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First batch of Haj pilgrims from Jammu flagged off
Traders fail to resume
trans-LoC trade via Salamabad
Separatists should take part in elections:
JD(U)
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Stalemate over Kargil council continues
Don’t allow nominated members to take
oath
PM to open Indian Science Congress next year
Curfew in force in south Kashmir
Pak opens fire in Poonch sector
Victims of rain damage await govt relief
Mines laid along LoC in Poonch, Rajouri a threat to residents
Top LeT commander arrested in Baramulla
Andrabi distances Dukhtaran from relative’s arrest in Pak
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First batch of Haj pilgrims from Jammu flagged off
Jammu, September 10 On September 7, the first batch of pilgrims was sent off by the Chief Minister from Srinagar. Everyday two flights were operating from Srinagar to Jeddah. Interacting with pilgrims, Sahu prayed for their
good health during the voyage and safe return to their homes. The pilgrims expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made by Haj and Auqaf and the civil administration for their board and lodging and other arrangements at Jammu. Liaison officer Main Khan proceeded to Srinagar along with Haj pilgrims for their convenience
en route. The Deputy Commissioner also took stock of healthcare, transport and other facilities being made available to Haj pilgrims at
Haj House by different departments. SSP Atul Goel, senior officers of Haj and Auqaf, officers of other departments concerned and prominent citizens were present on the occasion. Kathua Additional Deputy Commissioner Rajeev Kumar flagged off Haj pilgrims today at the DC office complex in Kathua. |
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Traders fail to resume
trans-LoC trade via Salamabad
Srinagar, September 10 The traders on this side were ready with their trucks at the trade centre. The Director General of the Cross-LoC trade in PoK has sought a “meeting” with his counterparts at the “Zero Line to sort out the issues” before resuming the trade, which has remained suspended since September 3. Following assurances by the authorities in J&K, the Salamabad-Chakoti Traders Union, during its meeting yesterday, had decided to resume the cross-LoC trade from today. “The trade could not resume today as the PoK trade authorities have raised some objections,” Ehsan-ul-Haque, custodian of the cross-LoC trade via the Salamabad-Chakoti axis, told The Tribune. Haque said the PoK authorities were seeking written assurances that goods trucks from their side won’t be returned by the Customs authorities once they land at the Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre. The cross-LoC trade on the Salamabad-Chakoti axis is conducted four days a week from Tuesday to Friday. The decision to resume the trade from Tuesday was taken by the Salamabad-Chakoti Traders Union after “the authorities promised it that its demands would be looked into”. On August 31, the traders had threatened to suspend the trans-LoC trade for an indefinite period. Subsequently, business was suspended by them on September 3 over the Customs Department order banning the import and export of a few items, including mangoes and dates, from PoK. Saying that they are ready to resume trade, president of the Salamabad-Chakoti Traders Union Tariq Khan said the traders from this side had today lined up their trucks at the Salamabad-Trade Facilitation Centre, with a hope that trade would resume today. “Many traders on this side had taken up their trucks loaded with goods to the Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre, however, the custodian refused to take the trucks to the Kaman Post at the LoC, informing that the PoK authorities are not willing to resume trade,” Khan said. He added that the authorities should “pay immediate attention” to the “concerns” raised by the traders and should sort out the issues with their PoK counterparts at the earliest, adding that it is the traders who are “bearing the brunt” of losses suffered due to the suspension of trade. Custodian Ehsan-ul-Haque said he had informed his higher-ups, including the Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, about the objections raised by the PoK authorities and their refusal to resume the trade today. “Now it is up to the higher-ups to arrange a meeting and sort out the issues raised by the traders and the PoK authorities,” he said.
