Srinagar, August 23
Union Power Minister (Independent charge) Piyush Goyal today said the Central Government would give an apt reply to Pakistan and that there would be “no diplomacy” at the cost of lives.

Goyal said this while talking to the media during his visit to the BJP office at Raj Bagh here. He was responding to a query over Pak shelling on the international border in Jammu.

As Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive in Jammu tomorrow, Goyal refuted media reports that the BJP president was coming to the state as part of his “mission to install” a Hindu chief minister.

“We are not for religious politics….there is no such plan. He (Shah) is coming for Mission 44 plus….like target 272 plus. The BJP will achieve this mission and form the government in the state,” he said.

Earlier, addressing the party workers, Goyal underscored the need for creating infrastructure for setting up small and big power projects in the state.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “concerned” about the development of Jammu and Kashmir and wants to increase tourism potential in the state.

On a suggestion that the Centre should take the initiative of developing power projects as had been done in the neighbouring state Himachal Pradesh, he said he will take a matter with the state government.

Vice-president of the BJP and in charge, Kashmir, Ramesh Arora, state vice-president GM Mir, general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul, media in charge, Kashmir, Altaf Thakur and senior leader Fayaz Ahmad Bhat were also present.

Zero Line, Abdulian, Aug 23
Before sunset, women, children and elderly move back to camps, but for men, who stay back to look after their livestock and houses cellars are their lifeline when guns start booming in the dead of night.

“With a hostile and deceitful neighbour, these underground bunkers are lifeline for us,” said Sukhdev Singh.

Abdulian, a village just half a km away from the Zero Line, has a main bunker, where 150 people can take refuge during shelling, and also bunkers of the BSF.

“Around 1.30 am on Friday night when Pakistan started raining mortars, I rushed to this main bunker and spent the night with 55 other people. Everyone cannot go to camps. At least one member has to stay back to look after cattle,” said Sukhdev Singh.

“Shelling stopped 15 minutes back around 7 am this morning,” he had just said when a stray mortar exploded in the nearby fields.

Another villager, Harbans Lal, who after over a decade cleaned an abandoned BSF bunker outside his house, said, “We squeeze into this bunker during intense shelling. Yesterday, BSF, via government officials, had asked us to vacate the village and move to safer areas.”

Life has become a living hell because of intense shelling by Pakistan, he added.

Sixty-year-old Ashok Sharma intervened, “Though we anticipate further flare up tonight, but Modi (PM) has really given powers to our forces and that’s why they are responding strongly. Otherwise, Pakistan by now would have killed us.”

Sharma informed that Rangers overnight fired over 70 mortar shells on Abdulian.

“Luckily, all the shells exploded on the roads or nearby fields and there was no casualty or injury in the village,” he added.

These abandoned cellars have been cleaned after a gap of over a decade and they do act as a shield for us during shelling, he added.

Srinagar, August 23
The Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police called off the search operation in the Sopore forest area of north Kashmir today after a group of militants reportedly gave a slip to the security forces following a brief exchange of fire last evening.

A search and combing operation was launched last evening in the Zaloora forest near Sopore, 55 km from here, following inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

Sources said security forces had information that two to four Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, mostly foreigners, were hiding in the forest area.

“As the troops were conducting searches, a contact with militants was established last evening. The exchange of fire continued for some time,” a source said, adding more troops were rushed to the area.

While the cordon continued the whole night, the sources said militants managed to escape taking advantage of the darkness.

During the search operation, the security forces recovered an AK rifle and two bags carrying the food stuff.

“The cordon and search was called off and no militant was found in the area,” a senior police officer said. 

Jammu, August 23
With the border hotting up, Pakistan tried to replicate another trans-border tunnel, this time in the Pallanwala sector of Jammu district.

In 2012, Pakistan had been digging a tunnel from the Shakkargarh area on its side, which had entered 540 m inside the Indian territory, but caved in due to rains at Chachwal village of Samba district.

Yet again the creepy development was detected after this tunnel, which had entered 50 m inside the Indian territory in Pallanwala, also met with the similar fate — caving in due to rains.

“During routine patrolling, Army personnel detected a tunnel in the Pallanwala sector of Jammu district yesterday,” said Defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta.

They found the tunnel 50 m approximately on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC). The dimensions of the tunnel was approximately two-and-a-half-feet wide and three-and-a-half-feet high and was leading towards Pakistan, said Col Mehta.

