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Early construction of Zojila tunnels main poll campaign issue in Ladakh
Curfew continues in Srinagar for third day
BSF DG reviews security along LoC in Rajouri-Poonch
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Hostile rhetoric won’t do any good to region: Mufti
Secular forces must defeat communal elements: Omar
Doda, Kishtwar cut off as landslide blocks highway
No rifts in NC, Cong alliance, says Farooq
Lawyers protest poor condition of roads
17 injured as bus skids off road in Poonch
Time to end dynasty rule in JK, says Sajjad
Soldier shoots himself in Akhnoor
Infiltration bid foiled along LoC
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Early construction of Zojila tunnels main poll campaign issue in Ladakh
Kargil, May 3 The Ladakh parliamentary segment, spread over 1.73 lakh sq km, makes it the country's largest (area-wise) constituency. It will go to the polls on May 7. The campaigning for the seat ends on May 5. A visit to any hotel, guest house or retail shop in both the districts, Leh and Kargil, would tell you how grave the situation is: the stocks are near empty. There is no availability of fresh vegetables, fruits or other eatables, while the shopkeepers are only able to offer goods and packed foods stocked about six to seven months ago. Given the prevailing scenario, the early construction and completion of two tunnels across the Zojila Pass, which cut off Ladakh from rest of the world for almost six months, have become a significant issue in the poll campaign of all political parties with contesting candidates requesting early start and completion of the work on the Zojila tunnels. Interestingly, some political parties were earlier relying upon another crucial issue of the Union Territory (UT) status to Ladakh, which now has been pushed to the backseat by them. The Zojila Pass serves as the gateway to Ladakh region. The Leh-Srinagar highway, which was closed to traffic in November last year, is yet to be opened due to heavy accumulation of snowfall. The Union Government has decided to construct two tunnels for all-weather road connectivity with Ladakh. Presently, the feasibility study of two tunnels - Z Morh and Zojila tunnel - along the highway is underway. With aggressive China on its vast borders, Zojila is emerging as strategically important road. Tsewang Dolma, a woman shopkeeper in the Wakha area on the Kargil-Leh highway, said, "We have been facing shortage of essential goods and eatables for the past two months. We can only offer Maggi, stocked almost seven months back, to the passengers as there are no other eatables left with us. For instance, onion is not available here and if we want to procure it, we will have to travel to Leh, about 200 km from here, and it will cost us Rs 120 per kg." Aga Syed Kazim Sabri, an Independent candidate backed by the Islamiya School Kargil (ISK) and National Conference, said, "The construction of tunnels across the Zojila Pass is our main poll plank as poor connectivity to the region is the main reason for its backwardness and umpteen hardships being faced by the people here. Our students are forced to go to either Kashmir or Jammu for higher education." "Frankly speaking, the Zojila tunnels are a more important issue than the Union Territory status for the entire Ladakh region in the parliamentary elections. We remain cut off from the rest of the world for almost six months as the region faces harshest time during winters. What we will do with the UT status if we don't exist. Nobody has shown any sincerity towards Ladakh. Whosoever becomes the Chief Minister, they don't bother for Ladakhi people and they treat us worse than animals," Mohammad Subhan Zaffari, state executive member and vice-president of the Ladakh unit of the BJP said. He said the successive ruling regimes in the Centre and state have never shown any interest. "The Zojila tunnels will play an important role for Ladakh like heart plays in a human body. The UPA government gave dreams to the people and even Rahul Gandhi had promised that work on the Zojila tunnels will be started soon, but all remain on papers only," Zaffari said. Tsering Samphel, Congress candidate, is also reaching to the people with a promise of early construction and completion of the Zojila Shortage of essential commodities
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Curfew continues in Srinagar for third day
Srinagar, May 3 Though the curfew on Saturday remained imposed only in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of seven police stations in downtown Srinagar, however, normal life in the uptown and Civil Lines area of the summer capital was also disrupted as most of the shops and business centres in these areas remained closed. The curfew in the city was imposed on Thursday morning as the authorities feared protests in the area following the killing of a youth, Bashir Ahmad, by the CRPF in Nawa Kadal area on Wednesday evening that sparked fresh wave of anger across the Valley. The areas in Srinagar where curfew remained imposed for the third consecutive day today included the neighbourhoods falling under the jurisdiction of the Safa Kadal, Nawhatta, Mahraj Gunj, Rainawari and Khanyar police stations. Officials said the curfew in these areas had been imposed for the third day just to maintain law and order. Besides, the situation in Srinagar remained precarious as the condition of another youth, identified as Moeen Ahmad, who was also injured in the Nawa Kadal firing incident, remained critical. Doctors in the SKIMS-Srinagar, where the injured youth had been admitted, had put him on the ventilator. However, the officials said given the improvement in the situation, restrictions in these areas might be lifted on Sunday. To maintain law and order in the curfew-bound areas in Srinagar, a large number of personnel of Central paramilitary forces and state police remained deployed in these areas for the third day today. The law enforcing agencies had put up road blocks and concertina razor wires on the main intersections and roads leading to these areas in the old city. They were not allowing any civilian movement in these areas, witnesses said. Due to curfew in the old city areas, the life in the uptown areas was also affected with very thin attendance in the offices. Majority of the schools and business establishment in the areas where there was no curfew also remained closed, as most of the shopkeepers in the these areas hail from downtown Srinagar and they were confined to their homes. Barring Palhalan town in north Kashmir, where the police and paramilitary forces had imposed strict restrictions today, the situation elsewhere in Kashmir remained peaceful throughout the day. Markets and offices in south Kashmir towns of Pulwama, Ananatnag, Bijbihara remained open as there was no shutdown call for today. However, the police in north Kashmir has arrested a known religious scholar, Dr Ghulam Qadir Lone, who hails from Hadipora village in Baramulla district, the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir said in a statement. Condition of another youth critical The condition of another youth, identified as Moeen Ahmad, who was also injured in the Nawa Kadal firing incident, remained critical. Doctors at SKIMS in Srinagar, where the injured youth is admitted, have put him on the ventilator.
