The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Indo-Pak chill on LoC worsens No flag meeting since killing of five Indian soldiers on Aug 6 Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, September 19 There has been no flag meeting on the Line of Control (LoC) since August 6, when Pakistan’s border action team killed five Indian soldiers in the Chakan da Bagh area in Poonch district. The hotline exchange between the two neighbouring countries has also been limited, as only two or three conversations were made between the formation commanders of the Pakistani and Indian armies at the local level since then. “A few days ago, we sought a battalion commander-level meeting via hotline to defuse the situation along the LoC and to tell them (Pakistan) to stop firing and honour the 2003 ceasefire agreement, but they refused,” a top Army source told The Tribune. “They insisted upon brigade commander-level meeting and since then there has been no development,” he said. “We contacted them twice on the hotline, telling them to stop firing at the Indian posts and adhere to the truce deal. But as usual, they remained in denial mode and blamed us for opening the fire first,” he added. The officer described it a perfect instance of “pot calling the kettle black”. He, however, said despite Pakistan's denials and the anti-India agenda in the form of proxy war and other ulterior activities, flag meetings remained indispensable. The officer, though, admitted that there had been no flag meeting between the formation commanders of the two armies at the local level since August 6. India and Pakistan in November 2003 had agreed on ceasefire along the Indo-Pak borders as a part of the confidence-building measures. Pak opens heavy fire in Poonch again Jammu/Poonch: With no let-up in truce violations, Pakistani troops again opened heavy fire on Indian forward posts in the Saujiyan sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on the intervening night of September 18 and 19 prompting the Indian Army to respond in equal measure. The Pakistan troops opened automatic fire around 9 pm yesterday in the Saujiyan sector targeting Indian forward posts and the exchange of fire between the two sides continued up to 3 am today, said an Intelligence source on Thursday. Pakistani troops of the 644 Mujahideen Regiment opened fire from their post first and soon the exchange of fire spread to other areas in Saujiyan, he added. There were no casualties or injuries to Indian troops in the latest skirmish, he said. However, the Army denied the incident.
	Seminar in London Pandits’ exodus unprecedented human tragedy: British MPs Urge India to address concerns of displaced Hindus Sumit Hakhoo Jammu, September 19 Two Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons, United Kingdom, have expressed regret that there was an inadequate response from European countries to the plight of displaced Hindus from Kashmir and have decided to take up the issue in the British Parliament. This was stated by the MPs during a seminar organised by the Indo-European Kashmir Forum (IEKF) last week in London during which the issue of the recent communal violence in Kishtwar was also raised by the Pandits, said an IEKF press note issued here. British MPs Marcus Jones and Andrew Griffiths urged the Government of India and the international community to address the concerns of displaced Hindus, stated the press note. “Pandits’ exodus was an unprecedented human tragedy but the British response was inadequate to the tragic issue,” said Marcus Jones during the seminar. It is shameful that the ethnic minority is in exile for the last two decades, he added. “It is the responsibility of the Indian Government and the International community to effectively and decisively respond to the short and long-term concerns of Pandits. I am indeed pained with your plight, and your dignified and structured return shall be the litmus test both for the local administration and all stakeholders,” he said during the seminar. Speaking on the occasion, another MP Andrew Griffiths said Kashmir was not an issue about a line on the map but also about people being driven away from home. All India Kashmir Samaj (AIKS) president Moti Kaul in his keynote address explained in detail the recent communal violence at Kishtwar. “It has once again brought to focus the nefarious designs of fundamentalists and the state administration to alter the demography of the state by forcing out the minorities from different locations”, he alleged. Kaul said while the exodus of Pandits was a traumatic experience for the community, “the politico-bureaucratic nexus in our state of J&K has played havoc with our lives, ever since Independence.” IEKF president Krishna Bhan stressed that Pandits’ heritage in the form of temples and shrines stood in ruins today. “Our ethnic race stands on the verge of extinction and for that reason our honourable return to our place of birth is paramount. The manner in which the state apparatus has treated Pandits is deplorable”, she said. The speakers at the seminar included members of the Apex Body of Indian and Overseas KP Organisations, UK Priest Association, Hindu Forum of Europe and the IEKF.
