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Work on
border fencing soon Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, APRIL 22- Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today cautioned people against infiltration from across the border, urging them to exercise extra vigil, as Pakistan will not easily lay off hands from terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a largely attended public meeting at the border village Salalpur, Kot Punnu in Hiranagar, this afternoon, the Chief Minister said the border fencing would be taken up soon that may check infiltration greatly but the people have to remain alert against the enemy. Referring to fencing of the border in Punjab, he said despite that Pakistanis dug tunnels to push in ultras for fomenting trouble in India. Given their cunning tactics, a heavy responsibility has cast upon people to exercise extra vigil against the enemy, the Chief Minister said. Dr Abdullah lauded police and people in border areas for anti-militancy operations and said timely information by locals helped nabbing of eight militants. Those who provided inputs to the police had to be rewarded, he said while cautioning against the activities of border smugglers also. He said the police chief has been visiting various areas for on-the-spot recruitment of youth into the force and referred to his recent visit to the area for the purpose. Pakistan will never succeed in its designs on Kashmir, he said while reminding about the four wars waged on India by the neighbouring country and the defeat it got from our valiant forces. He said nobody should even remotely think that India is weak as the country is fully prepared to face any challenge. ‘India has acquired most sophisticated weapons that makes every Indian proud’, he said. Dr Abdullah reiterated that the Government is actively considering grant of quota to border people from Kathua to Akhnoor on the pattern of LAC. With this, the anomaly of the past 50 years would be removed, he said, urging the people to concentrate on the education of their children for deriving benefit of such a reservation. The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over female literacy saying that their performance has been quite excellent in recent years and in certain academic disciplines they have been outnumbering male students. He said women empowerment is essential for healthy and harmonious society and called upon them to come forward in a big way to participate in decision-making. Responding to local problems, the Chief Minister said the Works Minister along with senior engineers would be deputed to the area for examining construction of a bridge and also assured of considering upgradation of local high school to higher secondary level. About primary health centre, he said the matter would be looked into by the health ministry. Welcoming the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Lal, MLA complimented him for braving all challenges to hold panchayat elections notwithstanding killing of his party workers in the Valley. The MLA sought upgradation of the local school, setting up of dispensary and providing expeditious compensation to farmers whose crops were damaged due to intermittent firing from across the border. Earlier, addressing a gathering at village Jandi, Hiranagar after inaugurating a community centre, Dr Abdullah today expressed his optimism that India and Pakistan would come closer one day ending all tension between the two neighbours. The Chief Minister said one day the man made line of partition would vanish as happened in Europe and the people of both the countries would live like friends. He said people of both the countries want peace but some elements for their vested interests do not allow their wish to fructify. The Chief Minister also urged for privatization of higher education adding that Government alone could not afford to open colleges everywhere in the State. He said some colleges in private sector have already come up in far-flung areas of Sunderbani, Mendhar and Rajouri, which could immensely help to provide higher educational facilities to the students in remote areas. However, the Government would provide scholarships to the poor and needy students, the Chief Minister added. He said the prime need of the hour is to provide higher education facilities to the students as in coming days the minimum qualification for selection of teachers would be B.Ed as prescribed in our neighbouring States. Dr Abdullah said that the Government would take strict measures to check manufacture and use of polythene bags in the State. He said that use of polythene bags is highly health hazardous and adds to the environmental pollution. He called upon the people to discard the use of polythene and said that onus lies on the people to keep their surroundings neat and clean. The Chief Minister also warned that stern action will be initiated against irresponsible officers to ensure more accountability in the agencies executing development works. He said faulty planning of development works cause immense trouble to the common masses besides, resulting in heavy losses to the State exchequer. Dr. Abdullah was responding to the complaints of the people about construction of a scheme in the area He said agencies responsible for such lapses would not go scot free and should get punishment for delinquency in performing