 |
Gen Khare
asks other ultras to surrender or get killed Excelsior Correspondent POONCH, Oct 18: Twelve hardcore militants of different outfits, hailing from Poonch and Rajouri districts, surrendered before army and police this morning in Surankote town of this district. They laid down a large quantity of arms and ammunition at the surrender ceremony. The militants affiliated with Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami (HUJI), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Tehreek-ul-Jehad Islami and Lashkar-e-Toiba surrendered at an impressive ceremony before Romeo Force GOC Maj Gen Richard Khare, IGP Jammu R V Raju, who specially flew-in to Surankote to attend the ceremony and DIG Rajouri-Poonch Range Ram Lubaya. The surrender, which was biggest ever in the history of militancy in Poonch and Rajouri districts, was a part of ‘Operation Wapsi’ launched by security forces in Jammu region. Under the Operation, army and police have asked the militants to surrender or, otherwise, they will be killed in the operations. Militants, who surrendered today, include Mohd Iqbal alias Hanzala, Khalid Mehmood alias Badshah Khan, Showkat Hussain alias Zulfikar, Mohd Farooque alias Jabar, all resident of village Marhot in Surankote and activists of HUJI outfit, Zulfikar alias Saifullah of Sangla (HUJI), Sabzar Ahmed alias Mohd Arif of Chandiniash, Surankote (HUJI). Shabir Ahmed Khan alias Ghulam Rasool of Mohra Bachchai, Surankote (Harkat-ul-Mujahideen), Shabir Ahmed alias Abu Billal of Mohra Bachchai (Lashkar-e-Toiba), Mohd Iqbal alias Abu Hamza of Marhot (TJI), Javed Iqbal alias Shahswar of Marhot (TJI), Mohd Zamir of Margaon, Thanna Mandi (HUJI) and Shakeel Hussain alias Abu Hamza of Marhot (LeT). Surrendered militants told visiting newsmen that they were laying down their arms as they feel dis-enchanted with Pakistan-sponsored militancy. "On the name of ‘jehad’ we and our associates were being forced to resort to killings of innocent civilians and other immoral activities", they said, adding ‘we preferred to surrender instead of following the dictates of Pakistan and its mercenaries. They said more militants were planning to lay down their arms before Romeo Force and police. Addressing the surrendered militants and a large number of local people, who had turned up to witness the surrender ceremony, Romeo Force GOC Maj Gen Richard Khare said he expected the other misguided youths, alongwith the active support of prominent citizens and local population, to support this great cause and come forward in large number to renounce terrorism and restore peace. "It’s better to choose the path of progress instead of destruction", Maj Gen Khare said and called upon other militants to surrender and get rehabilitated honourably rather than losing their lives in the encounters at the behest of foreign mercenaries. He said the surrenders were results of concerted efforts made by army and police in close co-operation with each other. IGP Jammu Range R V Raju said the security forces especially troops of Romeo Force and police have created a situation wherein the militants have realised that it was better to shun terrorism than getting eliminated. "Adequate measures would be taken by police to provide necessary protection to surrendered militants and their families", he added. DIG Rajouri-Poonch Range Ram Lubaya, who alongwith Romeo Force was instrumental in getting the militants surrendered, said army and police have issued a final warning to the militants to surrender. "Otherwise, we will have no other option but to kill them", he added. Local people were all praise for Romeo Force and Rajouri-Poonch police led by Ram Lubaya for getting them rid of Pakistan-sponsored militants. They assured army and police of full co-operation in their anti-militancy operations and promised to give every kind of information regarding militants’ networks. Brigadier Karan Singh Yadava, Commander Surankote Sector and SSP Poonch Pankaj Saxena also addressed the gathering. Brig Yadava said that since June 1998, Surankote Sector of Rashtriya Rifles has eliminated as many as 261 militants. "With the co-operation of army and police and local masses, the menace of terrorism will be eliminated very soon", he asserted. Deputy Commissioner, Poonch Khalid Hussain and prominent citizens of Surankote including Hamid Nambardar, Dr Mumtaz and Chowdhary Aslam also spoke and called upon the people to whole-heartedly support security forces in their fight against militancy. |
|
Top priority to