	Day 13: Curfew continues in Shopian Suhail A Shah Anantnag, September 19 The authorities today re-imposed curfew in Shopian town of south Kashmir for the 13th consecutive day while there was some early relaxation on Wednesday afternoon. “We have to keep certain things in consideration before lifting the curfew altogether,” said Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Bashir Ahmad Bhat. Restrictions were imposed in the Shopian town following the killing of four people in CRPF firing on September 7 in Gagren area of this south Kashmir district. According to reports, announcements were made, on public address systems early morning today, informing people that the restrictions will continue. The locals today said that with each passing day, the restrictions are getting tighter. Contingents of Police and CRPF remained deployed in full force while the barricades were yet again erected today at the main entry and exit points to restrict movement. Unrelenting restrictions have affected the day-to-day lives of the locals, while the shortage of essentials is making life all the more difficult. The residents of Shopian town say that the town has been handed over to the forces. “The forces, in absence of any intervention from the district administration, are doing whatever pleases them,” the residents said. They said that the acute shortage of essential items, including medicine and baby food, is taking a toll on them, particularly the elderly, the sick and the little ones. “The policemen deployed on the streets have threatened us today with even tighter restrictions from tomorrow,” the locals said. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, Bashir Ahmad Bhat said that any decision regarding lifting of restrictions tomorrow will be taken at a review meeting with the security agencies. “The situation will be analysed at the evening meeting,” said Bhat. “Any decision regarding lifting of the curfew will be taken in the meeting,” he said.
	FIR lodged into Shopian firing after Mehbooba’s dharna threat Shifting of CRPF camp at Gagren to start from Friday Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 19 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti was today assured by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), south Kashmir, that the shifting of the CRPF camp from Gagren in Shopian would start from Friday morning. Mehbooba is the first top leader after Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services and Sports Taj Mohiuddin and a team of ministers to visit Shopian today. She told the administration that she would sit on a dharna in curfew-bound Shopian town till two demands made by the people were met. “The demands included the shifting of the Gagren camp and an FIR into the firing incident in which four persons were killed on September 7,” a PDP spokesperson said. The spokesperson said the Superintendent of Police, Shopian, met the PDP president at the government guest house and promised her that an FIR would be registered into the killings today afternoon. However, Mehbooba insisted that she would not leave the town and sit on a dharna unless the FIR was registered and its receipt handed over to the father of Tawseef, one of the victims of the CRPF firing. “The family had been pleading for the last 12 days with the police to lodge an FIR, but the police had not done so. Later, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Tawseef’s father, received the copy of the FIR from the police,” the spokesperson said. Mehbooba met Bhat and his brother, Ali Mohammad Bhat, and conveyed her condolences to the family. Recently, the PDP president had attempted to visit Shopian, but was prevented by the administration from proceeding to the besieged town. DIG, south Kashmir, Vijay Kumar met the PDP president and discussed with her the shifting of the CRPF camp from Gagren. “Mehbooba told the DIG that since the state government had lost its credibility in the eyes of the people, so unless the shifting process of the CRPF camp was started, the people would not believe it to be true. The DIG assured Mehbooba that the shifting process would start from Friday morning and would be completed in a few days,” the spokesperson said. Mehbooba urged the district administration to lift curfew and restrictions from the area immediately so that the people were able to pick up the threads of their life again after the death of five persons. She said any prolongation in restrictions would result in severe economic damage to the area, where the fruit trade had taken a hit in the peak trading season.
	Shopian killings: Five witnesses depose before inquiry officer Suhail A Shah Anantnag, September 19 Five witnesses today deposed before the inquiry officer of the magisterial probe, initiated into the killing of five persons on September 7 and 11 allegedly in CRPF firing in the Gagren area of Shopian. Deputy Commissioner, Shopian, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, who has been designated as the inquiry officer of the probe had allotted six days from September 16 to 21 for the eyewitnesses to come forward and record their statements. For the first three days, nobody came forward to depose before the Shopian Deputy Commissioner. However, a day after the Deputy Commissioner talked of extending the deadline, in case nobody came forward, five people recorded their statements. “I was positive that people will come forward and narrate to me whatever they knew of the incident,” Bhat said. He, however, did not share any details of the statements by the eyewitnesses. “I cannot share things with the media as of now. Let the probe complete.” He said he was hopeful that more people would come forward in the remaining days of the probe to record their statements. Four people, including three identified as civilians by the police, were gunned down by CRPF personnel of 14th Battalion on September 7 in the Gagren area of Shopian. While the CRPF maintained that the slain were militants and had attacked their camp, the police has so far identified three of them as civilians with no militant links. The police had claimed that the fourth slain person, still unidentified, might be a Pakistani national and a Lashkar-e-Toiba operative. Following the killings, another civilian was gunned down allegedly by CRPF personnel of the same battalion on September 11. A probe into the killings was ordered by the state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on September 12.
	Guv lays stress on showcasing state’s heritage Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 19 Governor N N Vohra and his wife Usha Vohra today paid a visit to the Kashmir Heritage Exhibition that was thrown open yesterday on the banks of the Jhelum. The exhibition was held at the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) complex, Lal Mandi. The Governor, who is the patron of the cultural academy, emphasised the importance of documenting, reviving, preserving and effectively showcasing the traditional arts, crafts and rich heritage of the state. The Governor and his wife went around the exhibition and took interest in the rich collection of art, craft, costumes, jewellery, household items, manuscripts and musical instruments displayed there. The Governor emphasised the need for organising similar expositions at various other places in the state to showcase J&K’s rich heritage. JKAACL secretary Khalid Bashir Ahmad briefed the Governor and his wife about the objective of organising the exhibition. He said similar exhibitions would be held to reflect the heritage of the Jammu and Ladakh regions. The exhibition at Jammu would be organised in December. Among those present on the occasion were Atal Dulloo, Commissioner/Secretary, Tourism and Culture, senior functionaries of the academy, writers, intellectuals and art lovers.
	Cabinet nod to 500 kanals for Jammu varsity Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 19 The state Cabinet today accorded sanction to the transfer of 500 kanals of state land, situated in Jadh village of Reasi district, in favour of the University of Jammu for the establishment of its campus. The Cabinet, which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, also extended the period of submission of the report by the Cabinet Sub-Committee, examining the creation of new administrative units, by one month beyond August 24, 2013. “It also constituted a Committee headed by the Chief Secretary to look into various issues involved in the proposed lifting of moratorium on the opening of new B.Ed Colleges, which will comprise the Secretary, Higher Education Department, Secretary, General Administration Department, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir, and Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu. The Committee would finalise its recommendations within one month,” an official spokesman said.
	CM reviews power projects Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 19 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stressed on the need to carry forward the progress achieved in various projects on the fast track to generate 9,000 MW of power in near future. He was reviewing the progress on the various power projects under implementation in the State at the 69th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) here today. The Chief Minister underlined the power sector as the nerve line for economic growth and holistic welfare of the state. He said the state government had taken various initiatives to catapult power generation in the state and the JKSPDC had an important role to help achieve the goals and move towards achieving self-reliance in energy production. The 37.5-MW Pranai, 39-MW Krathia, 930-MW Krathia II, 850-MW Ratla, 186-MW Ujh, 450-MW Baglihar-II, 48-MW Lower Kalnai and 1,856- MW Sawalkot projects were reviewed at the meeting. Cases pertaining to the coal block allotted to the state by the Union Coal Ministry were also discussed. Remodeling and upgrade of Karnah, Morah and other power projects was also on the agenda. The progress of the 21 small and micro projects was also discussed in the meeting in detail. The development of 7 MW Achoora project in Gurez also came up in the discussion. The Board approved the annual budget of Rs 4414.59-crore budget for the corporation for 2013-14. Omar Abdullah, who is also the chairman of the JKSPDC, laid the foundation of the Rs 48 crore new complex of the Corporation at Raj Bagh here. The complex is likely to be completed within three years. It will be built over a floor area of 7,884 square metres in the landed area of 6.97 kanal. It will have a ground and a five storey with basement parking, board room, conference hall, auditorium, health centre, fire fighting facilities and green building.
	Restrictions in Palhalan on 2nd consecutive day Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 19 Restrictions continued on the second day in Palhalan village on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway over the killing of two local militants in an encounter on Tuesday evening. Sources said a heavy contingent of police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) sealed all entry points to the village, nearly 30 km from here. “Security men did not allow anyone to enter or go out of the village,” a Palhalan resident said. The situation in the village, a separatist bastion, has remained tense since the killing of the two local Hizbul Mujahideen militants — Aqib Rashid Sofi and Bilal Ahmad Bhat. There was, however, no report of any clash from the village today. The Hizbul militants were killed during an encounter by the police and the Army on a school premises. Security forces seized one AK rifle, two AK magazines, one 9 mm pistol, two 9 mm pistol magazines along with a large quantity of ammunition from the possession of the slain militants. Protests were held in the village yesterday as locals alleged that the slain militants were killed after they were taken into custody. While restrictions were imposed in Palhalan, shops remained shut in the neighbouring Pattan township.
	Army men ‘targeted’ in Hyderpora shootout Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 19 The Army claims that gunshots which created panic on the Srinagar bypass road at Hyderpora yesterday evening were fired by suspected militants at soldiers who were passing through the area. “The troops were passing through the Hyderpora area when two militants opened fire on them. The troops retaliated in a controlled way,” spokesman for the Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Naresh Vij told The Tribune. “The militants took advantage of the heavy rush on the highway and fled from the spot,” the spokesman said. After the attack on an Army convoy in the same area on June 24 this year, in which eight soldiers were killed, security has been beefed up on the 14-km stretch of the bypass highway. “The beefed-up security and the alertness of troops averted the possible militant attack on security men in the area on Wednesday evening,” said another security forces officer. The bypass stretch has remained vulnerable to militant attacks this year. Fourteen security forces personnel, including eight Army jawans, five CRPF and one BSF personnel, were killed in three separate attacks carried out by militants at different spots on the highway. After the attack on June 24, the road is being secured by the Central Reserve Police Force. The police, meanwhile, said there was some confusion due to which firing took place. “Some shots were fired as there was some confusion,” said a police officer.
	Army boosts morale of VDCs, holds meeting in Reasi district Tribune News Service Jammu, September 19 The Army today boosted the morale of the village defence committees (VDCs) by organising a meeting at Chakal Salta village in the remote mountainous area of Reasi district. After the Kishtwar riots on August 9, a demand had been raised by separatists for disbanding VDCs. The Rashtriya Rifles battalion located at Sarh under the aegis of Counter Insurgency Force (Uniform) organised the meeting, which was attended by 129 VDC members and six sarpanches from the area. The Army looked into their problems of VDCs with the aim of resolving them. “The village defence committees have played a pivotal role in Jammu and Kashmir in fighting militancy along with the security forces. They (VDC members) have made supreme sacrifices and laid down their lives fighting terrorists to protect the land,” said a defence spokesperson. Incidentally, Reasi had been a hotbed of militancy in the mid-1990s. The VDC members were presented with sleeping bags and blankets on the occasion as a small token of appreciation for their contribution, said the spokesperson. The Counter Insurgency Force (Uniform) has been conducting such meetings to boost the morale of the VDC members, he added. The members thanked the Army for remembering their contribution to society. On August 16, the state Home Secretary had told The Tribune that the state government had no proposal to disband the VDCs. He, however, had said VDCs had drawn criticism from “certain quarters”. There are 5,861 VDC members and 948 Special Police Officers in Reasi district. Till March last year, over 475 Special Police Officers and 131 VDC members were killed in militancy-related incidents in the state.