their legitimate duties. Responding favourably to the demands of the locals, the Chief Minister said that Government will explore all possibilities to fully tap the tourism potential of the historic Jandi village which is gifted with a vast treasure of 110 natural springs having religious and historical significance. He announced that a team of Ministers including Works Minister, Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar, Tourism Minister, Ms Sakina Itoo, Power Minister, Mr S S Salathia would be sent to the village as early as possible to devise ways and means for tapping the tourism potential of the area. He said that more than 50 lakh Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims who visit the State annually could also be motivated to visit this area which has a religious background as well. He said the socio-economic conditions of the area would get a boost once the village is brought on the tourism map. After a comprehensive plan for tourism promotion for the area is prepared, Centre would also be approached for financial and technical assistance, the Chief Minister added. While lauding the people of border areas for fighting bravely against infiltration across the border, Dr Abdullah cautioned the people about the machination of the enemy who was hell bent to create communal frenzy on one pretext or other in the State. |
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20 kg charas recovered
from compartment Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 22: A company commander of Ikhwan-Ul-Muslimeen and a surrendered militant were killed after they jumped from the running Jehlum Express train between Raya Morh to Vijaypur late last evening. According to Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime and Railways Mr M A Anjum, both the militants were travelling in a special army compartment in Pune bound Jehlum Express. After having an altercation with the defence personnel travelling therein who started questioning finding them suspicious, both the suspected persons threw out their luggage and subsequently jumped from the running train between Raya Morh to Vijaypur. Soon after the suspected persons jumped from the moving train, the defence personnel got the train stopped by pulling the chain between Vijaypur and Bari Brahamana apprehending that the said persons might have planted some explosive devise in the train. Getting the report of incident and rumours, GRP, Railway Staff and police party from Vijaypur Police Station led by Station House Officer (SHO) Mr Kamaljeet Singh rushed to the spot and searched the whole train with the help of bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs. After searching the train, the GRP and Railway Staff allowed the train to leave for its destination. It took authorities about one and half hour to completely search the whole train due to which all the trains scheduled behind Jehlum also remained held-up. The party of Railway Police assisted by bomb disposal squad and sniffer dog squad were pressed into the service to thoroughly search the track from KM 77 to 82 for any suspected material thrown out by the said suspected persons. During the search, police recovered one briefcase and among other things it contained 6 packet of charas, weighing 14 kilograms. Earlier at about 2130 hours one unclaimed bag was also recovered from the same compartment by a joint search party of Army Provost Unit and the GRF personnel deployed at Railway Station. From the said bag 6 kilograms of Charas was recovered. It was subsequently confirmed that both the recovered consignments belonged to the said persons who jumped from the train after having been suspected by the defence co-passengers. Both the suspected persons died on spot and bodies were later shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital. The identity of the duo was established as a company commander of Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen, Riaz Ahmed Malik, son of Naik Abdul Aziz Malik of Rampura in district Anantnag and a surrendered militant Mohd Amin Khan, son of Ali Mohd Khan of Krewa Rampura district in Anantnag. He was travelling in combat dress. The Police have registered a case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA) and also under section 309/RPC. |
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Kiran posted SHO Women
Cell Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 22: In a major reshuffle at police station level, the district police authorities today ordered transfers and postings of 16 Station House Officers (SHOs) and Police Post Incharges. According to an official order, Inspector Purshotam Mengi, SHO Bishnah police station has been transferred and posted as SHO Nowabad police station. He will replace Inspector Kulbir Honda, whose further posting was not mentioned in the order. Inspector Khaleel-ul-Rehman, newly adjusted in Jammu district wing after his transfer from Vigilance Organisation, has been posted as SHO Jhajjar Kotli against a vacancy. Inspector (Ms) Kiran Bala has been posted as SHO Women Cell police station in place of Rajni Sharma, who had recently been shifted to Security wing. Inspector Munir Hussain has been transferred from District Police Lines (DPL) Jammu and posted as SHO Pir Mitha while Inspector Ram Singh Charak, SHO Udhampur police station and shifted to Jammu wing, has been adjusted as