“It appeared to be an incomplete tunnel as no exit has been found on the Indian side. Troops are carrying out a thorough search of the area to ascertain further details, which is taking time due to existing mine field,” he added.

However, official sources said the tunnel was found in the Chakla area, near Munawar Tawi, of Pallanwala sector and was having a diameter of 8 ft.

“An earth mover has been pressed into service to detect its mouth, which probably leads to Pakistan,” they added.

“Like Hamas fighters, who are entering Israel via underground tunnels, it seems Pakistan has also adopted this modus operandi to try and push terrorists into the state,” said sources.

Srinagar, August 23
Governor NN Vohra inaugurated the nine-day long book fair at the Kashmir Haat here today. The fair has been jointly organised by the National Book Trust (NBT); National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL); Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages; and Federation of Publishers and Booksellers Associations in India.

The Governor congratulated the organisers and urged that such events should be made an annual feature. Vohra suggested that similar book fairs need to be organised in other areas of the state besides Jammu, Srinagar and Leh.

To make book reading popular and cost effective among youth, the Governor suggested that the state could consider supporting these events so that the organisers are enabled to offer significant discounts in the prices of books bought by the students and members of society at large. Emphasising the importance of good books in life, Vohra said a valuable book, once bought, enlightens several generations in the family. He said wisdom, which comes from knowledge, lays the basis for advancement of civilisation and culture of a nation.

The Governor urged the organisers and the state government authorities to give due publicity to the fair so that the largest possible number of school, college and university students, from all over the Valley, are able to visit and benefit from the fair.

Dr Ashok Thakur, secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, was the guest of honour on the occasion. He said the fair had been organised with the aim of promoting book reading and writing among the youth.

Srinagar, August 23
The National Panthers Party patron Prof Bhim Singh called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan 
here today.

Bhim Singh discussed with the Governor several matters relating to the forthcoming election process in the state and certain issues concerning the transparency and accountability of the administrative apparatus, an official statement said.

Srinagar, August, 23
Khansahib legislator Hakim Mohammad Yaseen called on Governor NN Vohra at the Raj Bhawan here today.

Yaseen apprised the Governor about issues related to the socio-economic development of his constituency and certain matters relating to the forthcoming polls in the state.

The Governor urged Yaseen to take all possible steps to ensure timely implementation of all important Centrally-sponsored schemes and particularly see that the welfare promotion programmes help in improving the neglected segments of the population, an official spokesperson said. 

Srinagar, August 23
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today laid the foundation stone of the Saffron Park Project at Pampore in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The Union Minister expressed concern over decreasing saffron cultivation area and production. He said the area under cultivation had decreased from 5,707 hectares in 1996 to 3,875 hectares in 2010-11. The production has reduced from 3.13 kg per hectare to 2.47 kg per hectare in the last few years.

The project is being developed by the National Horticulture Board, Ministry of Agriculture, under the National Saffron Mission at a cost of Rs 24.54 crore, an official statement said here.

The foundation-laying ceremony was attended by Rajya Sabha member GN Ratanpuri, state Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, Minister of State for Agriculture Nazir Khan Gurezi and Pampore MLA Zahoor Ahmad Mir.

While laying the foundation stone, the Union Agriculture Minister said horticulture was one of the most vibrant sectors for the economy of J&K, so the state had come out with various missions with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture to improve production, post-harvest infrastructure and marketing and promote export of major commercial fruit crops.

He said the programmes such as the Horticulture Mission for northeastern and Himalayan states, vegetable initiatives for the urban cluster and the National Saffron Mission had given a boost and brought horticulture development in the state.

The Union Minister said a large number of saffron fields had become senile on account of the low plant population. 

Srinagar, August 23
Pakistan has assured participation of Kashmiri separatist leaders in every dialogue process aimed at resolving the Kashmir issue in the future.

Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman said this at a meeting of the Hurriyat executive and general council members. He apprised the members about the details of the meeting he had with Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in New Delhi on August 19.

The meeting was called to discuss the current political situation in the region, especially in the backdrop of the cancellation of the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks.

“Mirwaiz said the (Pakistani) envoy assured him that Pakistan would always keep Kashmiri aspirations, emotions, and exemplary sacrifices paramount and make efforts to uphold the place of Kashmiris as the main stakeholders of the dispute and ensure their participation in any negotiation process aimed at the resolution of the Kashmir dispute,” a Hurriyat spokesman said in a statement, while giving details of today’s meeting.