modernisation of armed forces, NEW DELHI, Oct 18: Terming the security environment in the immediate neighbourhood as "deteriorating", Defence Minister George Fernandes today said " top most priority" was being accorded to modernisation of armed forces by acquisition of state of art weapons systems in the context of long term threat perceptions. Inaugurating the annual combined commanders conference of the three services here, he referred to the deteriorating environment in the context of cross border terrorism growing rapidly in magnitude and sophistication and impressed on the top defence brass the need to monitor and analyse these developments in more "detailed and focused manner". Fernandes announced that Government had given green signal for the construction of an indigenous aircraft carrier besides acquisition of ‘Admiral Gorshkov’. He also mentioned recent agreements signed for purchase and indigenous production of T-90 tanks and SU-30MKI fighters and acquisition of ten more Mirage 2000 multi-role jets from France saying that these were part of moves to provide armed forces a cutting edge to face any challenges. Referring to over 28 per cent hike in defence budget, Fernandes asked the commanders to ensure that there were no delays in induction of state of art weapon systems and that expenditure was cost effective. The minister said the acquisition of the British Aerospace Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT) for the air force was also "well underway". With the spate of new defence deals underway, he stressed on a system of mandatory and time bound scrutiny and audit of all "major past and future procurements" saying this was a must to ensure "utmost transparency and probity". He emphasised that such an exercise would "put at rest" allegations of irregularities in different defence deals that have been made in the past. Fernandes told the top commanders that task forces set up by the group of minister’s in the areas of intelligence aparatus, internal security, border management and defence management has submitted their reports. He said the group of minister’s, of which he was a member along with Home Minister L K Advani, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, was now actively engaged in the expeditious consideration of the recommendations of the task forces. The minister told the commanders that the world was now poised for another military revolution with information technology and advanced military systems set to transform the very nature of wars. In this context, he said there was now a growing recognition of the role that India can play in ensuring regional and global peace and security in the emerging polycentric world. (PTI) |
|
Saxena rejects Hizb demand for unilateral ceasefire NEW DELHI, Oct 18 : Jammu and Kashmir Governor G C Saxena today rejected the demand of Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin that India should unilaterally declare a ceasefire in the State and charged Islamabad with being disinclined to support a peace initiative. The demand of Salahuddin "is a non-starter," Saxena told newspersons while replying to questions here after a 30-minute meeting with Home Minister L K Advani. Asked about the possibility of resumption of parleys between the Government and the militants, he said "the factors which impelled Hizbul Mujahideen to give a call for a ceasefire are still operating....They (militants) have to make up their mind on which way to go". When asked to elaborate, the Governor said the people in J and K were "totally fed up" with militancy and wanted peace. "The people are also opposing the domination of foreign mercenaries", he said. He said Pakistan, which has stepped up the proxy war, was not interested in mitigating the hardship being faced by the people in the State by continuing to back militancy. He, however, did not give any indication on the possibility of resumption of a dialogue with the militants in the near future. Maintaining that India "wanted to go ahead" with the dialogue with Hizbul Mujahideen, Saxena, however, said its leadership in Pakistan made "unacceptable" demands, gave an "ultimatum" and "called it off". On the situation in J and K, Saxena asserted that "the success rate of the security forces vis-a-vis the militants has been very good in the last few months" despite intensification of militancy by Pakistan. Replying to a question, he however, felt that administrative measures to restore normalcy in J and K should be matched by efforts on the political front. Home Ministry sources said Advani was likely to pay a visit to J and K shortly.(PTI) |
|
House extended to pass Municipal Corporation Bill Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 18 : To facilitate the passage of Municipal Corporation Bill to upgrade Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Councils to Municipal Corporations, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah today suggested extension of the Assembly Session by one day. Responding to the issue raised by opposition members expressing concern over the delay in bringing the proposed Bill for giving Municipal Corporation status to Jammu and Srinagar cities, on which they even staged a walkout, the Chief Minister said that delay in bringing the Bill was not intentional but due to the fact that Government Press requires some time in printing the voluminous Bills. Requesting the Deputy Speaker to extend the session for tomorrow, he said the Government is equally keen to upgrade the civic bodies and have even yesterday announced holding elections for these institutions soon. The only way out for early passage of the Bill is to restrict the number of copies of the Bill to 4-5 for