SHO Satwari police station against a vacancy created with the shifting of Inspector H S GIll’s range. Inspector Abdul Wahid Giri, SHO Kanachak police station, has been transferred and posted as SHO Nagrota police station, also against a vacant post. Inspector Arvind Kotwal has been transferred from Special Operations Group (SOG) Jammu and posted as SHO Kanachak police station. Inspector Sukhdev Singh, presently posted in DPL, has been shifted as SHO Bishnah police station in place of Mr Mengi. SI Harish Chowdhary has been posted as SHO Bagh-e-Bahu. Sub Inspector Arjun Singh has been transferred from Nowabad police station and posted as Incharge Police Post, Talab Tillo. Sub Inspector Abdul Aziz Bhatti has been shifted from City police station and posted as Incharge Sarwal Police Post. Sub Inspector Dhian Singh, posted in DIG Jammu office, has been shifted as Incharge Panjtirthi Police Post vice Sub Inspector Rajesh Sharma. Sub Inspector P B Singh has been transferred from Incharge Chatha Police Post and posted as Incharge Narwal Police Post. Sub Inspector Ratish Samyal from DPL will replace Singh as Incharge Chatha Police Post. Sub Inspector Ghulam Hassan Kamal, Incharge Narwal Police Post has been shifted to DPL. ASI Khazan Chand, Incharge Sarwal Police Post has been transferred and posted in Pacca Danga police station. ASI Romesh Lal has been shifted from Talab Tillo police post to Nowabad police station. Meanwhile, according to the order, DySP (probationary) Rahul Padha will remain posted as SHO Gangyal police station in place of Kuldeep Khajuria till May 14. Another DySP (probationary) Kulbeer Singh will work as SHO Janipura police station upto May 14 in place of Daleep Singh. Till May 14, Kuldeep Khajuria and Daleep Singh will report to concerned SDPO’s office. |
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J&K bound ultras in
B’desh From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Apr 22: The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, has ordered a quiet probe following reports received by the Cabinet Secretariat vis-a-vis Pakistan’s ‘hidden’ agenda against India on the soil of Bangladesh. Reports, though sketchy, have made a pointed reference to the Pakistani penetration into and influence on the Bangladeshi security forces. According to these reports, Pakistani penetration into the intelligence services and extremist political parties has led to the sharpening and deepening of anti-India sentiment in various parts of Bangladesh, the capital city of Dhaka included. Mr Vajpayee’s instructions for a first-hand assessment of the true nature of incidents leading to the gruesome murder of 16 BSF personnel by Bangladeshi forces came after the Prime Minister was given a brief account of Pakistani penetration into the Bangladeshi military and paramilitary forces. A top Government source told EXCELSIOR that a set of inputs obtained from a set of Indian and foreign intelligence specialists had highlighted two features of Pakistan’s ‘hidden’ agenda. First, the preparation of a plan involving the hard-liners within the Bangladeshi military and paramilitary formations to carry out attack-and-capture Indian posts and villages strategy close to the Bangladesh-India border. Second, involve extreme right-wing political and religious leaders in Bangladesh in the task of assisting the jihadis from Pakistan-based terrorist outfits, such as Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, to sneak into the Indian territory from the Bangladesh border. The Government source also told EXCELSIOR that the positioning of hundreds of jihadis, bound for Jammu and Kashmir, in certain pockets close to the border with India, had been allowed at a time when the Bangladesh Premier, Sheikh Hasina Wajid, had got herself involved in the fight against parties and forces known for being pro-Pakistan and anti-Indian. A republic in South Asia, Bangladesh was formerly East Pakistan, one of the five provinces into which Pakistan was divided at its creation, when Britain’s former Indian empire was partitioned in 1947. East Pakistan and the four western provinces were separated by about 1,600 km of Indian territory. East Pakistan was formed from the former Indian province of East Bengal and the Sylhet district of Assam. East Pakistan became an independent entity named Bangladesh on December 17, 1971, following civil was in which India actively support the East. Bangladesh, surrounded by India, Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal, is the second largest Muslim country in the world. Dhaka, with 2000-odd mosques, is known as the city of mosques. Quite a few of these mosques, according to reports, have, in recent months, become safe havens for anti-India jihadis, most of them Pakistanis and Afghans, bound for Jammu and Kashmir. If these reports are any guide, scores of jihadis were pushed into the Indian territory in the wake of the sudden attack by Bangladeshi forces on the BSF outposts and capture of a border village in the State of Meghalaya some days ago. The village, of course, has been cleared of intrusion. But the J&K-bound jihadis, whose exact number is not known, remain untraced. |
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One killed, 25