Regretting the cancellation of the August 25 Foreign Secretary-level talks by India, Mirwaiz told the Hurriyat Conference members that Abdul Basit had told him “such moves were contrary to the historic and political realities” connected with the Kashmir issue.

The meeting of the Kashmiri separatist leaders, Shabbir Shah, Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, with the Pakistani envoy in New Delhi on August 18 and 19 in New Delhi led India to cancel the Foreign Secretary-level meet, to be held in Islamabad. 

Jammu, August 23
Former Congress leader Choudhary Lal Singh, who is joining the BJP on Monday, said Jammu and Kashmir needed a nationalist Chief Minister who should be acceptable to all three regions of the state to steer it away from corruption and nepotism which has become a major concern for the people.

Lal Singh was reacting to the statement of state Congress minister Sham Lal Sharma who recently said why can’t a Hindu be the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

Lal Singh said the Chief Minister should not be nominated on the basis of religion.

“Sham Lal and his brother Madan lal had recommended to the Congress high command to announce Ghulam Nabi Azad as a CM candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. At a public meeting, he (Sham lal) is talking about a Hindu Chief Minister,” said Lal Singh.

“The state Congress is enjoying power for the last 12 years. Why didn’t they oppose Ghulam Nabi Azad or Omar Abdullah as the CM?” he asked.

Talking about the joining function of the BJP at Kathua on Monday, Lal singh said he along with hundreds of workers, including his wife Kanta Andotra, former Congress MLA, some Congress leaders, panches, sarpanches and youth will join the BJP at the rally of BJP national president Amit Shah.

“This will be a historical rally in the state, witnessing lakhs of people. The rally will show the strength of the BJP in the state,” said Lal Singh.

He said the Congress is the most corrupt party and had boosted corruption in all departments of the state and the country.

“Corruption has multiplied during the Congress rule and the party will be washed out in the Jammu region this time in the Assembly elections,” said Lal Singh.

“The BJP is going to form its own government in the state by achieving 44+ seats in the Assembly elections,” he added.

Srinagar, August 23
A Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) resident, Mangta Khan, 72, who had crossed over to this side of the Line of Control was handed over to Pakistan at Uri in Baramulla today.

Khan had inadvertently crossed over to the Indian side on 20 August.

“A message was sent to the Pakistan army through a hotline, giving details about the Pakistani national. The message was sent to inform them of the safety and well-being of Mangta Khan along with a request for a flag meeting so that the individual could be repatriated and united with his family at the earliest,” a defence spokesman said.

“The flag meeting was held at the Chakothi-Uri crossing point close to the Kaman Aman Setu near Uri today.

Khan was handed over to Pakistan and was given new clothes and sweets for the family,” he said.

Srinagar, August 23
Ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, the Peoples Republican Party (PRP) was launched here today.

Addressing a press conference, PRP executive member MA Andrabi said their party was an “indigenous initiative of the civil society of Jammu and Kashmir comprising political workers, social reformers, journalists, businessman, lawyers, farmers, downtrodden, poor, deprived, and neglected people whose core agenda was to fight corruption”.

He claimed that the PRP had been extensively working in the state for the last three years. He said the party would soon announce the names of its office-bearers. — TNS

Srinagar, August 23
Ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections, the National Panthers Party today announced its first list of ten candidates for Kashmir province.

The list was announced by party chief Bhim Singh here today.

The Panthers Party has fielded Syed Mohd Rafiq Shah from Kupwara and Handwara Assembly segments, while Jehangir Ahmad Khan would contest the Karnah seat. Abdul Rashid Ganaie would be in the fray from the Kangan constituency in Ganderbal.

Srinagar, August 23
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju today arrived on a two-day visit in Leh to review the security scenario along the borders and ongoing development works under various Centre-sponsored schemes in the region.

Official sources said the Union Minister was supposed to visit the areas along the Line of Actual Control today, but his trip was hampered due to bad weather conditions.

“The Union Minister might visit the Daulat Beg Oldi sector tomorrow. He might also visit other areas along the LAC to take stock of the preparedness of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police to deal with the Chinese incursions,” a source said.

Sources said Rijiju would also inaugurate the International Buddhist Conference in Leh on Sunday.