Jammu, August 8
The Army has increased foot patrolling and the number of soldiers in some area domination patrols in specific areas along the de facto border has been increased to effectively face the possible attacks of border action teams of the Pakistani army.

Under the standard operating procedure, a foot patrol comprises six soldiers. Following Pakistan’s attack on Indian soldiers, the BSF has put in place requisite precautions along the 192-km international border, particularly in border outposts ahead of the border fence.

“Due precautions have been taken by formation commanders in the backdrop of killings of five troopers and there is adequate deployment on the ground,” a top Army source told The Tribune.

“Foot patrols are on with enhanced alertness. There is a well thought out plan on the LoC and the Army does not go in for knee-jerk reactions on every incident. An Army patrol comprises six soldiers under the standard operating procedure, but the strength can be increased in specific areas. The review is done constantly, depending on the situation,” he said, hinting at increased strength of foot patrols on the LoC in Poonch sector.

It has been reliably learnt that the Army has increased the number of troopers from six to 12 in various area domination patrols in specific areas to effectively take on the border action teams of the Pakistani army if they indulge in sneak attacks in the future.Asked if Army Chief General Bikram Singh, during his visit to Jammu yesterday, told formation commanders to go full throttle on the slightest provocation from Pakistani troops, he said the mechanism of calibrated response was already in place. “Troops have been trained that way, to give a matching and befitting response,” he said.

“Our boys are definitely incensed over the dastardly attack of the Pakistani army in the Chakan-da-Bagh area. Now there has been a heightened alert. The security and safety of troops has always been a priority and that is why bullet-proof jackets and helmets are a must on the border,” he said. Asked if troops had been told to go full throttle on sneak attacks and intrusion bids, he subtly said restraint did not help all the time.

BSF Jammu Frontier DIG NS Jamwal said the situation along the 192-km international border remained tense because of the LoC killings. “An advisory has been issued to all commandants on the border. We have taken all precautions and tactical moves to counter sneak attacks,” he said.

The DIG said the BSF had taken some special precautions for its posts ahead of the barbed fence close to the Zero Line. He refused to divulge the tactical moves and precautions. Apart from bullet-proof jackets and helmets, the BSF used bullet-proof vehicles along the international border where the terrain was mostly plain.

Jammu, August 8
After surviving the sneak attack of a border action team of the Pakistani army, the sole survivor of the ambushed six-member Indian patrol party, Sambhaji Kutte, a soldier of the 14 Maratha Light Infantry, is back on the job, patrolling the LoC in Poonch.

"He is fit and fine and back on the job in the Sarla Battalion area. Following the attack, he was taken to a hospital in Poonch on the morning of August 6. He joined duty the same day," a senior Army officer said.

The officer added that the soldier did not suffer any injury in the attack, but sustained some bruises. The soldier belonged to Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

The officer regretted that a section of the media, without cross-checking facts with the Army, reported that the solider was in a critical condition and had been airlifted to the AIIMS in New Delhi.

"The Army has its own R&R Hospital in Delhi for specialised treatment. This soldier did not suffer any gunshot injury because he was following the patrol party, a thumb rule practice for patrol parties," he added.

The soldier was following the patrol when the well-planned attack was carried out, said the officer. It was raining heavily in the area when the attack was carried out, he added.

Head constable Ram Niwas Meena, who was flown to the AIIMS in New Delhi, remains critical. A victim of the Rangers' sniper fire in the Ramgarh sector of Samba on August 5, he battles for life at an ICU of the AIIMS.

"He was flown to New Delhi in a special aircraft of the Ministry of Home Affairs on August 6. He had sustained a gunshot on his chest. His liver has been damaged in the fire," said BSF Jammu Frontier DIG NS Jamwal.

Meena belonged to Alwar in Rajasthan. The DIG said Baljeet Singh, who sustained a similar gunshot wound in sniper fire of the Rangers on July 27 in the Hiranagar sub-sector in Samba district, had recovered and resumed duty. "He is patrolling the border in the Samba sector," said the officer.

New Delhi, August 8
The Supreme Court today issued a notice to the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir Government on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a high-powered judicial inquiry into the BSF and police firing at Gool village in Ramban district on July 18 in which four persons were killed and 42 injured.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjana Desai passed the order after petitioner Sudesh Dogra contended that no steps were taken to de-escalate the situation.