civilians injured in Sopore mine blast Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Apr 22: While as militants left one civilian killed and 25 others wounded in a mine blast at Sopore today, five others were eliminated at different places in Kashmir valley. Informed sources told EXCELSIOR that militants caused a powerful mine blast at Sopore, in close vicinity of Police station on Sopore-Bandipore road, at 1125 hours today when a convoy of security forces was entering the appletown from Watlab area. The explosive device, which had been concealed under vegetables on a handcart, exploded seconds after the last army vehicle zipped past the spot. One civilian, Mohammad Ashraf Lone S/o Abdus Salam Lone of Thayan, Kalaroos (Kupwara) got killed while as 25 civilians sustained injuries. Eight persons with grievous injuries were rushed to different hospitals in Srinagar. Condition of a class 12 girl student, Saima Maqbool of Model Town, was described as critical. However, doctors at SKIMS said late tonight that all the three injured admitted at Soura were stable. Reports from Kupwara said that during last night, unidentified gunmen appeared at Yamlar village, lifted two army porters from their respective houses and shot them dead. They have been identified as Farooq Ahmed Sheikh S/o Habibullah Sheikh and Manga Gujjar S/o Shams-ud-din Gujjar. Police recovered the bullet-riddled dead body of a Gujjar, namely Lala Bathen S/o Juma from Mathando Kokernag in south Kashmir. He is believed to have been kidnapped and killed by militants. During last night, militants appeared at Sandhoo Kalipora, Kulgam, and shot dead a Junior Engineer of Power Development Department, namely Ghulam Rasool Dar S/o Ali Mohammad Dar. According to some reports, he was known as close to some National Conference leaders. Reports from Budgam said that militants kidnapped a former lady SPO, Shafeeqa D/o Abdur Rahim Sheikh of Sail (Beerwah) and later shot her dead at Hardumalpora village in same area. Her brother, Gulzar Ahmed Sheikh, who was also an SPO, had been killed by militants two months ago. Both of them had the reputation of being close to security forces as well as militants. Since the beginning of the current ceasefire in November, militants have been eliminating the ruling NC activists as well as suspected counter-insurgents and informers of security forces in Beerwah area and 20 of such people have been killed in the last four months. |
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Intrusion bid foiled Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Apr 22: Army foiled an infiltration attempt by a group of about a dozen Jaish-e-Mohammed militants killing two of them on the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector this morning. Other militants fled back to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) under the cover of enemy firing. Official sources said a day-light infiltration attempt by JeM ultras was spotted by troops about 70 meters inside the LoC in Nowshera sector at 1000 hours today. Army soldiers, who were maintaining a high alert on the LoC, challenged the militants and retaliated after being fired upon. After a brief exchange of firing, two militants were killed while their associates managed to escape back to PoK. Sources said Pakistan army also gave covering fire to the infiltrators, which helped letter in retrieving back to PoK. The fleeing ultras also dragged away the dead bodies of two killed militants alongwith them. Number of the militants, who tried to enter the Indian territory, was estimated around 12. A letter head of Azhar Masood’s Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit was recovered from the scene of encounter which revealed that infiltrators were JeM activist. Besides letter head, army also recovered one AK-47 rifle and a rucksack containing four RPG rockets, one Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) and two hand grenades from the spot. Troops didn’t suffer any casualty in the operation. Meanwhile, there were reports that Pakistan army also resorted to firing on Indian positions at several forward positions on the LoC in Nowshera sector. Indian side returned firing at all the places. Exchange of firing between Indo-Pak troops was also reported from Mendhar sector of Poonch district. |
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Goods train derails Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 22: Traffic on Jammu-Pathankote section of Northern Railways remained suspended for more than four hours tonight due to derailment of a goods train near Samba. Railways Police have ruled out any sabotage in the derailment of two bogeys of goods train. The bogeys derailed at about 1800 hours due to a minor technical problem. Rumours spread in Samba that the train had derailed due to an explosion were baseless, they said. There was no casualty in the derailment, the sources said. Soon after the derailment, the Railways authorities ordered suspension of train traffic on Jammu-Pathankote section. A number of outgoing trains from Jammu Railway Station including Puja Express, Sealdah Express, Shalimar Express and Jhelum Express were held up due to suspension of traffic. One incoming train was stopped at Pathankote. Sources said the men and machinery of Northern Railways immediately swung into action and launched a clearance operation. The derailed bogeys of goods train were cleared from the track after about three and half hour long operation. Traffic on the track was restored at about 2200 hours, they said, adding the stranded trains left Jammu Railway Station for their destinations with a delay for two to four hours. While Puja was delayed by about four hours, Sealdah was late by about three hours. Shalimar was delayed by an hour and Jhelum Express by half an hour. Northern Railways and Railways Police officers camped at Samba till the derailed bogeys were cleared of the track. DySP Railways Mr Krishan Lal Salgotra also visited the spot. |