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BSF DG reviews security along LoC in Rajouri-Poonch
Jammu, May 3 He also visited the headquarters of the 25 Infantry Division in Rajouri and met its General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major General Saranjit Singh. Though the Army has the operational responsibility of the LoC, the BSF has been assisting the Army on some stretches of the UN-monitored de facto border in the twin border districts. "This morning, the DG along with Jammu Frontier Inspector General SS Tomar left in a chopper from the frontier headquarters and landed at a helipad close to Uchhad where the BSF has its 135 Battalion on the LoC in Poonch district. There he met Rajouri sector commander DIG Raj Singh Kataria and other BSF personnel," said an official source. The source said the DG, who for the first time visited the LoC, was briefed about the nature of duty being performed by the BSF men in tandem with the Army on the LoC, whose topography altogether is different from the international border. The 198-km-long international border runs from the Paharpur post on the Punjab-Kathua border to Chicken Neck area in Akhnoor, north of Jammu. This border is largely a plain area with rivers and rivulets flowing into Pakistan. Compared to the international border, LoC being a hilly terrain mostly remains "hot" vis-à-vis intrusion bids and truce violations. From Uchhad, Pathak along with Tomar flew off to Rajouri sector where their chopper landed at 489 KDL point-a helipad some six km away from the LoC, said the source. The DG’s visit to forward areas along the LoC was more of a familiarisation visit, said the source. From Rajouri, the DG returned to BSF's Jammu Frontier headquarters in the afternoon and around 3.30pm he left for New Delhi. |
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Pak army chief’s ‘jugular vein’ remark
Srinagar, May 3 He said the Indo-Pak friendship was the key to the stability and peace in Jammu and Kashmir. Pak army chief General Raheel Sharief had on Wednesday termed Kashmir as a “jugular vein” of Pakistan, which had evoked sharp reactions from Indian leaders. The Pak General’s statement on Kashmir, however, has been welcomed by the separatists here, with hardline Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Geelani describing Raheel’s statement as “encouraging, expected and based on truth". Mirwaiz termed the statement as “based on historical reality.” “Manifestation of hostility by the two countries either through rhetoric or through action has neither helped in the past, nor is such antagonistic approach going to do any good to the region in future,” Sayeed said. He made the statement while addressing election rallies and road shows in the Sonawari and Pattan Assembly segments of the Baramulla parliamentary constituency today, from where PDP senior leader Muzaffar Hussain Beg is contesting the elections. “Security and stability in Jammu and Kashmir is possible only in a space provided by amity, friendship and cooperative relationship between India and Pakistan,” Mufti said. Mufti said “unfortunately” J&K had always been the worst victim of Indo-Pak hostility and its people had been paying a colossal price for the same. “Innocent killings and repeated disturbances point to existence of a problem in Kashmir, which can’t be wished away,” he said. |
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Secular forces must defeat communal elements: Omar
Srinagar, May 3 Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of an election rally in the Tangmarg area of Baramulla district in north Kashmir today, Omar Abdullah said Narendra Modi had tried to “incite people” against the Muslim community in that state. Omar pointed out that the killings during the last 24 hours were the result of BJP leader’s speech. “BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi made a speech there (Assam) and tried to incite people against Muslims,” Omar said. Earlier, addressing the rally, Omar Abdullah said it had become imperative for secular forces across the country to “defeat the sectarian, communal and disruptive forces” unleashed by Narendra Modi. He sought votes for the coalition candidate, Sharifuddin Shariq, a sitting NC MP from Baramulla, “to raise voice of Kashmir” in the Lok Sabha. Speaking on the occasion, the J&K state Congress president, Saifuddin Soz, said the vote in favour of the coalition candidates was having the power “to defeat the communal forces”. The Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir, who is also president of the Democratic Party (Nationalist) or DPN, as an ally of the Congress, also spoke on the occasion. Mir represents the Tangmarg constituency for the second consecutive term. He reiterated his position that he was part of the Congress and had accepted duty to ask the electorate of his constituency to vote for the coalition candidate. |
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Doda, Kishtwar cut off as landslide blocks highway
Jammu, May 3 Hundreds of people are stranded on the highway and have got no relief from the administration. This is the second major landslide on the highway since 2009 when more than 6.40 lakh people of the twin districts were left in the lurch and the road had remained closed for more than three days. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started the restoration work on the highway. But the work has been going on at a snail’s pace. “For the past couple of days we have been waiting for the road to open but it looks like the government is not interested in clearing the landslide. Thousands of passengers are stranded at many places on either side of the damaged portion of the road,” said Yasir Hussain, a businessman from Doda, stranded at Batote. Torrential rains in the past five months have damaged the Batote-Kishtwar national highway. “The miseries of the people of the twin districts started on May 1, 2013, when an earthquake hit the area and now torrential rains have put life out of gear. People have been left on the mercy of God and the administration has failed to protect the interests of the people of the area,” said Ayaz Ahmad, a resident of Kishtwar. Shantmanu, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, said: “We agree that the gravity of the problem is much more but it is not an administrative failure. I have told the BRO to speed up the work. The mechanical division of the state government will also be directed to use their machinery to clear the road.” “We have no control over the rain and the road has deteriorated due to heavy rain in the past few months,” said the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu. |
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No rifts in NC, Cong alliance, says Farooq
Srinagar, May 3 "The Congress votes were transferred effectively to the National Conference candidates in the Anantnag parliamentary segment elections and Congress leaders in south Kashmir worked with utmost honesty and dedication to ensure that the NC-Congress coalition candidates win with large margins," Farooq stated here today. He added that the same cooperation and mutual trust would be seen in the Baramulla constituency as well. Farooq said the NC-Congress alliance was an ideological coalition that was brought together under the common cause of secularism. "We are fighting a common enemy and we are protecting a common interest and that interest is secularism. The question of difference does not arise anywhere," said Farooq. He stated this in response to the comments of his younger brother and Additional General Secretary of the National Conference, Mustafa Kamal, who on Friday had said the Congress would again go for cross-voting as it did in Anantnag on April 24.
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Lawyers protest poor condition of roads
Doda, May 3 It blamed the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) authorities for the bad condition of roads and demanded action against the executing agency. Since May 1, Kishtwar and Doda districts are cut off from rest of the state due to a landslide at Dansal in Doda and hundreds of vehicles are standard on the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar national highway. Protesters blocked the main Doda road for about two hours and raised slogans against the GREF authorities, state government and the district administration for their failure to restore the national highway. Meanwhile, to ensure speedy clearance of the landslide from the national highway, District Development Commissioner (DDC), Doda, Mubarak Singh along with officials of the district administration and the police visited the spot today and supervised the road clearance work. The DDC directed the road clearance agencies to speed up the work and ensure its restoration soon so that the people do not have to face any more inconvenience. He also directed the police to maintain law and order and ensure smooth movement of stranded passengers leaving to their destinations.
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17 injured as bus skids off road in Poonch
Poonch, May 3 "The bus was on its way to Jhullas from Jammu. It skidded off the road and rolled 300-m down in a forest around 4pm near Dharati village," a source said. An eyewitness said the incident took place when the bus was negotiating a curve and the driver lost control over the vehicle. Army soldiers from the nearby battalion of 39 Rashtriya Rifles rushed to the spot and with the help of locals shifted the injured to the Poonch district hospital. "As per reports two persons were critically injured," said Dr Mumtaz Bhatti, Chief Medical Officer, Poonch. |
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Time to end dynasty rule in JK, says Sajjad
Kupwara, May 3 Lone was addressing a rally at Lalpora village of Kupwara district to garner support for party candidate Salamuddin Bajad, contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla. "It is high time for us to put an end to autocratic rule in Kashmir, which has pushed people of Kashmir into darkness. The NC and PDP have exploited the natural resources of Kashmir and the parties should be taught a lesson for all times to come," said Sajjad. Condemning the killing of a youth at Nawa Kadal, Srinagar, in a police firing on April 30, Lone said the unabated killing of teenagers was worrisome and demanded immediate remedial measures. Lone said ever since Omar took the charge of Chief Minister in 2008, he had been blamed for numerous human rights violations. — OC |
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Soldier shoots himself in Akhnoor
Jammu, May 3 The deceased has been identified as Gunner (Operator) SN Vasant, a native of Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said the soldier, who was deployed in the Akhnoor border belt, shot himself with his service rifle yesterday. The soldier was unmarried. A court inquiry has been ordered into the incident. Meanwhile, the Army today recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from Bharat area of Doda district.
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Infiltration bid foiled along LoC
Poonch, May 3 Defence sources said suspected movement of a group of militants was witnessed along the LoC, but the Indian soldiers foiled their attempt. The militants dispersed in the jungle following the firing. — OC
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Srinagar, May 3