The petitioner blamed the “hate speeches” of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for the “terrible atmosphere” against the security forces, particularly the Army, the BSF and the CRPF, which were playing a valuable role in the maintenance of law and order in the state.

“It is because of his hate speech that people were provoked to attack BSF barracks in Ramban district where the railway line construction was on,” it was stated in the petition.

The petitioner sought security, board and lodging and medical facilities to pilgrims visiting Amarnath and Vaishno Devi temples who had been affected by the curfew imposed in wake of the Ramban incident. The petitioner sought compensation for victims of the incident.

Jammu, August 8
Ethnicity is likely to play a dominant role in deciding the fate of candidates in the Shia-dominated Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC-K) elections. People in Kargil are divided among ethnic groups like Brogpas, Baltis, Puriks, Shinas and Ladakhis.

The LAHDC-K elections have become a matter of prestige for the two coalition partners, the National Conference (NC) and the Congress, even though the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have fielded a number of candidates.

The coalition partners have fielded candidates against each other and there will be a direct fight between them in most seats. The NC and the Congress are trying to rope in some religious organisations which have influence in the region.

Islamia School and Imam Khumani Trust have a major following and the roles of the two organisations are important. Both the Congress and the NC are trying to win the support of the two organisations to ensure a smooth sailing for their candidates.

The Kargil council has 30 councillors, of which 26 are elected and four nominated. The council is headed by the Chief Executive Councillor and has four Executive Councilors. The Chief Executive Councillor has the rank and powers of a Cabinet minister and Executive Councillors have the rank and status of deputy ministers.

The first elections to the Kargil council were held in 2003 and the second in 2008.

Kargil Deputy Commissioner Fida Hussain, who is the election officer said 88 of the 257 polling stations were hyper-sensitive and 75 sensitive. “Apart from the force available at our disposal, we have requested the state government to send more than 20 companies to provide security during the elections,” he said.

Fida Hussain said there were over 79,000 voters, of which 44,000 were men and 35,000 women. Two independent candidates were elected unopposed to the Kargil council after the withdrawal of nomination papers on Tuesday.

Except the BJP, no other party had so far deputed its leadership from Jammu or Srinagar to manage the elections. The NC, the Congress and the PDP had given a free hand to their respective local leaderships to contest the elections.

BJP Rajya Sabha member and state affairs in charge Avinash Rai Khanna, along with the state BJP president, had conducted an extensive tour of Kargil. The Ladakh Union Territory Front had fielded two candidates in the Buddhist-dominated Zanskar area and the BJP had announced its support to the front on the two seats.

Srinagar, August 8
Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today greeted the people ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. The Governor conveyed his greetings to the people of the state on the joyous and auspicious occasion.

In a message of felicitations, the Governor expressed the hope that this occasion would be the harbinger of peace, progress, prosperity and happiness and would strengthen the bonds of communal harmony, brotherhood and amity, which were the hallmarks of glorious pluralistic traditions. He prayed for the well-being of the people of the state.

In his message on the occasion, the Chief Minister highlighted the essence of Eid and said this day was to address the needs of the poor and share Eid bliss with them.

“The spirit behind the observance of Eid-ul-Fitr is to express our thanks to Allah for giving us the courage to observe fast in the month of Ramadan and rededicate ourselves to the path of truthfulness, sincerity, self-control, patience and human dignity,” he added.

Srinagar, August 8
As Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated tomorrow, greetings today poured in from all over, right from the political parties to separatists and other groups.

Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, in his messages, hoped that the auspicious occasion would further strengthen the bonds of communal harmony and brotherhood and usher the state into a period of sustained peace, progress and prosperity. He also prayed for the well-being of the people of the state.

In a statement, president of the ruling National Conference party and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah greeted people on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Provincial president of the National Conference Nasir Aslam Wani and Political Secretary to Chief Minister, Tanvir Sadiq also wished people on the occasion of Eid.

In his message, Saifuddin Soz, president J&K Pradesh Congress Committee, prayed to the Almighty for complete peace and hoped that this occasion would be a harbinger of prosperity, progress and development of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its people.

The Cabinet Ministers too extended greetings to the people of the state. They extended greetings saying that the festival would be a harbinger of peace, prosperity and happiness for people of the state in particular and the country in general. They hoped that the festival would further cement the bonds of love, amity, brotherhood and communal harmony which were the vital characteristics of pluralistic ethos of the state. The ministers include Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Rural Development Department Ali Mohammad Sagar, Minister for Enterprises, Haj, Auqaf and Floriculture Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Minister for Forests Mian Altaf Ahmad, Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood control Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Higher Education Mohammad Akbar Lone, Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services and Sports Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Minister for Urban Development and Local Bodies Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister for Roads & Buildings and Mechanical Engineering Abdul Majid Wani, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution and Transport Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Minister for Tourism Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Minister for Planning and Labour Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Housing and Horticulture, Raman Bhalla, Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Ittoo and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah.

Likewise, Minister of State for Cooperatives Manohar Lal Sharma, Minister of State for Home, Industries and Commerce Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, Minister of State for Health Shabir Ahmad Khan, Minister of State for Information and Technical Education Vikar Rasool, Minister of State for Revenue Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry Nazir Ahmad Gurezi and Minister of State for Science & Technology and School Education Feroz Ahmad Khan have also greeted people on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Legislators MY Tarigami, Hakeem Mohammad Yasin and Aga Syed Rohlla have also felicitated people of the state on the auspicious day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Chairman, J&K Legislative Council, Amrit Malhotra also extended his greetings to the people of the state.

In his message, Speaker Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul hoped that the festival would strengthen the bonds of communal harmony and brotherhood and be a harbinger of amity, peace, progress and prosperity in the state. He also prayed for the well-being for people of the state.

Director General of Police Ashok Prasad and Director General of Prisons K Rajendra also felicitated the people and all the ranks of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Prisons.

Inspector General of Police Kashmir AG Mir felicitated all people of Kashmir, police personnel and their families, on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr. IGP in his message hoped that the festival will bring peace and prosperity to all in general and Valley in particular.

The Chinar Corps, too, wished harmony, good health and prosperity to the people. Lt Gen Gurmit Singh, Chinar Corps Commander, while extending good wishes for Eid wished peace to continue in the Valley. He also conveyed greetings to all members of the Defence Establishment and their families.

Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq among others, too, extended Eid greetings. Most of the separatist leaders appealed people to celebrate the festival with simplicity. Geelani urged people to refrain from bursting firecrackers. Appealing people to observe coming Eid-ul-Fitr with modesty, JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik said while celebrating Eid "we all will have to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Jammu Kashmir and those who were martyred by tyrants."

The All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) extended warm greetings on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr to the people of the state and particularly the Muslim community. In a statement issued here, Chairman of the APSCC, Jagmohan Singh Raina hoped that it would further strengthen the bonds between different communities living harmoniously in the state. He said the people belonging to different communities, including Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists have had age-old bonds of living together in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The peaceful and harmonious nature of living together in the state is an outstanding feature of Jammu and Kashmir. The APSCC Chairman hoped that Eid-ul-Fitr, at the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadhan, further strengthens the harmonious bondage as it teaches selflessness, sacrifice, patience, modesty and humility among the human beings. He further hoped that the occasion brings everlasting peace in the state.

Honorary General Secretary of the Indian Red Cross Society, Jammu & Kashmir state Roma Wani said: "May this festival strengthen mutual goodwill and inspire each one of us to follow the path of love, friendship, harmony and peace. The fasting observed during Ramadan reaffirms the spirit of charity and generosity and highlights the feelings of empathy."

Jammu, August 8
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz have come under severe criticism for shying away from condemning the killing of five Indian soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on Tuesday morning.

It is alleged that Kashmir-centric parties such as the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) always shy away from condemning the killing of security forces due to their petty political interests.

Meanwhile, Soz’s silence has given the BJP an opportunity to take on the Congress.

The BJP has stepped up its attack on the Chief Minister and Soz for maintaining silence over the killing of soldiers.

“Omar Abdullah and Saifuddin Soz are very quick most of time to condemn the killing of terrorists to appease separatists for their Kashmir-centric politics,” said Jatinder Singh, chief spokesman for the state BJP.

Singh observed that the armed forces were the soft target of Kashmir-centric parties such as the NC, Congress and the PDP, which were accomplishing their political agenda by launching a vicious campaign against security forces.

