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8 injured as Pakistan opens heavy fire in Jammu district
After sunset, deathly silence envelops border villages
Construction work resumes at Keran village near LoC |
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Cong leader accuses CM of having double standards on K-issue
Army reopens school
CM wants comprehensive trade policy in 3 months
Gool
Killings
Centre’s reply strengthens BJP’s resolve to debate Article 370 at national level
Durbar Move offices in Srinagar to close today
Rahul to kickstart Congress’ LS poll campaign in state
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8 injured as Pakistan opens heavy fire in Jammu district
Jammu, October 24 The two injured women have been identified as Anju Sharma, 28, and Kamlesh Devi, 30, both residents of Lalyal village of Kanachak area. However, the identities of six others, who were injured in the Garkhal area, have not been ascertained as yet. “Around 6.45 pm, Pakistan Rangers opened heavy fire in the Kanachak and Akhnoor sectors using mortars and automatic weapons. They also opened heavy fire in the Garkhal area of Akhnoor,” said BSF spokesperson Vinod Yadav. He disclosed that the BSF was also responding in equal measure. Kanachak Station House Officer (SHO) Jatinder Raina said the two women were sitting in their house when an 82-mm mortar fired by the Pakistan Rangers exploded in their house. They sustained shrapnel injuries, he added. A resident of Garkhal village, Surjeet Kumar, informed the authorities that six persons, including two children, were injured when mortars fired by the Rangers exploded in their houses around 7.30 pm. “They have sustained splinter injuries and have been rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital in Jammu,” he said. A BSF source said around 6 pm the Rangers opened heavy fire from their Beli, Khairi and Mohammed Aslam posts and targeted Sohan, Sidherwan, Rehal and Beli Azmat posts of the BSF in the Akhnoor sector. The intermittent fire is still on, he added. Earlier today, the Rangers fired mortars, RPGs and automatic weapons on two Indian forward posts along the 191.5-km-long international border in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district and the Nikki Tawi area of Jammu district. “The Pakistan Rangers opened heavy fire at our Garuda post in the Nikki Tawi area in Jammu district and in the Majara post in Ramgarh sector of Samba district. The exchange of fire lasted for nearly two hours,” said a BSF source. He said the BSF also retaliated in equal measure. “The Rangers used 82-mm mortars and automatic weapons. They started firing around 12 in the midnight and the exchange of fire continued for nearly two hours till 2 am,” he said. However, BSF (Jammu Frontier) DIG Dharmender Pareekh described today’s firing by the Rangers at two places as minor ceasefire violations. “The firing lasted for a few minutes. At one place we gave them a calibrated response and at another place we didn’t retaliate,” said the DIG. He said there were no casualties or injuries to the BSF personnel in the latest skirmish. This year, the 744-km-long LoC and the international border have witnessed rampant violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Pakistan army and Rangers. Meanwhile, a massive search operation was launched at the Ghagwal railway track and Rajpura areas in Samba district after an ex-serviceman saw three suspicious-looking men in Army fatigues with one of them carrying a weapon He told the police around 1 pm and thereafter the police along with ITBP launched a search operation but found nothing.
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After sunset, deathly silence envelops border villages
Pindi Charakan
Kalan, October 24 “Not only a frightening silence and darkness descends upon the border villages soon after the sun goes down but many amongst us, from children to old people, are suffering from sleep disorders,” said 58-year-old Sham Singh, a farmer of Pindi Charakan Kalan village in the Arnia sub-sector of Jammu district. Over 40,000 people live close to the international border from Paharpur post on the Kathua-Punjab border to the Chicken Neck area of Akhnoor. “Last night there was no firing in this village but still many of us could not sleep through the night,” said Singh. Several villagers have been in the grip of insomnia ever since the spurt in Pakistani shelling. Rano Devi, a mother of three young children, said her children had started behaving strangely after they heard the deafening sound of a mortar explosion in the village lane on October 22. “Now, they wake up even to a slight sound. It seems the sounds of bullet and mortar explosions have scared them. I am planning to shift them to my sister’s house in Bishnah town (in Jammu district),” she added Shakti Singh, another farmer of the village, said in the changed scenario men were unable to work in fields. “We take supper early and go to bed early before the sun goes down. In the night, we avoid switching on lights lest we become easy targets for Pakistanis,” said Shakti Singh. “The BSF has also advised us not to switch on lights in the night or place bright objects in villages on the Zero Line as they become easy targets for the Rangers,” he added. “Whatever little life we see during the day freezes in the night,” he said. Singh is amused by the “amateurish approach” of babus, who are visiting forward villages close to the Zero Line these days in their white motorcades with beacon lights. “Not only has our lifestyle changed but our livelihood also has been hit hard by the shelling. We are not being allowed to
harvest our standing paddy crop, which is located between the barbed fence and the Zero Line, because the Rangers are now targeting civilians,” said Singh. The BSF DIG had yesterday said the Rangers had been targeting villages to pressurise the
BSF. |
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Construction work resumes at Keran village near LoC