	Another Congress leader joins NC Tribune News Service Srinagar, September 19 Congress leader Ghulam Hassan Dar on Thursday joined the National Conference along with his workers. Dar, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections, is the second politician from the Congress after Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar to have joined the NC in less than a month. Dar joined the National Conference along with a number of party workers at Shahgund in Sonawari in the presence of senior National Conference leader and Minister for Higher Education Mohammad Akbar Lone and legislators Nasir Aslam Wani and Javid Ahmad Dar. “Due to the inspiration and people-friendly policies of the National Conference, headed by Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, a large number of workers from the Congress has joined the National Conference,” Lone said in a statement issued here. “The newly joined workers said they had full faith in the leadership of the National Conference and they had joined it after being inspired by its people-friendly approach besides its quest for socio-economic development of the state. They assured that they would work hard for strengthening the party in the area,” the statement added. On September 21, Congress leader from central Kashmir's Ganderbal district Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar had joined the National Conference along with his supporters in the presence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
	Party issues to be discussed at Cong meet on Sept 22 Ehsan Fazili/TNS Srinagar, September 19 Nearly 200 members of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) from the Kashmir and Ladakh regions are attending a party meeting here on Sunday, in which senior Congress leader and in charge of the Jammu and Kashmir affairs Ambika Soni will be present. Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will be present at the meeting. This would be the first such meeting of party members from the Kashmir division to be attended by Soni. The meeting will be held under the chairmanship of JKPCC president Saifuddin Soz at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre, under tight security measures. After taking over charge of the party affairs of Jammu and Kashmir earlier this year, Soni had her first such meeting for the Jammu region on August 31. A greater significance is attached to the meeting in view of the 2014 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. “There will be discussions on varied issues and the overall political scenario in the state,” said a senior Congress leader. He added that the discussions would include strengthening of the party and problems of the party and the people of Kashmir. The meeting would be an open forum for views from senior leaders, party leaders said. The recent victory of the Congress in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, elections is also scheduled to come up at the meet. Meanwhile, Moin-ul-Haq, senior party leader and MLA from West Bengal, who is the deputy in charge of the Jammu and Kashmir affairs, returned to New Delhi today after his visit to the state. During his three-day tour, Moin-ul-Haq visited Leh and Kargil districts of the Ladakh region. He interacted with the Congress leaders of Kargil, where the party emerged victorious in the LAHDC elections and formed the new council recently.
	Army jawan dies during training RK Kichlu Batote, September 19 A soldier of the Rashtriya Rifles died of cardiac arrest during ‘battlefield training’ at the Corps Battle School in Bhalra Battle Training Area of Dugga in Bhaderwah district today afternoon. Sources said the deceased soldier, havildar clerk Soni Niraj Kumar, 31, of 16 Dogra Regiment, complained of severe chest pain around 10 am today while running a 5-km race. He died of heart attack at 12.30 pm while being taken to District Hospital, Doda. After a post-mortem, his body was sent to his native place in Bardoli, Surat in Gujarat. The sources said many an eyebrow were being raised over the so-called training, which he was asked to undergo as the training is not meant for areas at high altitudes but for planes only. “At such altitudes it is more or less a rigorous punishment which is sometimes fraught with life risks,” said a source.
	Mega lok adalat on Nov 23 Tribune News Service Jammu, September 19 The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Jammu, will organise a mega lok adalat in the district headquarters and tehsils of Bishnah, R S Pura and Akhnoor on November 23. The DLSA has asked all litigants desirous of settling their disputes through mediation, reconciliation and negotiation to approach the respective court.