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Five Lashkar militants killed
Police confirms arrest of four Hizbul conduits
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HC admits Faktoo’s appeal against verdict
Shutdown
over arrest of youths
BJP trying to make inroads into Kargil
Governor, Omar greet people on Jumat-ul-Vida
Matters relating to development of Katra discussed
KB Agarwal, Guv discuss varsities’ functioning
Srinagar-Leh NH blocked
J&K Bank posts 25 pc growth
Postal dept to hold cricket tournament in Valley
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Five Lashkar militants killed
Srinagar, August 1 The Hafruda operation began on Monday afternoon after a specific intelligence input that militants who had managed to sneak into the Valley from Pakistan were on their way to hideouts in the Rajwar forests. “We have killed five foreign terrorists who belong to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) in the three-day-long operation in the thick jungles of the Hafruda forests,” General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh said. “Two Army men were also injured in the encounter,” he added. He said three infiltration attempts were made in north Kashmir in the last 72 hours. “Four terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad were killed in the Machil sector on Tuesday and one terrorist was killed in the Keran sector on Monday. We have a report that one terrorist who was injured in the Keran sector died after crossing into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” Lt Gen Singh said. He added that two more operations were in progress in the Lolab and Tangdhar forests in the Kupwara district near the LoC. Sources said various units of the Army counter-insurgency force, elite para-troopers and the special operation group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police were carrying out searches since Monday in the vast Hafruda forests, 130 kilometres from Srinagar, to zero in on the militant group that was believed to have sneaked into the Valley through Tangdhar last week. The sources said the militant group had scattered in the Hafruda forests after the initial gunfight on Monday evening. The Army had later expanded its operation across the Shamsabari range, the thickest forest stretches across Kupwara and Handwara. The sources said contact with heavily armed militants was established again on Wednesday afternoon and two soldiers were injured in the initial gunfight. A fierce gunbattle later began inside the Hafruda forests and the encounter ended this morning with the killing of five militants. The sources said the operation was conducted in about 20 sq kilometres. The GOC said infiltration attempts were continuing and militant training camps were intact. “We have foiled three infiltration bids since Monday. It indicates that terrorist camps are intact,” he said. |
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Police confirms arrest of four Hizbul conduits
Srinagar, August 1 SPO Mudasir Ahmad Dar was shot dead by pistol-borne militants at his residence in the Ontoo-Hamam locality near Chanakan on July 28. Sarpanch Khazir Mohammad Parray was shot at at a village in Sopore on July 25. It was reported in these columns on Wednesday that the police had solved the recent cases in Sopore by arresting the four Hizb men. Addressing mediapersons in Sopore, JP Singh, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, North Kashmir, today said the arrests were made with the help of the 52 Rashtriya Rifles and the 22 Rashtriya Rifles. He said both cases had been worked out by the police. He said Asif Dar, alias Ashmate, of Mumkak in Sopore was arrested after the police and the Army cordoned off his house. He jumped from the second floor and attempted to fire on security personnel, but his pistol got stuck and he was overpowered and apprehended, the DIG said. On his disclosure and an eyewitness account, one more accused, Aqib Ahmad of Khawaja Gilgit in Sopore was arrested and one pistol recovered from his possession, JP Singh said. He said during investigation and questioning of He said Mehraj Rather, alias Shabir, and Fayaz Lone, residents of Krankshivan village in Sopore, were arrested with the help of the 52 Rashtriya Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force. Two pistols were recovered from their possession, he said. The DIG said Asif, Mehraj and Fayaz offered prayers on July 26 at Jama Masjid in Krankshivan, where the sarpanch offered prayers. He said the three came out of the mosque before the sarpanch and Asif, with the support of the other two, fired on him from point blank range. He said they fled the spot assuming Parray to be dead. He said Asif and Aqib attacked Mudasir, killing him on spot. He said Mudasir was a member of the anti-narcotics squad of the Sopore police. The DIG said the four militants were associated with Hizb and were working under a local commander. He said the militants had plans to kill at least five more sarpanches in the Sangrama area of Sopore before Eid-ul-Fitr. He said they had received the orders to kill the sarpanches directly from Hizb supremo Mohammad Yousf Shah, alias Syed Salahuddin, who was based in Pakistan. JP Singh said the orders were being passed through valley Hizb chief Abdul Qayoom Najar, alias Jan Sahb, of Sopore. During investigations, it had surfaced that the Hizbul Mujahideen was roping in former militants and sympathisers to revive militancy, he added. |
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HC admits Faktoo’s appeal against verdict
Srinagar, August 1 Issuing notices to official respondents in the matter, the High Court Division Bench admitted the petition and posted the matter for further hearing on September 2. In his appeal before the Division Bench, Faktoo challenged the November 16 single-Judge verdict of the High Court, which had dismissed his plea for early release from jail. In 2003, 45-year-old Faktoo, heading the separatist Muslim League at present, was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the murder of Kashmiri Pandit and human rights activist Hriday Nath Wanchoo in 1992. Faktoo is serving life sentence at Central Jail in Srinagar. Faktoo, alias Dr Qasim, is the husband of Asiya Andrabi, chief of the radical Islamic group Dukhtaran-e-Millat. The appeal was listed before a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar on Wednesday, which admitted the matter after hearing the petitioner's side. The court also issued notices to the respondents, including the government, in the appeal and the matter was posted for arguments on September 2. In his earlier plea before the High Court in 2012, Faktoo had sought directions for his early release on the grounds that he had completed 20 years in detention. However, the single Bench of the High Court dismissed his plea for early release from jail in its verdict delivered on November 16, 2012. "Life imprisonment cannot be equivalent to imprisonment for 14 or 20 years. It is always meant as the whole natural life," Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir said in his judgement. Seeking release from jail, Faktoo had argued in his petition that he completed 20 years in prison on May 31, 2012, which as per the Jail Manual and Prisons Act, amounted to life imprisonment. The state government had opposed his release, arguing that "remission earned does not mean remission granted and 20 years does not mean life imprisonment". |
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Demand for separate Jammu state gets louder
Jammu, August 1 While as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Panthers Party, Jammu State Morcha, Dogra Front, Shiv Sena and Jammu Mukti Morcha have openly supported the demand for the statehood for Jammu, the BJP, which is the biggest political force in the region, is still in a dilemma as the party leadership is hesitating to openly support the demand. Various groups which owe their allegiance to the BJP have already kick-started a campaign for a separate Jammu state. The BJP leadership has decided to take permission from the high command before taking a final decision on the issue. “People of Jammu are raising the demand for statehood due to perpetual discrimination against them,” said Jugal Kishore Sharma, state president
of BJP. Sharma, however, refused to openly support the demand. Sources in the BJP said the grass-roots level workers were exerting pressure on the state leadership to support the demand for the trifurcation of the state to end discrimination against the Jammu region. During the NDA tenure, the BJP had rejected the demand for the trifurcation of the state but the party had supported the regional council status for
the Jammu region with constitutional and administrative powers. “There is a feeling among the BJP leadership that
the BSP and the Panthers Party would encash the pro-Jammu sentiment by supporting the trifurcation demand so there is pressure on local leaders to support the demand,” a source said. Coming out openly in support of the statehood for Jammu, the BSP has decided to take up the issue in Parliament. “We will take the statehood fight to its logical conclusion,” state president of the BSP Tulsi Dass Langeh told The
Tribune. He said the discrimination against people would end only by granting statehood to the Jammu region. The Jammu State Morcha, a group of intellectuals, today argued that the trifurcation of J&K was in the national interest as well as in the interest of all three regions of the state. “It will end the inter-regional
tension, allow sound polity to develop on purely economic and welfare issues. All three regions would feel satisfied with their political aspirations fulfilled. It shall free Jammu and Ladakh from the Kashmiri domination and pressures. The area of conflict and militancy shall remain confined to some parts of the Valley alone. It shall keep Jammu and Ladakh insulated from the influence of militancy and that of secessionist elements of the Valley,” a JSM leader stated, while addressing a joint press conference. The Citizen Forum, another group of intellectuals, stated that the mutual regional distrust among Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, with complaints of perpetual discrimination against Jammu and Ladakh were the root cause for voices of reorganisation of the state. The Jammu Province People Forum, a conglomeration of various social, political and religious organisations, today cautioned that the continuous discrimination against
the Jammu region would force the people to intensify their struggle for a separate statehood. |
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Shutdown
over arrest of youths
Jammu, August 1 The mountainous Bhaderwah tehsil of Doda district remained tense but the situation remained under control as residents observed a shutdown for the second consecutive day today, in protest against the arrest of some youths. The police arrested three youths of Bhaderwah town yesterday and slapped stringent charges against them. The Anjuman Islamia, Bhaderwah, however, described all the arrested youths as innocent and gave a shutdown call in the town, demanding the release of the youths without any further delay. The Anjuman Islamia gave an ultimatum to the district administration to release the youths, failing which it threatened to launch an indefinite strike. Shops, business establishment and educational institutions remained closed. Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo yesterday assured the deputation of the Anjuman Islamia that all detained youths would be released. But no action has been taken by administration so far. “We will go on an indefinite strike in case the administration fails to release the youths within days as cases framed against them are fake,” Khariat Hussain Frash, president of the Anjum Islamia, Bhaderwah. Frash said the police had arrested innocent youths instead of those creating fear among villagers by wearing masks. He also said some days ago residents of Sherakhi village of Bhaderwah caught a masked man, who was involved in stone-throwing but the administration set him free, without investigating the case. He also appealed to the people of Bhaderwah to maintain peace at any cost. |
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BJP trying to make inroads into Kargil
Jammu, August 1 In charge of the state BJP and Rajya Sabha member Avinash Rai Khanna, state BJP president Jugal Kishore Sharma along with senior leaders were camping at Kargil to monitor electioneering. The process of filing of nomination papers has already begun and the polling for the LAHDC-K will be held on August 22. Eyeing the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, the BJP has decided to utilise all its resources to make inroads into the Kargil area to ensure some votes from the region in the parliamentary elections. “We have finalised the names of 12 candidates,” the state BJP president said. He said in the Buddhist-dominated Zanskar area of Kargil, the party had decided to support candidates of the Union Territory (UT) Front. “We have decided to leave three seats of Zanskar for the UT Front,” Sharma said and added that the BJP was fighting the elections seriously and with full force. He claimed that the BJP had received encouraging response from the people as a large number of youth had demanded the party mandate for contesting the elections. “Interestingly, a large number of women have also sought the BJP’s mandate to contest the elections,” he claimed. — TNS
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Governor, Omar greet people on Jumat-ul-Vida
Srinagar, August 1 The Governor prayed for the well-being and happiness of the people of
the state. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in his message on the eve of Jumat-ul-Vida, prayed for peace and prosperity of the state and country and the well-being of the people and wished Jumat-ul-Vida to be a harbinger of peace in the world. The Chief Minister highlighted the significance of the day for Muslims observing fast and controlling human instincts to please Allah and seek his forgiveness and blessings. Omar said Jumat-ul-Vida was an occasion for expressing gratitude to the Almighty for his unabated munificence, blessings and benevolence showered on the mankind. “This is the day for the fast-observing people to thank Allah for giving them courage and determination to conquer thirst, hunger, anger, emotion and repulse influences of evil and be kind to all showing attention to the needy and poor,” he said, adding that the day is for observing special prayers for peace and prosperity for the entire humanity. Meanwhile, Minister for Urban Development and Local Bodies Nawang Rigzin Jora visited various shrines, including Hazratbal, Syed Yaqoob Sahib, Naqashband Sahib, Dastageer Sahib, and Jamia Masjid here yesterday
and took stock of arrangements for the ensuing Jumat-ul-vida, Shab-i-Qadr and Eid-ul-Fitr. Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Jeet Lal Gupta; Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, GN Qasba and officials concerned accompanied the minister. Arrangements were also reviewed for the smooth celebration of Shab-i-Qadr, Jumat-ul-Vida and Eid-ul-Fitr in Budgam district. Budgam Deputy Commissioner Khursheed Ahmad Shah chaired a district-level meeting. |
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Matters relating to development of Katra discussed
Srinagar, August 1 They discussed matters relating to the development of Katra and its surrounding areas. They also discussed issues which would emerge after the Katra rail link starts operating, particularly the need to widen the road to the railway station and establishment of a bus stand with adequate facilities to meet the requirements of the increasing number of Vaishno Devi pilgrims. Sharma lauded various initiatives taken by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board for continuously expanding and upgrading facilities for the pilgrims and also made some suggestions in this regard. |
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KB Agarwal, Guv discuss varsities’ functioning
Srinagar, August 1 The Governor discussed with Agarwal issues relating to the functioning of universities in the state and wished him a successful career. The state Cabinet yesterday transferred and posted KB Agarwal as the Principal Resident Commissioner, New Delhi. Earlier, he was the Principal Secretary to the Higher Education Department.
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Srinagar-Leh NH blocked
Srinagar, August 1 The cloudburst took place today evening which led to the overflowing of streams passing through the district, an official source said. There are no reports of any loss of life so far, the source said. Roads in Kargil town and the 434-km-long strategic Srinagar-Leh highway have been blocked, sources said. — PTI
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J&K Bank posts 25 pc growth
Srinagar, August 1 The bank, in a statement here, said that the results were approved during the meeting of its Board of Directors, which was held in Srinagar earlier today. “The bank's operating profit witnessed a Year on Year (YoY) growth of 15.85 per cent and reached to Rs 480.99 crore from Rs 415.17 crore recorded during the corresponding period of the previous year. The Earnings per Share jumped to Rs 63.52 which is up YoY by 25.11 per cent from Rs 50.77 recorded during the corresponding period of the previous year,” the statement said. The Net Interest Margin (NIM) has increased to 4.15 per cent from 3.84 per cent recorded for the corresponding period last
year, while Return on Assets (RoA) has risen to 1.89 per cent from 1.68 per cent, it added. The bank's net interest income increased by 22.27 per cent YOY to Rs 654.90 crore during the quarter from Rs 535.63 crore earned during the corresponding period previous year. The statement said that the asset quality of the bank remains stable as Gross Non Performing Assets (GNPA) stood at 1.67 per cent for the quarter. The Net Non Performing Assets (NNPA) ratio of the Bank stands at 0.14 per cent, one of the best in the industry, it said, adding that the NPA Coverage ratio is at 94.01 per cent. “The total business of the bank is up by 13.37 per cent when compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. The deposits grew by 10.32 per cent for Q1 FY13-14 to stand at Rs 58,601.09 crore as against Rs 53,117.10 crore for Q1 FY 12-13,” it said. The statement further added that the J&K
Bank has added 162 business units and around 300 ATMs to its network across the state. |
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Postal dept to hold cricket tournament in Valley
Srinagar, August 1 Talking to reporters here today, Chief Postmaster General J&K circle, John Samuel, said that the Twenty-20 cricket tournament will be held across three different venues of the summer capital from October 1 to 5. He said Kashmir was already a well known tourist destination and the department wanted to promote it as a sports destination as well by organising this event. Pointing out that the Postal department had organised the All India Athletic Tournament here in 2011 and All India Football Tournament last year in this regard, Samuel said hosting such events have brought Jammu and Kashmir on the sporting map of the country. He said the All India Cricket Tournament would further boost sporting activities in the state and will encourage youth towards sports. He said postal teams from across the country would be participating in the tournament. — TNS
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Srinagar, August 1