Srinagar, October 24 Deputy Commissioner of Kupwara Itrat Hussain Rafiqi, who had deputed senior officials at the spot, said the work resumed from 10 am after it was conveyed to Pakistani troops that the construction was meant for
civilian use and had nothing to do with any defence establishment. "People from the village gathered at a tributary of Kishen Ganga and argued with Pakistani troops that the work had nothing to with the Army and was meant only for people of the village," he said. The Pakistani troops had said they would get back by 9 am today. "However, since there was no word from them, the district administration immediately moved in trucks carrying material and other things and resumed work for children's park and a playground separately from 10 am," Rafiqi said, adding there was no further objection by Pakistani troops. Pakistan had yesterday forced India to stop the work in this village claiming that the construction was in violation of a
treaty signed between the two countries for not undertaking any construction activities within 150 metres of the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistani troops had used loud speakers last evening from their side asking the Jammu and Kashmir Government to immediately stop work near the LoC. The state government was developing a children's park and improving facilities of a school in the area under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP). Keran was adopted as a model village under the BADP and Rs 2.45 crore was earmarked for improving the facilities at a village which includes setting up of a community centre, creating sheds, laboratory for a school and improving road facility. — PTI |
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Cong leader accuses CM of having double standards on K-issue
Srinagar, October 24 In a statement here today, Vakil said Omar’s suggestion to the Centre to look out for military options, in case Pakistan did not stop violating the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC), was maintaining double standards. He said Omar should be clear about his stand on the issue and termed his utterances as political gimmicks and against the national interest. Vakil said the Central government would deal with the situation tactfully and strongly without a "third party intervention" and added that dialogue was the only way to resolve conflicts. He said the Pakistan government had failed to control the ground situation there. "Pakistan devised the policy of LoC firing to divert the attention of its people and foreign countries from the prevailing uncertainty in the country," Vakil said. He urged Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to work for improving ties with India. He said seeking the intervention of the US for resolution of the Kashmir issue was a wastage of time as India would not accept foreign intervention with regard to the state. He said Pakistan should respect the ceasefire agreement. |
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Army reopens school
Jammu, October 24 Youth Congress leader Imtiyaz Parrey, Hajin SHO Nisar Ahmed, schools' principal Gulam Mohiddin Wani and about 240 children and their parents were present at the reopening ceremony. The burnt classroom was reconstructed on the request of villagers, who had launched a signature campaign for its reopening. The incident was a huge setback for children of the area, who were deprived of quality education. There was widespread condemnation by the locals of burning of this school.
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CM wants comprehensive trade policy in 3 months
Srinagar, October 24 Omar announced the deadline while chairing the 24th Industrial Advisory Committee meeting here today. He told the Committee of Experts to frame the trade policy within three months, an official statement said here. “The committee should come up with a comprehensive proposal taking care of all issues relating to industrialisation, job creation and generation of wide-ranging economic activities in the industries, handicrafts, trade and commerce sectors,” Omar said at the meeting. The industrial package to encourage investment by locals and outsiders should simultaneously aim at generating employment
for locals in the industrial units. The Chief Minister said the growth of industry, trade and commerce
should be symbiotic in nature. “While unit holders get facilitated and helped through the package of incentives to earn handsome returns, the generation of jobs for locals in these units should necessarily reflect in the growth and development of trade, commerce and industries in the state”, Omar said. The Chief Minister said the development of handicrafts, handlooms and
artisans associated with various handicrafts in the state need focused attention to help them improve their lot and
contribute positively to the economic welfare of the state. The meeting also discussed in detail matters relating to 3% interest subsidy to the industrial units, brand promotion, extension of Government of India incentives, VAT refund, extension of VAT remission, toll tax exemption and power infrastructure improvement. The issues relating to the Pollution Control Board, creation of industrial infrastructure, marketing
support and setting up of new industrial units also came up for discussion during the meeting, the statement added. |
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Gool
Killings
Srinagar, October 24 Mufti has termed the move as “frustration of the administration” saying that these “arrests are akin to opening a black chapter and rubbing salt on the wounds” of Muslims in the state. The police had on October 22 arrested Imam Qari Shabir Ahmad and his brother Abdul Latief and charged them of instigating people against BSF personnel in Gool on July 18. Four persons were killed after the BSF opened fire on a group of people on July 18 in Gool village of Ramban district. These people were protesting against the alleged desecration of a holy book by security forces. “These two persons were summoned to the local police station as witnesses but were put behind bars, which is an irony,” Grand Mufti said in a statement. He demanded the arrest of “real culprits” behind the killing of the four persons and immediate release of Qari Shabir Ahmad and his brother Abdul Latief. — TNS |
