, extension of the Sikh (Anand) Marriage Act to the state, filling of vacant posts of Punjabi teacher in various colleges to safeguard
Punjabi in Kashmir and compensation for the vacant agricultural and horticulture land left behind by Sikhs in many Kashmir villages. The other demands include scholarships and admission to technical and non-technical colleges for the Sikh youth on a par with Kashmiri Pandit migrants and a fresh probe into the Chattisinghpora massacre. |
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BJP doesn’t need certificate of secularism
from Congress: Manhas
Jammu, August 18 Manhas was speaking at a function organised to boost the party membership campaign in the Talab Tillo area of Jammu city. He accused the “self-proclaimed secularist parties” such as the Congress, the National Conference and the PDP of painting the BJP’s image as that of a communal party while proving to be communal outfits themselves. “The BJP does not need a certificate of secularism from them. People across the state know about the secular credentials of the BJP and the same is clear from the fact that this time, the response to our membership drive has broken the previous records,” he said. He appealed to the public to make the drive more successful. The BJP state president said the party would focus more on areas where extra efforts were needed to gain support. He said the idea was to further strengthen and broaden the party’s base. He claimed that the overwhelming response during the past one and half month had indicated that people, irrespective of faith and region, were enthusiastically enrolling in the party as they had realized that it was the BJP alone which had been standing up to voice their issues. |
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Ex-militant returns
after 20 yrs to celebrate Eid with family
Srinagar,
August 18 Now, after coming back to Kashmir, this Eid would be a perfect reunion for Tariq with his friends and family. He
says he never went to any arms training camp and instead got busy with
his social life. “I have not been to any training camp in Pakistan. I
was working in the Fire Services Department in Muzaffarabad and did some
other part time jobs. I got married to a woman from the same place. We
have five children,” he said. “I wanted to come back to Srinagar,
see my parents and live here,” Tariq says. He could not come home on
his father’s death, but the joy of getting ‘Eidi’ from his mother
brings tears in Tariq’s eyes. “I missed my homeland. Life was
difficult. All I ever thought was about Kashmir. The allowance of Rs
1,500 per person given by the Pakistan government to youth who crossed
over to Pakistan was too less to survive on,” he adds. Tariq’s
along with his wife and children managed to come to India via Nepal.
They were accompanied by five more families and are currently being
investigated by the Counter Intelligence Wing. “Me and my family was
Kept in Central Jail, Srinagar, till our documents were verified by the
CID. We have to mark our presence every week at the local police
station, which is cumbersome,” he says. Tariq is hopeful of getting
some perks under the Rehabilitation Policy of 2010. The policy is aimed
at the return of youth who had crossed over to Pakistan to undergo arms
training. “Returning via unofficial routes is easier for us, as we
can complete all the legal formalities later. It had become important
for us to return to our roots and celebrate occasions like Eid, the way
we used to,” he says. Under the Rehabilitation Policy, only 70 cases have got clearance out of the 1,167 applications received so far. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has reiterated that his government was focused on the return of all those Kashmiris, who had crossed the LoC for arms training in Pakistan, but now want to return to Kashmir and live as peaceful citizens. |
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No separatist leader to be released on Eid
Srinagar, August 18 This is unlike in the past when the police released many separatist and militant leaders on Eid as a good will gesture. Sources said though the state government had put forward the names of over a dozen separatists, the police officers had objected to their release. The sources said Muslim League leader Ashiq Hussain Faktoo, alias Dr Qasim, who is the husband of Dukhtaraan-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi, had also been recommended for the release, but the decision was halted after serious reservations by the police. Qasim is in jail for more than 10 years now. Similarly, hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam, who was at the forefront of the 2010 summer unrest in the Valley, would not be released. Alam is in jail since 2010 after he was arrested from the outskirts of Srinagar city. Separatist leader Mushtaq ul Islam will not be also released. Minister of State for Home Nasir Aslam Wani said a decision to release any separatist leader would be taken by the screening committee. “We are looking into various cases,” Wani said. |
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Arms seized
Batote, August 18 The seizure included a 12-bore rifle, a muzzle loader rifle, an AK magazine, 61 rounds of AK-47, one 9 mm pistol magazine, two rounds of 12-bore rifle, an RPG round, three Chinese grenades, two Austrian grenades, an UBGL grenade, an ICOM radio set with antenna, a Kenwood radio set, a binocular and a matrix sheet of the Hizbul Mujahideen.