circulation among the members and then tomorrow the House can discuss and pass it. As regards delimitation of the Wards/Constituencies following increase in electorate, the Chief Minister said that we should not wait for this time consuming exercise and after the passage of the Bill, the Wards and Constituencies can be delimited through an Ordinance later on. The House approved the Chief Minister’s suggestions. The Chief Minister advised the opposition not to stage frequent walkouts as these can not solve problems. ‘You should listen to us rather than moving out of the House in anger,’ he added. The Bill to upgrade Town Area Committees of Udhampur, Kathua, Anantnag and Baramulla to Municipalities will also be introduced in the House, he said. Later, the Housing and Urban Development Minister, Mr Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah introduced in the House a Bill to consolidate, amend and replace the law relating to Municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir. He also introduced another Bill for establishment of Municipal Corporation for certain municipal areas of the State. |
|
Huge quantity of arms
recovered Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 18: In some major successes, army gunned down 13 militants in three separate encounters in Mahore and Pir Panjal range of Udhampur and Poonch districts. Majority of the slain militants were foreign mercenaries. A police spokesman said eight militants were killed at Thin Marh Dhok and three at Shajroo Phagla in Mahore tehsil while two ultras were shot dead by army in Pir Panjal range of Surankote overnight. He said an operation was launched by army in Thin Marh Dhok, located in the higher reaches of Mahore tehsil in Udhampur district late last night. The operation was based on a specific tip off given by local people to army about the movement of a big group of militants. As troops were in the process of surrounding the hideout, they were fired upon by a group of hiding militants. Army jawans fired back and during over an hour long fierce exchange of firing gunned down eight hardcore militants. Troops didn’t suffer any casualty in the operation. Bodies of all eight militants were recovered from two hideouts, which had been blasted by the army, this morning. Five of them were identified with the help of identity cards recovered from their possession. They were Osama Sadiq Jehadi of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and an activist of Jehad-e-Muslim outfit, Jawar Albadar, Sameer Wahid, Shekhar Rehman and Qasim Ali, all hailing from Pakistan and activists of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit. Identity of three other slain militants couldn’t be carried out immediately. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition including five assault rifles and explosive material was recovered from the possession of slain militants. Army jawans continued searches in the area anticipating the presence of more militants in the area. Three more Pakistani militants were shot dead by army at village Shajroo Phagla under the jurisdiction of Mahore police station in Udhampur in the early hours of this morning. The militants were killed during over a two hour long operation by army in the dense forests of Shajroo Phagla. One militant was shot dead by army at the beginning of the operation but two others fled deep in the forests. They were chased by army and shot dead after about two hours searches. Killed militants have been identified as Abu Zindal, Abu Sayeed and Abu Hussain alias Ashraf, all Pakistanis affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba. From their possession, army recovered two AK-47 rifles with six magazines and 42 rounds, one pistol with two magazines, one hand grenade and Indian currency worth Rs 431. Two more militants were killed in an encounter with armed forces in Pir Panjal range of Surankote yesterday. They have been identified as Abdul Rehman son of Ghulam Aftab of Mahore, an activist of Jehad-e-Muslim and Mushtaq Ahmed son of Abdul Latief of Kheg village in Doda district. Meanwhile, a police party carried out searches in village Sathra in Poonch district and recovered a consignment of arms and ammunition. The seizure included one AK-56 rifle with four magazines and 110 rounds, one pistol silencer, two rifle grenades, one remote control, one rocket, one time device and personal belongings of the militants. |
|