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Centre’s reply strengthens BJP’s resolve to debate Article 370 at national level
Jammu, October 24 In a written reply to a question of BJP Rajya Sabha member Avinash Rai Khanna, the Central government has stated that “Article 370 is a temporary, transitional and special provision and does not deal with benefits to the state as well as its people”. Khanna had questioned how the country and the people of the state had benefited from the extension of Article 370 to the state. Taking a cue from the reply, Khanna said it was high time that a nationwide debate was launched to educate people that the Article had not benefited the common man in the state in any way. “The government’s reply is a clear indication that Article 370 has nothing to do with the common masses because it clearly mentioned in the reply that this Article does not deal with benefits to the state and its people,” he said, adding that the BJP had decided to rake up the issue among the countrymen. “Those supporting this Article have been claiming that people of J&K are being immensely benefited by it but the reality is different,” he said and alleged that the ruling elites in the state had been brazenly abusing Article 370 to remain in power and to avoid accountability and transparency in governance. The government’s written reply states, “Article 370 has been, and is being, used for applying provisions of the Constitution of India to Jammu and Kashmir with the concurrence of the state government. The relevant provision has been elaborated in the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 1954 as amended from time to time. Article 370 of the Constitution does not deal with benefits to the state and the people.” The government’s observation that this Article was not dealing with benefits has provided enough "ammunition" to the BJP to counter those who have been supporting this Article. “When this Article does not deal with benefits to people, what is the use of continuing with this special status which has been the biggest hurdle in the economic growth of the state,” Khanna said. The BJP has already started a legal and academic debate on Article 370 across the country by organising seminars and workshops.
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Durbar Move offices in Srinagar to close today
Srinagar, September 24 These offices, including those of the Governor, Chief Minister, other ministers, administrative secretaries, Chief Justice of the state high court and the Director General of Police, will open in the winter capital on November 4. While offices which function five days a week are closing down tomorrow, offices of various heads of departments which function six days a week will close down on Saturday. Employees in most of the offices were busy packing office records and files today. An official working at the Civil Secretariat said all the important tasks were being completed. The records will be loaded in trucks of the State Road Transport Corporation, after the office hours tomorrow, before these start the journey on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway. With the closure of the offices tomorrow, the employees belonging to the Jammu region would be leaving from here in the next two days. Employees from Kashmir division, working in the Move offices, will leave for the winter capital on November 2 and 3. An official said the authorities had imposed restrictions on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway to ensure smooth movement of vehicles carrying employees and trucks with office records. There will be no movement of load carriers and trucks, including those of the security forces, on Saturday and Sunday. The authorities have also imposed restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles on November 3, when employees from Kashmir division will undertake their journey to Jammu. |
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Rahul to kickstart Congress’ LS poll campaign in state
Jammu, October 24 All-India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Jammu and Srinagar on November 6 and 7, respectively, to formally launch a poll campaign for the party by addressing panchayat conferences in the two capital cities. The decision of the AICC vice-president to address panchayat conferences at Jammu and Srinagar attached importance because the party has been aggressively demanding extension of the 73rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution to the state, but its coalition partner National Conference
(NC) has been opposing the demand. Sources in the Congress said the party was all prepared to confront its coalition partner on the issue as the party leadership was of the view that conflict on the issue would give political benefit to the Congress in the coming elections. “The resolutions to extend the 73rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution to the state is likely to be passed in both the panchayat conferences in the presence of Rahul to give a clear message to the NC that the party is not going to make any compromise on the issue,” the sources said. They added that the Congress had already chalked out a programme to launch an agitation for the demand. Keeping in view the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the Congress leadership has decided to rope in panchayat members and the forthcoming conferences was another step in this direction. The Congress leadership has already taken a number of initiatives to solve the demands of panchayat members. A delegation of panchayat members from the state had met Rahul
in New Delhi on September 27, 2012, and it was due to his intervention that some of the demands of
the panchayat members were fulfilled. |
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