The BJP has a reason to train their guns towards Omar Abdullah because the Chief Minister’s Office has not issued any official statement to condemn the killing of soldiers.

On Tuesday morning, the Chief Minister had condemned the killing of soldiers on social networking site Twitter, but no condemnation has been issued so far officially.

“When the firing incident in the Gool area of Ramban district took place recently, Omar Abdullah had given a hurried and judgemental statement without waiting for the inquiry,” Singh recalled. He regretted that there was a competition between the NC, Congress and the PDP to demonise security forces to strengthen their Kashmir-centric politics.

“Where is Saifuddin Soz, who was very prompt in shifting the blames on the BSF for the Gool incident?” asked Singh. He said being the head of the party which is a part of the coalition in the state, Soz owes an explanation about his “criminal silence” over the killing of soldiers.

The BJP spokesman observed that by maintaining silence over the killing of soldiers, Soz wanted to give a message to separatists that he was with them.

Although PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed issued a statement to condemn the attack on soldiers, the civil society of Jammu observed that his statement was not up to the mark.

“It is unfortunate that Pakistani soldiers have been continuously killing our troops and the PDP patron is calling for restraint and careful handling of the situation,” said Gopal Parthasarthi of the Public Opinion Forum.

“Why had PDP leaders not called for restraint after the Gool incident?” he asked.

Jammu, August 8
The state government today said work on the Kishtwar campus of the University of Jammu (JU) would be completed by June next year.

Minister of state for Home Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, who visited the campus to take stock of various ongoing works, said higher education would get a fillip in the district after the campus starts functioning.

An amount of Rs 20 crore has already been released to expedite the construction work of the campus, he said.

“The campus will have the state-of-the-art infrastructure and it will be ensured that competent teaching staff is posted here,” the minister said.

While work on the phase-I of the campus is currently on, additional land has been acquired to start work on the phase-II, Kichloo said.

The minister announced Rs 50,000 out of his constituency development fund for purchasing books for the campus library. — PTI

Srinagar, August 8
The elections to 24 of the 30 constituencies of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC-K) will be a litmus test for the coalition partners, the National Conference and the Congress.

The coalition partners are contesting the elections on their own and there is no coalition. The election campaign is yet to gain momentum and is expected to pick up after Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations tomorrow.

Congress sources expressed confidence over the outcome in the forthcoming elections. They said the party would emerge victorious in the elections, setting the trend for next year’s Assembly elections.

The two parties are clear in their approach and will not have a pre-poll coalition next year. J&KPCC chief Saifuddin Soz may visit to Kargil prior to polling.

The LAHDC-K poll issue may come up for discussion during the visit of Congress leader and J&K affairs in charge Ambika Soni, who is scheduled to arrive in Jammu on Sunday.

Accompanied by Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, she is expected to visit Kashmir on August 18. The Congress has entrusted the job to oversee the campaign to former MLA from Zanskar, Ghulam Raza.

Senior NC leader from Kargil district and former minister Qamar Ali Akhoon is also camping in the area for the forthcoming elections.

Leh, August 8
The foundation stone of a war memorial was laid jointly laid by Urban Development and Local Bodies Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora, Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, Rigzin Spalbar and 14 Corp GOC Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma at a formal function in Leh today.

The war memorial is coming up at Petrol Pump Chowk next year in Leh town. A Buddhist Stupa - tuskor chosten - and the statue of late Col Chhewang Rinchan, 1971 Indo-Pak war hero, are planned to be erected at the memorial site.

It is the first such memorial at the civilian area of Leh, in the names of heroes of Ladakh Scout Regiment, who laid down their lives in the Indo-Pak wars in 1948, 1971, 1999 and the Indo-China war in 1962.

The ex-servicemen league of Ladakh is building the war memorial with the financial support of the state government, LAHDC and the Army.

Addressing a function, the Urban Development Minister said, “The Army needs the locals and the locals need the Army. Because of the Army, the expansion and development of roads in Ladakh is comparatively better than any other part of the state. The Army is the major buyer of vegetables and fruits of Ladakhi farmers.”

The Chief Executive Councilor, while addressing the function, said, “The consecration of the upcoming war memorial will be done in July, according to Buddhism. The spiritual leader, Dalia Lama, who is scheduled to visit Ladakh next year will lead the consecration blessing.”