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Railway network in Himachal, J&K to be extended NEW DELHI, Apr 22: Railway network in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir would be extended in the coming years as a number of new projects for this purpose have been taken up by the Government. The Rs 42-crore project to construct the 53.6 km new railway line from Jammu Tawi to Udhampur is targeted to be completed in 2003. Work is in progress and 84 per cent of the project has been completed, Minister of State for Railways Digvijay Singh informed the Rajya Sabha on April 20. He said in a written reply that Rs four crore has been allocated for the project in the 2001-02 budget. Out of the over Rs.42-crore expenditure estimated for the project, over Rs.34 crore had been spent up to March 31 this year. The minister said the Jammu-Tawi—Udhampur line would be extended up to Baramulla. Work on this 290-km Udhampur-Baramulla section is going on in phases. In the first phase, work on the 26-km Udhampur-Katra section is in progress where earthwork, tunnelling and bridge works are continuing. This section, he said, is targeted to be completed in 2005. In the second phase, he said, the Qazigund-Baramulla section has been taken up where land acquisition and construction of Srinagar station building is in progress. Singh said preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey for a new 200 km broad guage line from Baramulla to Kishtwar is also going on. He said 25 per cent of the survey work has been done and it is targeted to be completed by 31 March 2002. The 200-km new BG line, he said, would have three sections — Baramulla to Kupwara (60 km), Udhampur to Bhadarwah via Doda (85 km) and Doda to Kishtwar (55 km). In Himachal Pradesh, he said, the Nangal Dam-Talwara (83.74 km) and the Mukerian-Talwara (29.16 km) projects are under execution. In the first phase, the Nangal Dam-Una section has been commissioned. The work is in progress in the second phase from Una to Churau Takrala (16 km) where earthwork and bridges construction are in progress. Similarly, the final location survey for the 5.35 km Kalka-Parwanoo new line has been completed. Singh said preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey has also been completed for guage conversion of the Pathankot-Joginder Nagar Kangra Valley rail line with extension of broad gauge line from Joginder Nagar to Bhanupalli via Mandi-Bilaspur. Survey report for the 352 km project, he said, is under compilation. The minister said preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey for the 220 km new rail line from Chandigarh to Dehradun via Jagadhari-Paonta Sahib is also going on. The survey is targeted to be completed by 31 March 2002, and 80 per cent of its work has already been finished. (PTI) |
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Hurriyat caught between devil and deep sea NEW DELHI, Apr 22: With the Centre keeping its options open for talks on Jammu and Kashmir, the Hurriyat Conference, the main seccessionist umbrella body, is caught between the "devil and deep sea" on whether to join the parleys or not as it proceeds for its general council meeting tomorrow. The 23-party conglomerate, whose working committee of three members each from the executive committee, met yesterday but failed to arrive at any consensus, Hurriyat insiders told PTI. The General Council, where representatives from all the 23 parties would be meeting, is likely to give a final stamp to the decision of the Hurriyat before its executive meets later this week, the sources said. The hardliners within the Hurriyat Conference continued with their tirade against nomination of K C Pant as negotiator while the moderates termed the Centre’s offer as an "opportunity" failing which the conglomerate would suffer "internationally". The moderates at the meeting cautioned the Hurriyat executive members of the repercussions of outright rejection of talks offer, the sources said. Meanwhile, Pant, who has been busy meeting a cross-section of people well-versed with the issue, today met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee prior to the high-level meeting of BSF over the Bangladesh fiasco. Informed sources said Pant briefed him about the progress over the issue. Baffled by Centre’s nomination of Pant as negotiator, Hurriyat Conference is sticking to its stand of first sending its delegation to Pakistan and later holding talks with the Centre. However, it was very unlikely that the Centre would agree before Hurriyat Conference makes its stand clear about the visit to Pant, the sources said. Hurriyat insiders said it would be difficult for the Hurriyat to reject the offer as holding of talks without any pre-conditions was a one-time demand of theirs. The issue is likely to generate heat at the General Council meeting of the Hurriyat Conference tomorrow at Srinagar. Meanwhile, in a bid to keep the flock of seccessionist leaders together, Hurriyat Conference constituted a team comprising Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Qazi Ahadullah (Jamaat-e-Islami) and Bashir Ahmed Bhat (JKLF) to hold talks with other leaders. The three-member delegation held talks with Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan and Azam Inqualabi. The move comes amidst fears that some of these leaders might go ahead for talks with the centre on Kashmir issue. Confirming this, Nayeem Khan said "the move by Hurriyat Conference was a nice development which could give birth to a united front for resolving the Kashmir problem." (PTI) |
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Sheikh Aziz calls for international sanctions against India ISLAMABAD, Apr 22: The visiting Hurriyat Conference leader Sheikh Aziz today called for imposition of international sanctions against India for continuing alleged human rights "violations" in Jammu and Kashmir and said there could never be a solution to the Kashmir problem in the frame of the Indian Constitution. Speaking at a marriage function of his brother here, which was virtually converted into an anti-India platform by top Pakistan Ministers and politicians, Aziz said Kashmir was not an internal issue as claimed by India. Therefore there could be no solution within the confines of the Indian Constitution, he said. He said Hurriyat Conference was for conditional talks with the Indian Government. But the talks could take place only if India was prepared to implement UN resolutions on Kashmir or agreed for tripartite talks with Pakistan. Aziz said India "attempted to hoodwink" the world by inviting "all and sundry" in Kashmir for talks. The marriage was attended by activists of all Pakistan-based Kashmir militant groups. Others who addressed the meeting included, Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, Sultan Mohammed and deposed Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML) chairman Raza Zafarul Haq. Aziz has come to Pakistan to attend the wedding of his brother. His visit has been completely converted into an anti-India campaign both by the Government and the Pakistan-based Kashmir political groups. On April 20, Aziz met Pakistan Foreign Minister, Abdul Sattar. He was expected to meet Pakistan military ruler Gen Parvez Musharraf before returning to India. (PTI) |
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Militants plan attack on Nagrota Garrison Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 22: Army today said it has received information from Intelligence agencies that the militants were planning to target vital army installations including Nagrota Garrison to disrupt peace and normalcy in Nagrota town. As a result, a Defence spokesman said, army authorities have initiated several precautionary measures and beefed up security arrangements around all important locations. Mobile vehicle check posts have been established for carrying out random check of vehicles, entering Nagrota Garrison and speed breakers have been erected as a security measure, the spokesman said but added that vehicular traffic on Nagrota bypass was not being diverted. He regretted the likely inconvenience which may be caused to the people due to precautionary arrangements taken by army. |
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ISLAMABAD, Apr 22: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), headed by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has said it is willing to consider any proposal to make military ruler Gen Parvez Musharraf President of the country, provided he gives up his demand for a constitutional role for the armed forces in power sharing. PPP central executive member Khurshid Shah told reporters in Lahore yesterday that PPP might accept Musharraf as President but the party would determine the terms and conditions in this regard. However, PPP on its own would not take any initiative and the military regime was free to discuss the issue with the party leaders, he said. Shah’s on record comment has given air to the speculations that Benazir, currently on self exile abroad, in her eagerness to return home after the Supreme Court set aside her conviction in a corruption case, wants to reach an understanding with Musharraf over her political future. The Musharraf regime too was in a quandary after the Supreme Court made it clear that he should hand over power to an elected Government before October 12, 2002. Earlier, his Government pursued the option of reviving the suspended national and provincial assemblies to get him elected as President, replacing the present figurehead President Rafiq Tarar. (PTI) |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 22: Security forces have busted a well concealed cache of ammunition and explosive in Sunderbani early this morning. While carrying out confidence building patrol, the security forces today recovered a large cache from a cave which was very well concealed by boulders. The recoveries, according to the official sources, included eight 82 mm mortar bombs, eight 60 mm mortar bombs, 24 UBGL grenades, five rifle grenades, a hand grenade and four batteries amongst various other items. The nefarious designs of the militants to enlarge the area of terrorism has yet again been foiled by the swift and timely action of the security forces. |
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