US envoys call on Hurriyat Chief Secy Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 18: A team of Delhi-based US diplomats met chairman of Hurriyat Conference Abdul Gani Bhat who told them a solution to the Kashmir problem alone could ensure peace in South Asia. The Palestine example has proved that vital issues cannot be settled through "unrealistic" solutions, he told the visiting team last evening. Members of the team called on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitly today and held wide ranging discussions on the overall situation in the militancy-torn State as also the development efforts launched by the Government, an official spokesman said after the meeting. Jaitly told the diplomats that the overall security scenario in the State has "improved considerably" and the State Government has embarked upon a massive development programme. He said much headway has been made in this direction. He said a strategy has also been devised to tackle unemployment as the number of educated unemployed youth in the State has reached 1.50 lakh. Several self-employment programmes are being implemented, he added. The team of diplomats included Elisabeth I Millard and Sheeta T Patel, second secretaries for political affairs and Major Jeffery H Wright, Assistant Army Attache. Our Jammu correspondent adds: The delegation reached Jammu this afternoon by air from Srinagar. In the evening, the delegation visited the office of Daily Excelsior and had an hour long meeting with Editor-in-Chief Mr S D Rohmetra. They reviewed the current situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir with Mr Rohmetra. |
|
China views US as enemy number one BEIJING, Oct 18 : In its biggest military show in 35 years and a new defense policy paper, Beijing has made clear it views the United States as China’s potential enemy no.1. Aside from blowing up targets, test-firing missiles and driving tanks in formation, troops participating in military demonstrations on three sites in Northern China and in the Bohai Gulf last weekend proved new capabilities to attack stealth warplanes and cruise missiles, state media reported. With tensions over Taiwan and an often assertive West, China is preparing and spending for the eventuality that one day, it too may face US attacks like those unleashed in recent years on Yugoslavia and Iraq. As with much of China’s military thinking, the focus is Taiwan. Should Beijing’s Communist leaders order the People’s Liberation Army to recover the island that split from China 51 years ago, Chinese generals are planning on countering expected US Military intervention. "Do they prepare against the United States? My answer is very clear: Yes," said Yan Xuetong, an International Security Expert at Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University. Chinese fears were sharpened by the air war NATO unleashed on Yugoslavia last year to protect ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. Beijing saw dangerous parallels with its own restive minority regions, like Tibet, and felt NATO’s intervention on human rights grounds provided a dangerous precedent for meddling over Taiwan. Washington’s efforts to develop anti-missile shields, congressional plans to expand military ties with Taiwan and continued US Arms sales to the island have heightened Chinese suspicions. (AP) |
|
4 militants sneak into Hiranagar from border Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 18: A group of four militants was reported to have entered into Indian territory from forward post of Paharpur in Nursery area of Hiranagar tehsil in Kathua district after exchanging fire with the Border Security Force (BSF) jawans late last night. However, BSF sources claimed that the infiltration attempt was beaten back and the militants were forced to flee back to Pakistan after an encounter with them which lasted an hour. Sources said an ambush part of 53 BSF deployed at Paharpur border outpost observed movement of four militants, who had been pushed into Indian side by Pakistan army. When the intruders came close to ambush site, they were challenged. In the exchange of firing that followed and lasted an hour, militants fired volley of rifle grenades, which burst near BSF ambush but didn’t cause any casualty or damage. In view of effective retaliation by securitymen, the militants fled back to Pakistan, the BSF sources said. Reliable sources and local people, however, maintained that the militants had managed to enter inside the Indian territory and were hiding in the village. Army and BSF have also cordoned off all villages adjoining Paharpur post and launched a massive search operation for the militants. However, no arrest could be made immediately. From the scene of encounter, the BSF jawans this morning recovered two RPG rockets, three rifle grenades, one water proof jacket, one haver sack and eatable items including dry fruits, duets, roasted chicken and chapaties. Meanwhile, Indo-Pak troops exchanged firing on the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar, Samba, Arnia and RS Pura sectors overnight but there was no report of any casualty on either side. |
|
PM carries out official business MUMBAI, Oct 18 : Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, recuperating at the Breach Candy hospital here after his October 10 left knee joint replacement surgery, today walked for 15 to 20 minutes and also carried out official work from his hospital bed. Vajpayee, who had his routine physiotherapy and exercises for the healing left knee, had an hour-long meeting with Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and Uinon Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sushma Swaraj also met him this evening. Earlier, the Prime Minister enquired about the preparedness of Andhra Pradesh Government to deal with the approaching cyclone that now lay centred at 370 km east off Nellore Coast and is likely to cross the coast by tomorrow. (PTI) |