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Separatists should take part in elections:
JD(U)
Srinagar, September 10 “Whatever your demands are, you (separatists) can assert them through the ballot…who stops you from demanding your rights…they (separatists) have the example of Nepal where the Maoists ran a parallel government for 15 years…they opted for ballot and came to power. I do not see any reason why that cannot happen here,” the JD(U) president said. In the wake of communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should call a National Integration Council meeting so that peace was restored in the area. Claiming that attempts were being made by ‘some elements’ to polarise the situation ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Yadav urged the secular forces to come forward so that communal harmony was maintained in the country. He also urged the workers of secular parties at the grass-roots level to cooperate with the police in curbing communal clashes. On music maestro Zubin Mehta’s recent concert, Yadav said the same could have been held in New Delhi. He also condemned the killings of four persons in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Saturday when Mehta was conducting his orchestra at the Shalimar Garden. Yadav blamed the political parties for the ‘deteriorating situation’ in the state. He said the attempts by politicians to bring peace in J&K had failed. |
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Stalemate over Kargil council continues
Srinagar, September 10 Senior NC leader and Cabinet minister Ali Mohammad Sagar told the Tribune here this evening that its elected council members in Kargil withdrew their claim today on the instruction of party high command. The members yesterday approached Kargil Deputy Commissioner Fida Hussain, also the election authority for the LAHDC-K, with a list of 17 members to stake claim for the council formation. “There is a roadblock and we are trying to clear it,” Sagar said, adding that the party unit in Kargil was approached earlier today to withdraw the claim. This was done in accordance with the wishes of party president Farooq Abdullah, who accepted the party’s defeat in Kargil on Sunday and announced that the Congress would go ahead with the council formation. The issue was discussed during coordination committee meetings earlier and it would be discussed again, Sagar said. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Saifiddin Soz, who heads the coordination committee of coalition partners, held a series of coordination committee meetings and meetings with Congress ministers. “We are trying to work out a solution,” Soz told the Tribune. He expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved soon. He reiterated his party’s stand that the nomination of four NC members by the government was aimed at creating a majority and was unethical as the nominations were made without the consent of Congress ministers in the coalition government. The Congress camp seemed unmoved with the development of withdrawal of claim and stressed on its demand for the revocation of the nomination of four members. The Kargil council comprises 26 elected and four nominated councilors. While the election of 26 members with a fractured mandate was completed on August 28, the oath-taking ceremony of elected councillors was scheduled for September 7. The nominations raised the number of NC members, previously trailing the Congress. |
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Don’t allow nominated members to take
oath
Jammu, September 10 Sources said an emergency meeting of Congress ministers was convened at Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand’s residence here this morning to devise a strategy to counter the NC. Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Saifuddin Soz and some other senior leaders were present in the meeting. “Now the ball is in the NC’s court. Today we made it clear to our coalition partner that cancellation of the nomination of four members of the Kargil council was the only way to solve this crisis,” said a Congress minister
who was present in the meeting on the condition of anonymity. He said a clear message was given to the coalition partner that smooth functioning of the coalition government was not possible due to such actions of the NC leadership. “We told the NC leadership not to allow four nominated members of the LAHDC-K to take oath so that their nomination was automatically cancelled”, the minister said. He hoped that good sense would prevail among the NC leadership to avoid
further confrontation on this issue. Sources said during today’s meeting all Congress leaders, including ministers, were unanimous in registeringa strong protest against the NC for violating coalition dharma. Some of those present suggested that the Congress leadership should serve an ultimatum to the state
government to cancel the nomination of the four members. “A strongly worded letter of protest has already been written to the NC leadership on the Kargil episode,” the sources said,
adding that the state unit was in constant touch with the party high command. The sources said after the statement of Union minister Farooq Abdullah, the state Congress leadership was thinking that the matter had been amicably resolved, but the decision of the NC to stake claim to form the council had shocked Congress leaders. Two days back, Farooq Abdullah stated that his party had decided to opt out of the race to form the council in Kargil. |
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PM to open Indian Science Congress next year
Jammu, September 10 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the five-day event on February 3 while Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari will attend the valedictory function on February 7. President Pranab Mukherjee may attend the Local Innovators Exhibition during the event. This was disclosed by the Vice-Chancellor (VC), University of Jammu, Prof Mohan Paul Singh Ishar, in an interview to The Tribune here today. “The Governor, who is the Chancellor of Jammu University, and the Chief Minister, who is the Pro-Chancellor of the varsity, have extended their full support to the mega event, which is being organised for the first time in the history of the university. Students and scholars will have a great opportunity to interact with top scientists and Nobel laureates. The event will help in putting Jammu and Kashmir on the academic excellence map across the globe and exposure to students of the state who are living in hopelessness,” the VC said. He said the university authorities, with the assistance of the state administration, had been making all-out efforts for the successful conduct of the event as it would help Jammu city in getting recognition at the national level that it could host a mega event with over 10,000 people. “The major challenge for the university is to provide accommodation to all delegates. We have decided that around 7,000 delegates will be accommodated in Jammu and 3,000 at Katra, 45 km from Jammu,” Professor Ishar said. He added that the people in Jammu city as well as the state administration would have to involve themselves to make the event a success. All major sessions, including the inaugural and valedictory functions, would be organised on the campus, where foolproof arrangements were being put in place, he said. He added that the varsity had decided to float tenders for various programmes, besides the appointment of a chartered accountant to keep the record of all finances to be incurred during the event. “The National Security Guard and police teams have already inspected various venues. Several teams of senior officials have been formed to coordinate arrangements for the event. The Governor will convene a detailed review meeting in the last week of this month. The next meeting of the Indian Science Congress Association council or executive body and interaction with sectional heads of the event will be held on October 4,” the VC said. Professor Ishar said the main activities of the event would comprise 14 parallel sessions on identified themes, science communicators meet, women science congress, children science congress, science exhibition, book exhibition and valedictory function. |
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Curfew in force in south Kashmir
Anantnag, September 10 Curfew remained in place in Shopian district for the fourth consecutive day today after CRPF personnel shot at and killed four people, including three civilians and an alleged Lashkar-e-Toiba operative, on Saturday in the Gagren area of the district. Geelani had extended the 'chalo' call to protest against the civilian killings. Reports said announcements regarding the clampdown were made through loudspeakers in Pulwama and Kulgam districts of south Kashmir. No restrictions were in place in Anantnag district, however, a complete shutdown was observed in most parts. Stray incidents of violence were reported from many places. Despite restrictions, intermittent clashes broke out in parts of Shopian, Pulwama and Kulgam districts. In Shopian, clashes were reported from Malik Mohalla, Bonna Bazar, Aliyarpora, Gagren and Baba Mohalla. “People tried to defy curfew many times during the day,” a local source said. “They were dispersed by tear smoke shelling and aerial firing by security forces.” Meanwhile, locals in parts of Kulgam and Pulwama districts alleged that CRPF personnel went berserk, thrashed residents and pedestrians and smashed the window panes of many residential houses. “Even patients being ferried to hospitals were not spared by CRPF personnel in Kulgam town,” a source said. “Throughout the day CRPF personnel thrashed whoever was seen on the road,” the source said. People of Kulgam alleged that CRPF personnel were on a rampage since Monday evening. In Pulwama, CRPF personnel went berserk in the Pandit Colony area of the town, ransacked residential houses and thrashed residents.
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Pak opens fire in Poonch sector
Jammu, September 10 Around 10.30 pm last night, Pakistani troops opened small arms fire in the Mendhar sub-sector and the gun duel between the two sides lasted till 11.45 pm. “We gave them a calibrated response,” he said. He said Pakistani troops resorted to small arms fire in the Gambhir sub-sector. They fired with small arms in Gamdhir sub-sector from 9.15 pm to 11.45 pm, prompting the Army to respond, he said. Heavy exchange of small arms fire lasted till 11.45 pm, he added. There were no report of casualties or injuries to our personnel, he said. |
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Victims of rain damage await govt relief
Jammu, September 10 Even after three weeks of the devastation caused by rain from August 13-16, families are forced to live under the open sky as the administration has not provided even temporary accommodation to the victims. Not even this, poor villagers have also been denied civic amenities and live under inhuman conditions. A majority of the families are below the poverty line (BPL), but still no benefit has been extended to them under various centrally-sponsored schemes. “A total of 5,000 victims live on this stretch and all of them have to trek a distance of more than four kilometers to reach the nearest market. People have lost everything but they have not received any help,” local People Democratic Party (PDP) leader Sunny Sangral said. Dhyan Singh, a resident of Badnai, whose house collapsed on August 15, said, “We have lost everything with the collapse of our mud house but no one has visited us. Even the local MLA, Yashpal Kundal has not come to the area.” Villagers allege that the road project from Nud village to Badnai, taken up under Pradham Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) had added to their miseries. They alleged that its construction was left midway few years back as the contractors and government officials swindled crores meant for the project. “We have to travel on foot to district headquarter or Mansar to get essential commodities and it is impossible to bring material to get our homes repaired. The government is totally apathetic to our suffering,” said Sarpanch Shiv Ram. However, MLA Samba, Yashpal Kundal blamed the administration for the delay. “I have raised issue with the government to provide relief on fast-track basis to the affected families.” Local people are critical of the MLA and said he never visited the area, despite large-scale destruction in several villages in the area. Deputy Commissioner, Samba, RK Verma, refuted the charges of negligence and said it will take some time to restore the damaged infrastructure. “Let me check the details from my staff about the village. We are doing everything to ensure that relief is provided to the affected families. Some infrastructure included electricity poles and water pipeline has been damaged in the district during the rains and it will take few more weeks to restore the same,” Verma said. |
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Mines laid along LoC in Poonch, Rajouri a threat to residents
Nowshera, September 10 Successive generations are paying a price of the conflict between India and Pakistan. Landmines have been laid on agricultural land and pastures, making them unfit for use by
villagers. Yasir Irfaq, 12, a student of Class III and a resident of Pukharian village along the LoC in Nowshera, lost one of his arms and sight in one eye in a landmine blast two years ago. Yasir’s mother, Safia Begum, 35, also lost her arm in shelling from across the border three years ago. Safia said, “My husband is speech impaired and cannot do much except farming on a small piece of land we have.” “We sold our land and spent the money in my son and my treatment. Now, we are living in a rented accommodation in the village and paying Rs 500 per month as rent,”
she said. She said, “The government gave me 2 kanals as compensation after I lost my arm and it is the only source of our livelihood. No compensation
was given to my son except Rs 30,000 by an NGO, National Development Foundation.” Mohammed Rashid (45) of Pukharian village became the victim of landmine blast in 2008 and lost his limb. His 12-year-old son, Muzaffar Hussain, lost his hearing due to the sound of the blast. Mohammed Younis, another landmine blast victim, lost his limb in a recent incident in Nowshera. Hundreds of landmine blast victims are living a miserable life as the successive regimes have failed to rehabilitate them. “The state government is so keen to rehabilitate
ex-militants, who killed innocents, by framing their rehabilitation policy.
But it has failed to rehabilitate these helpless victims of mine blasts,” said a senior citizen of Pukharian village. Hafiza Muzaffar, Director, Rehabilitation wing of the Social Welfare Department, told The Tribune, “It’s a very important and burning issue. We have no policy to rehabilitate these poor landmine blast victims living near the LoC. We have a policy to compensate militancy victims but there is no such policy in the state and the Central governments for landmine victims.” Hafiza admitted that the Ministry of Social Justice was not keen on taking any steps for their (landmine blast victims) rehabilitation, but said, “We are still making a proposal for their rehabilitation and we are hopeful that some measures will be taken for the rehabilitation of these poor landmines victims.” |
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Top LeT commander arrested in Baramulla
Srinagar, September 10 A defence spokesman said the LeT commander, a resident of Kupwara, was arrested from the Pattan area in a joint operation by the police and 29 Rashtriya Rifles after a specific input. “LeT commander Manzoor Ahmad, alias Shams Bhai, was arrested in the Pattan area. Shams was instrumental in managing the finances of the Lashkar and even threatened panches and sarpanches,” Naresh Vij, spokesman for the Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, told The Tribune. The spokesperson said a pistol and four mobile phones were recovered from him. Sources said some posters of the LeT were recovered from his possession. He was being questioned by the police. Shams is the second top militant commander who has been detained in the last four days. On September 5, the longest surviving militant of Kashmir, Talib Hussain Lali, 36, was arrested in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. Lali was associated with the Hizbul Mujahideen
and was also wanted by the National Investigation Agency. Meanwhile, the investigation revealed the involvement of LeT militants in the attack on an Army convoy at Hyderpora, recent incidents of agitation, instigating protests and burning of government property, the defence spokesperson said. Lt Gen Gurmit Singh, General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, commended the Army and the state police for sustained intelligence, tracking and swift surgical operation, resulting into the arrest of the militant who had been active since 1990. |
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Andrabi distances Dukhtaran from relative’s arrest in Pak
Srinagar, September 10 She said it was “unbelievable” that weapons had been recovered from her nephew, Shoaib, who was arrested by Pakistani police during a raid in Islamabad over the weekend. As reported by Pakistan’s English daily Dawn, Pakistan’s federal capital police on Saturday arrested a man identified as
Mohammad Shoaib and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition during
a raid on a house in Khayaban-i-Kashmir on the outskirts of Islamabad city. Identifying the arrested person as the relative of Kashmiri woman separatist leader Asiya Andrabi, Pakistani media reports also suggested that Andrabi’s another relative escaped the raid. The absconding man has been identified as Syed Irtiqaz Nabi Gilani. Asked about the arrests made in Pakistan, Andrabi first told The Tribune that she does not want to comment on the arrests. On insisting that the arrest are in a way being linked to her organisation, she opened up, saying it is in “no way connected” to her organisation. “Shoaib is my nephew but he has never been to Kashmir. He is the son of my youngest brother, who is in Pakistan since 1989. Shoaib was born in
1996 and had arrived in Pakistan just a few days ago from Saudi Arabia to take admission in a computer science course,” Asiya said. “In fact, Shoaib had his interview slated in Islamabad for tomorrow,” she said. “I don’t believe
the charge that the police in Pakistan has recovered weapons from his possession.” Asked if she wants to say Shoaib had been framed by the Pakistani authorities, she said, “I don’t want to comment on this. I just don’t believe that weapons have been recovered
from Shoaib.” She also distanced her organisation, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, from the arrests, saying that her organisation is not even “remotely” connected with these arrests. “Shoaib has never been to Kashmir. In fact, he is a Pakistani national and carries a Pakistani passport. How come the arrests are linked with my organisation,” she said.
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The first batch of Haj pilgrims from Jammu was flagged off today from Haj House Jammu by Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Ajit Kumar
Sahu.
A total of 65 pilgrims — 38 men and 27 women — were part of this first batch from Jammu.
The cross-LoC trade through the Salamabad-Chakoti axis failed to resume today due to objections raised by the trade authorities of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
(PoK).
Having the full backing of Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the University of Jammu, the country’s first ISO-certified institute of postgraduate studies and higher learning, has geared up to host the 101st Indian Science Congress, to be attended by over 10,000 top scientists, Nobel laureates and research scholars from within and outside the country, in February next year.