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2 soldiers killed as tree falls on them
Srinagar, August 18 A police official identified the two soldiers as sepoys Manpreet Singh and Bhupinder Singh, both residents of Punjab. The official said the incident happened in the late hours of August 16. He said the soldiers were part of a patrol unit which was moving through a forest region when the tree fell on them, resulting in severe head injuries, which led to their death.
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Fund crunch hits cricket activities in Jammu
Jammu, August 18 According to sources, deliberations on different aspects, including preparation of the ground, wickets and preparatory camps for the forthcoming season were held during the meeting, which was led by convener and former JKCA chairman Mehboob Iqbal. The sources claimed that due to non-availability of funds at their disposal, the Jammu province-level committee had not been able to prepare the final schedule regarding resumption of cricket activities in the province, an exercise which has already been delayed. They said the committee had already submitted a proposal to the JKCA regarding requirement of funds to carry out the concerned activities. The JKCA vice-chairman (Jammu Wing), Shambhu Nath Sharma, told The Tribune, “I think it will take some time to kick start cricket activities in Jammu province. A tentative schedule was prepared by the committee and discussed during the committee meeting but unless the funds are available, it is almost impossible to conduct the activities.” Sources said about Rs 1 lakh had been provided to the JKCA (Jammu Wing) but it was not enough to carry out the activities. After the unearthing of the much publicised scam, the JKCA was finding it tough to cope up with the allegations of aggrieved players that the association was not making serious efforts to re-start the activities. After organising tournaments in a phased manner in Kashmir province, the JKCA has shifted its focus on resuming cricket activities in the winter capital. |
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15 pilgrims hurt as bus overturns
Katra, August 18 The bus skidded off the road and overturned at Moori in the Katra belt, injuring 15 pilgrims,
three of them seriously, Reasi SSP Raghuvir Singh said. The bus was carrying the pilgrims from Jammu to Katra, he added. The injured were admitted to a hospital at Katra, the base camp for the pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Vaishno Devi. The seriously injured were admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu.
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18 students hurt in mishap
Anantnag, August 18 Sources said the school bus of St. Peter’s Convent School, Anantnag, was ferrying the children from the school to their homes when the incident took place. The children were rushed to a nearby hospital and most of them were discharged after first aid. However, two children, who were critically injured, were referred to a hospital in Srinagar for further treatment. Parents of these children expressed shock over the incident and blamed the school authorities for ferrying their wards like “chicken”. “We pay a hefty sum as bus fee for our children and the school authorities remain negligent,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a parent. |
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Army Chief visits Siachen, forward posts
Jammu, August 18 The Siachen glacier on the eastern Karakoram Range is known as the world’s highest battlefield where soldiers have to constantly combat hostile terrain and weather conditions. During an interaction with the troops, the General complimented them for their dedication and steadfastness while guarding the borders in such hazardous conditions. He also reviewed the logistical support available to the soldiers and assured quality support to the troops. He also visited Gurdwara Pathar Sahib in the evening before concluding his programme for the day. |
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Concertina wires around CRPF bunkers bother residents
Srinagar, August 18 “At a time when there are claims that Kashmir is moving towards normalcy, the concertina wires create a battlefield-like impression and besides causing inconvenience to the people, it sends a wrong impression to tourists, who have been thronging Kashmir this year,” said Syed Tariq, a local. Others said the wires were hindering the movement of pedestrians and also causing injuries.
“These wires only have a nuisance value. Take for example, the dangling wire outside a bank near the Residency Road. It is placed on a busy footpath. It not only forces the pedestrians to walk on the main road but I have on many occasions seen people getting bruises and their clothes caught in the wires,” said another local, Ishfaq. “At other places, too, the wires block roads and footpaths besides posing many problems,” he added. While a girl had recently got injured in the Wazir Bagh area after being caught in a concertina wire when she was chased by stray dogs, CRPF Public Relations Officer Kashmir Sudhir Kumar defended the placing of concertina wires, saying the same was necessary for security reasons. “A bunker needs a boundary and these wires are necessary for security reasons especially in the case of a militant attack. However, we are always willing to vacate the bunkers from civilian areas if provided alternative places,” said Kumar. Regarding the dangers posed by these wires, he said: “If a person gets caught in a wire after being chased by a dog, one cannot blame the wire. The person can also come under a vehicle.” Incidentally, a local boy had drowned in the Jhelum after he was chased by stray dogs last year. Besides the government and the Peoples Democratic Party, separatists too have for long been demanding the withdrawal of security forces from civilian areas. After the summer unrest of 2010 that saw a streak of violent protests and killings, the Central government had then proposed an eight-point programme for the restoration of normalcy in the Valley while the removal of bunkers was part of the efforts to reduce the visible presence of security forces in the civilian areas. So far, 43 CRPF bunkers have been removed from Srinagar and more are expected to be vacated in the coming months. |
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Kashmir University to hold seminar on Rumi’s works
Srinagar, August 18 “The Department of Persian, University of Kashmir, in collaboration with the universities of Iran and Azerbaijan will organise a joint international conference on Rumi,” Dr Ruqaya, In-charge, Department of Persian, KU, told The Tribune. Maulana Rumi was a 13th century Muslim poet, theologian, jurist and a mystic who dominated a large part of the Muslim ideology in the eastern world, especially in India, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Over the years, his poems and write-ups in Persian have been translated into English and other languages, which have made his Sufism-inspired ideology quite popular among western philosophers. The Department of Persian is organising this seminar as part of its golden jubilee celebrations. Renowned educationists, writers, poets and academicians from different parts of the world will present their papers on Rumi and his teachings in this conference. “We are expecting a good turnout of scholars and writers from universities in India and abroad. Rumi’s messages were universal in nature and emphasised on peace, love and spirituality, which have a power to combat the evils that different societies are witnessing these days. His works have been quite popular with not only the older people, but even the youth,” said Dr
Ruqaya. |
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In labour pain? Dial 102 for free ambulance
Srinagar, August 18 The ambulances, health department officials said, will pick and drop women at the hospital free of cost. The move is part of the Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), an initiative by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which aims at providing free maternal and neonatal services during childbirth. “The facility of free ambulances to pregnant women will be available in all districts of the state. A fleet of 400 ambulances is available for patients under this scheme,” said a senior official of the Health Department. “The scheme aims at bringing down the mortality rate by encouraging institutional deliveries,” he added. As per the government proposal, a control room will be set up in various districts to regulate the ambulance service in an efficiently manner. The government is also planning to equip these ambulances with global positioning system (GPS) devices to monitor their movement. “The ‘102 service’ initiative will ensure that a pregnant woman does not have to spend money to reach a healthcare institution for delivery,” the Director Health Service, Kashmir, Saleem-ur-Rehman, said. The service would ensure easy and timely access to an ambulance, he added. The state government plans to introduce 108 ambulances to cater to the emergencies in accident-prone areas. |
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There is more than meets the eye vis-à-vis the sudden spurt in truce violations by the Pakistan Rangers along the 192-km-long international border ever since the BSF detected a trans-border tunnel in Samba sector on July 28.
Seeking minority status, the Sikh community in Kashmir has threatened to launch an agitation if its demands are not met by the government.
This was resolved today at a two-day national-level Sikh conference organised by the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee
(APSCC) here in which Sikh delegates from different parts of the country took part.
Chief of the Army Staff General Bikram Singh, today visited the Siachen base camp and forward posts in eastern Ladakh during the second day of his visit to the Ladakh region.
During his visit, he was briefed by formation commanders. He also flew over the Line of Actual Control and laid a wreath at the Siachen War Memorial.