|
Talks on Vajpayee’s
successor are a CHENNAI, Oct 18: The talk of successor to Prime Minister A B Vajpayee is a "mischievous ploy" to belittle the one year achievements of the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre, senior BJP leader and Union Rural Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu said today. The BJP was not running a "dynasty" to decide about any successor to the Prime Minister, Mr Naidu said in an obvious reference to the dynastic politics of the Congress. He recalled that the Congress party was asking why there was no interim Prime Minister ?. This was very mischievous as Mr Vajpayee was hale and hearty and was very much in India, Mr Naidu said during an informal chat with reporters after inspecting the 77th Samathuvapuram(equality habitat) at Kuthambakkam village in Thiruvalluvar district of Tamil Nadu. Mr Vajpayee was also discharging the duties of the Prime Minister in Mumbai. "Very soon he would be doing so in Delhi", he added. There was no discussion in the party fora about any possible successor to the Prime Minister at any given time or by party leaders, Mr Naidu said and added that media reports to the contrary were inspired by vested interests. (UNI) |
|
|
NEW DELHI, Oct 18 : Under attack from opposition parties for RSS leaders’ controversial suggestion to Indian Muslims and Christians to accept their Hindu ancestry, the BJP today fielded in defence its National Secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who said minorities should recognise the "true friendly face" of RSS and not to be "overawed" by "false propaganda." Naqvi said in a statement that it was time minorities, specially Muslims, gave a "befitting reply" to those indulging in "false propoganda" so as to "isolate them from the mainstream of progress and use them "as a commodity for sale and purchase in the vote market". He said the minorities should look at RSS "through their own eyes and not through the coloured glasses of its antagonists only then they could recognise the true friendly face of the RSS". He said the cause of misunderstanding among the minorities regarding rss was due to the version of the opponents of rss who have been "presenting it in a distorted manner. That is why the rss has stated that it was being opposed even before understanding it properly". Naqvi said "due to the increasing mass base among the minorities of the bjp, some interested political parties are again trying to overawe the minorities with the same old weapons which they have been using so far so that they could isolate them from the mainstream". The minorities, he claimed, did not oppose the RSS chief K S Sudarshan’s views regarding Indianisation issue but it was opposed by the political parties as well as organisations which were known critics of rss and who have been politically exploiting the minorities on such issues.(PTI) |
|
Four MCD officials arrested in corruption cases NEW DELHI, Oct 18 : CBI today arrested four MCD officials for allegedly possessing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income. Agency sources said the sleuths of Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) arrested an Executive Engineer, an Assistant Engineer and two junior engineers for allegedly possessing wealth around Rs 5.35 crore. The ACB sleuths carried out searches at the premises of these officials during which they claimed they recovered huge property allegedly amassed by them through corrupt and illegal means. The four- Executive Engineer Rajesh Sharma, Assistant Engineer B R Malhotra and junior engineers J P Dabbas and R S Sharma- were produced before the Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke who remanded them to two days police custody. (PTI) |
|
Four killed, 4 abducted in Bihar NAWADA (BIHAR), Oct 18: In continuing gang war, four persons were killed and four others abducted at Biswanathpur village in Bihar’s extremist hit Nawada district today, a senior police official said. Bihar’s Inspector General of Police (Security) Neelmani told PTI that heavily armed gangsters, alleged to be members of notorious Akhilesh Singh gang, attacked the village and opened fire killing four villagers on the spot. Neelmani said the assailants abducted four other villagers, who are still traceless. A combing operation has been launched. The same gang had three days back shot dead five people of a backward community at Bhojpur village in Nalanda district. The killings came close on the heels of Saturday night’s gunning down of five persons of a backward community by the same gang at Bhojpur village in neighbouring Nalanda district. The Bhojpur killings were in retalition to the Mujahipur massacre of 11 Yadavs in Siwan district on Friday night as a fall-out of a prolonged battle for supremacy between two rival groups over occupation of a plot of land belonging to Dhanauti Math near Mujahipur in Siwan district. (PTI) |
|
|
|
|
|
| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports | |