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Tension
flares up in Samba, Poonch Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 24: Tension flared up in Samba and Poonch sectors today where Pakistan army directly targeted the civilian installations in addition to Defence locations killing an army soldier and a woman and wounding five others including four jawans. Retaliatory firing in Poonch led to the killing of four Pakistan army soldiers and totally loss of three enemy bunkers and a post. For the first time during on going border skirmishes between Indo-Pak troops, Pakistan army resorted to mortar shelling in Benglard area of Samba sector this afternoon, leading to fresh migration from all the villages of Benglard area and its surroundings. Shelling began around 1230 hours and continued intermittently till 1430 hours. About 50 to 70 mortar shells were fired by Pakistan army in Benglard area. Army and the Border Security Force (BSF) replied equally blasted three bunkers of the enemy. In the early morning firing in Benglard, one army jawan identified as Ganshyam lost his life. He was hit by a volley of shots fired by Pakistani troops resulting into his instant death. Enemy troops opened artillery firing on a convoy of Power Minister Surjit Singh Slathia at Benglard, where he had gone to review the situation. Slathia, DC Jammu Rohit Kansal and SDPO Samba Ashok Sharma survived the firing narrowly. The Minister was escorted to a safer area following the firing. Yesterday, Kansal and MLA Samba Som Nath had a close shave in the same area. On the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector, Indian army retaliated Pakistan’s heavy shelling and firing this evening and destroyed enemy’s New Ranger post opposite Khari Karmara sector killing four soldiers. A MMG, fitted atop the New Ranger post, caught fire and was burnt alongwith the post, the sources said. Earlier, Pakistan army had targeted civilian areas in Khari Karmara, Digwar, Mill Dalan, Sokar, Bandi Chechian and Gulpur areas of Poonch sector killing a woman and wounding another. Deceased woman has been identified as Muneera Begum wife of Mohd Rafiq, a resident of Khari Karmara. Injured was identified as Sayeed Mohd son of Mohd Hussain. Durga Post of army in Khari Karmara area of Poonch sector was partially damaged in Pak shelling resulting into injuries to four soldiers, who were immediately evacuated and shifted to army hospital. Their identity couldn’t be gathered immediately. About a dozen houses were damaged in shelling in Gulpur area. Of them, the houses of Mushtaq Ahmed, Nazir Ahmed, Nasir Hussain, Haji Mohd Sadiq, Irfan Ahmed and Talib Hussain suffered extensive damage. According to sources, a large number of cattle have also perished in Pak firing and shelling in Gulpur and Khari Karmara. Till late this evening, exchange of shelling and firing was going on in Poonch sector. People from a couple of forward villages on the LoC had already moved to safer areas. Meanwhile, authorities today suspended bus and matador services to Benglard and other forward villages of Samba sector falling under the firing range of Pakistan army. A large number of families have migrated from Benglard, Faqeera Chak, Kangrail, Sirki, Surrhi, Kulian and Suchetgarh villages in Samba sector. Comprising mostly women and children, the migrants had taken shelter in the Government Girls higher secondary school in Samba town, the sources said. A total of 2500 families were reported to have migrated from the forward villages of Samba. Of them, 400 families had taken shelter in Samba while others were either putting up in other safer areas or taken refuge in their relatives houses, the sources said. Four houses were completely destroyed in Pak shelling in Benglard while eight cattle were killed. No civilian casualties was reported in the damaged houses, which had been abandoned by the inmates. A three-storeyed bunker of Pakistan army was destroyed in Dandar area opposite Benglard. Communication system of the enemy was also destroyed by army and the BSF by directly striking a target across the border. |
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Protected person, 2 PSOs,
Palestinian, Bihari formally held Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 24: Jammu Police today sounded a ‘high alert’ across the country for two Arabs including a ‘deputy chief’ of Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda, who were reported to have infiltrated either in Kashmir or in New Delhi for the purpose of stepping-up the subversive activities at large scale. Infiltration of Laden’s associates in the country surfaced during interrogation of the first-ever Al-Qaeda terrorist, Ayub Ahmed alias Qamar Ayub of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), arrested by Jammu Police, from Poonch House the other day. Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, IGP Jammu range Pitambar Lal Gupta, flanked by SSP Jammu Farooq Khan, SP City (North) Parbhat Singh and SP Operations Manohar Singh, said a protected person Abdul Rahim Wani, a zonal president of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has been formally arrested alongwith his two Personal Security Officers (PSOs), who had helped Ayub in setting up Al-Qaeda’s network in Jammu and Kashmir. The PSOs have been suspended and their case has been recommended for dismissal from the services, Gupta said. He said the interrogation of Ayub revealed that Al-Qaeda’s deputy chief Abdul Ubed, a Saudi Arab national, had either managed to infiltrate into Kashmir valley or was in the process of doing so. Ubed had planned to set up his base at Rajbagh or Handwara. "Presently, we are not sure about Ubed’s whereabouts but we have sounded Kashmir Police", the IGP Jammu said, adding Ayub disclosed that another Saudi terrorist, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, had managed to sneak into India. However, Ayub didn’t know the Indian City where this unidentified terrorist was suspected to be hiding. Meanwhile, a special team of Jammu Police, had succeeded in apprehending a Palestinian terrorist from outside the State. Declining to disclose identity of the Palestinian ultra, who too was the first-ever to be arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police, the IGP said he was being brought to Jammu for interrogation and ascertain whether he was involved in the subversive activities. Saying that Ayub Ahmed was ‘a close confidant’ of Osama bin Laden, Gupta said ‘it was due to Ayub’s closeness with Laden that latter chose him for spreading his outfit (Al-Qaeda’s) network in India, especially in the militancy-infested Jammu and Kashmir’. Meanwhile, police today formally arrested a protected person Abdul Rahim Wani, PDP’s zonal president and a resident of Lolab, Srinagar, who used to help Ayub in carrying arms and ammunition from one place to other in his Gypsy. Wani had, infact, been using Ayub as driver of his Gypsy to give him a cover. He had also managed a fake identity card of a Special Police Officer (SPO) for Ayub, a handout issued by Jammu Police in the press conference said. Two PSOs of Wani identified as Malook Ahmed, head constable and Bashir Ahmed have also been arrested by police and suspended. Both of them are being dismissed from the services as they were well aware of the fact that Ayub was an Al-Qaeda terrorist but continued to assist him in spreading his outfit’s network, the IGP Jammu said. Besides, he added, a Bihari Mohd Tahir alias Moulvi son of Farman Ali has also been arrested by police in this connection. A First Information Report (FIR) against Wani and his PSOs has been registered at Nowabad police station for their further interrogation and investigations. So far, police have recovered four AK rifles including two AK-74A (Klashnikov), 12 kg RDX, detonators and eight hand grenades at the instance of Ayub. Targets of Ayub included MLAs hostel, Civil Secretariat in J&K and foreign establishments of America and Israel in New Delhi, Gupta said. Police said Ayub used Internet services for conveying messages to his outfit’s leadership in Pakistan, PoK, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Equipments used for this effect have been recovered from the possession of Ayub. ‘Can’t say’ was the reply of Gupta to a question as to whether Ayub was linked to Parliament attack on December 13. He said a large quantity of documents have been recovered from Ayub and Wani and were being investigated. |
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Terrorists strike in
ex-Minister, Moulvi's houses Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Dec 24: In yet another case of de-reliction of duty, the police personnel handed over 14 rifles to Pakistan-backed terrorists while being posted on guard duty at the residences of Talib Hussain, former Minister and a National Conference leader and Moulvi Imam Dil Mohd, a Sarpanch in Fatehpur area, near here, last night. Thirteen SPOs, who were on guard duty at two houses, have been dis-engaged while a Selection Grade Constable (SGC) has been suspended by the district police with immediate effect. Official sources said a group of eight terrorists, all of whom were believed to be the foreign mercenaries, attacked the house of Talib Hussain at 2030 hours last night and over-powered three police personnel, two of whom were taking dinner and one was on the guard duty. Talib Hussain was not present in the house. His house had a total of eight policemen on duty of whom five were absent but their weapons too were lying in a room. The terrorists snatched all eight rifles including three SLRs and five .303 from the cops alongwith ammunition. They handed over a severe thrashing to the policemen and escaped. The cops even didn’t put up a semblance of fight. The same group of ultras trekked distance of about one kilometer and struck at the house of Moulvi Imam Dil Mohd, a Sarpanch, in Fatehpur at 2115 hours. In the same fashion, the terrorists over-powered three SPOs on duty and snatched their six rifles—one SLR and five .303. The Moulvi too had been provided a guard of six SPOs, of whom three were absent. Sources said the terrorists tried to kidnap the Moulvi but relented after his family pleaded for mercy. They beat-up all three SPOs on duty and escaped from the house. In total, the ultras snatched 14 rifles—four SLRs and 10 .303 in about an hour long operation. Policemen, who were on duty at Talib Hussain’s house, included Mohd Lateef and Mohd Rafeeq, both SPOs and Abdul Razaak, SPO while five policemen, who were absent, were SGC Mohd Mushtaq, Incharge of the guard, Abdul Hussain, ex-serviceman, Showkat Ali, Shabir Hussain and Nasir Hussain, all SPOs. The SPOs, present on duty in Moulvi’s house, have been identified as Mohd Bashir, Mukhtar Ahmed and Fazal Hussain while the absentees were Mohd Aslam, Mohd Razaak and Altaf Hussain, all SPOs. SP Rajouri Manish Kishore Sinha visited the house of Moulvi and Talib Hussain this morning for investigations. He immediately ordered dis-engagement of 13 SPOs and suspension of a SGC. The case of SGC is being recommended for dismissal. Army and police authorities immediately launched a search operation in the forest areas of Fatehpur to track down the terrorists involved in the looting of weapons. Till this evening, there had been no clues of the ultras. Investigations in the looting of weapons were being carried out by Rajouri Police. Authorities, meanwhile, have put on high alert all police personnel on guard duty at VIPs houses to maintain a strict vigil against the looting attempts. Cops touch feet of terrorists The height of cowardice on the part of police personnel could be well gauged from the reports that three cops touched the feet of terrorists and begged for their lives while handing over their weapons at the house of Talib Hussain last night. Official sources admitted that the terrorists didn’t kill the policemen as latter touched their feet and pleaded for mercy instead of putting up a fight in keeping with the traditions of belt force. The cops were also made to shout some highly provocative slogans, which they did. Police authorities viewed this act of the uniformed men as ‘highly objectionable’ and accordingly dis-engaged/suspended them. |
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Woman terrorist, 7 others
arrested Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Dec 24: A woman terrorist was among eight ultras captured alive by army after a fierce 14 hour long gun-battle in Faisalabad area of Surankot tehsil in Poonch district today. Three terrorists of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) including a killer of District and Sessions Judge V K Phull were killed in the gun-battle. Official sources said an operation was started by Romeo Force of army in Faisalabad, Surankot at 2300 hours last night. Operation was based on the basis of a specific information developed by the troops about the presence of Lashkar’s ‘area commander’ Mohd Zafran Khan alias Abu Asram, who was wanted in the killing of Phull at Dera Ki Gali in Surankot early this month. The terrorists were finally spotted at 1100 hours today and their hideout was stormed by the army personnel. A fierce exchange of gun-fighting continued till 1300 hours today in which all three foreign mercenaries of LeT outfit were killed. Eight other terrorists including a woman were apprehended alive by the troops from the hideout, the sources said, adding all eight had initially tried to escape after the killing of three terrorists but army jawans chased and apprehended all of them. No casualties were reported on army side in the gun-battle. Slain terrorists have been identified as Mohd Zafran Khan alias Abu Asram, a resident of Aptabad, Pakistan and an ‘area commander’ of LeT for Surankot, Sajjad Hussain alias Abu Mussa R/o Gujranwalla, Pakistan and Ishaq Hussain son of Nazir Ahmed R/o Lassana, Surankot. Sources said Zafran was involved in the killing of Phull, his friend V K Sodhi and two Personal Security Officers (PSOs) at Dera Ki Gali (DKG), Surankot when they were on way from Rajouri to Poonch early this month. Zafran was leading the group of six terrorists, involved in the massacre, the sources said, adding Zafran was being followed by army personnel of Romeo Force ever since the killing of Judge and three others. Meanwhile, of eight terrorists arrested from the hideout, four have been identified as Shameem Akhter widow of Mohd Hamid, a resident of Faisalabad, Surankot, Musharat Hayat son of Mohd Hanief, an employee of Health Department, Mohd Inayat son of Inayatullah, who was running a STD PCO shop in Surankot and Altaf Hussain son of Mohd Nazir, a guide of the terrorists. All of them were residents of Surankot tehsil, the sources said. Identity of four others couldn't be established. Shameem Akhter was the first woman terrorist arrested by army in Surankot area, they added. Recoveries made from the possession of slain terrorists included three AK rifles, 12 magazines, 10 hand grenades and two Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Army have started interrogation of all four terrorists including the woman to ascertain their role in terrorism, the sources added. |
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A Pakistani militant
becomes India’s Osama bin Laden From Ahmed Ali Fayaz SRINAGAR, Dec 24: Shahbaz Khan of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, has been operating with dozens of code names and radio codes in Kashmir’s Jehadi camp. Even that may not be his real name. But the fact remains that he has overnight become India’s Osama bin Laden after the December 13th attack, allegedly by Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, on the Parliament in New Delhi. The Sopore resident Afzal, who is reported to have revealed to Delhi Police and intelligence agencies that Shahbaz Khan alias Ghazi Baba was the top planner, is reaching here on Tuesday to start a manhunt for the Pakistani militant. The latest development is that, before Ghazi Baba, Police and security forces will be on the lookout for a Kashmiri woman who, according to their confidential reports, has married the Jaish supremo in Kashmir. Well-placed sources, entrusted with the very special task of getting Ghazi Baba dead or alive, disclosed to EXCELSIOR that the 30-year-old Zamrooda alias Baby of Chewa (Safapora) was the most important "missing link" in the search for "India’s most wanted terrorist". Zamrooda, who has been "missing" from her home for the last over one year, has, according to these sources, married Ghazi Baba. She is believed to be having full information regarding Ghazi Baba, his confidantes and conduits as also the outfit’s training camps in Kangan, Tral and Anantnag areas. The north Kashmir belt of Safapora-Chewa-Bandipore has been Jaish-e-Mohammad’s best stronghold for the last five years. It had, in fact, established a strong base here under the banner of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen immediately after the Assembly elections of September 1996. Later, when Harkat-ul-Mujahideen was christened as Jaish-e-Mohammad in the aftermath of the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in December 1999, the organisation set up its units in several localities. It also tried a tie-up with Mushatq Zargar’s Al-Omar Mujahideen but that arrangement did not work well. However, it was under Ghazi Baba’s stewardship that Jaish recruited over 200 Kashmiri teenagers. One of them even carried out a suicide attack at the main entrance of the 15 Corps Headquarters in Srinagar. During the last two years, in addition to Safapora-Bandipore, Tangmarg-Magam, Tral, Kokernag, Shopian and Lolab have surfaced as the outfit’s major bastions. However, most of the people in these localities know Ghazi Baba by the code name of Ustad Jehadi. Officials believe it was Ghazi Baba who masterminded the carnage of 23 Kashmiri Pandits at Wandahama (Ganderbal) in January 1998. He is also held responsible for the October 1st and December 13th attacks on J&K Assembly and the Parliament complex. Afzal’s main job, according to sources, would be to identify Ghazi Baba’s harbourers and hideaways. Officials are also hopeful that he would lead them to at least three training camps of the outfit in Kangan, Tral and Anantnag localities. With the commencement of the major search operation for Ghazi Baba, security forces and SOG sleuths would be scanning "hideouts" in search of the Chewa woman, who they believe must be around the time of delivery now. Nevertheless, there is no independent evidence to suggest that she was really alive or living as Ghazi Baba’s better-half. Security forces and Police officials are not essentially optimistic of success. "Ghazi Baba is the most intelligent and most lucky militant we have seen in 13 years. He has been operating in the Valley since 1992 when he was with HUJI. He has escaped in over 100 raids till date. And the key to his success is that he never trusts a Kashmiri", says an SOG official who is apprehensive that the Delhi Police team would have to return empty-handed. A security forces official describes him as a "great motivator" and reveals that Ghazi Baba had a small team of the most indoctrinated body-guards who do lay their lives to protect him. 5 Lashkar militants killed Meanwhile, on a tip-off, troops of RR 28 Bn and SOG Baramulla raided a militant hide-out at Warpora (Dangiwacha) in Rafiabad area of Baramulla and eliminated three unidentified militant in a gunbattle. All the three are believed to be Pakistani members of Lashkar-e-Toiba. However, a report claimed that one of them was a local militant, namely Fayaz Ahmed Ganai of Zarbug. Sources said that three army soldiers sustained injuries in the shoot-out. Three AK-56 rifles, one wireless set and 10 grenades are claimed to have been recovered from the site of encounter. Informed sources said that, on another tip-off, troops of different army units conducted a serach operation at Herpora (Sheikhnar) locality of Sogam, in Kupwara district and eliminated two Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba. They were identified as Zubair Sidiquee alias Abu Aabid alias Abrar and Gani Rehman alias Abu Haatif. Meanwhile, a bakery worker Abdur Rasheed Sofi S/o Abdur Rehman Sofi of Tral has been found killed at Shurat Mohalla, Shalamar. Another civilian, Mushtaq Ahmed Seh S/o Mohammad Abdullah Seh R/o Mehmoodabad has succumbed to physical torture in Dooru locality of Anantnag. He had been picked up by unidentified persons and subjected to severe physical torture. Residents, as usual, held security forces responsible for torturing the civilian to dead. Today’s reports said that a counter-insurgent Ikhwani, Ghulam Hassan Wagay S/o Ghulam Mohammad Wagay R/o Sadnara, Sumbal, has also died in last evening’s gunbattle between militants and security forces at Asham, Sonawari. As already reported, two unidentified militants had got killed last evening in the gunfight which also destroyed the house of one Ghulam Mohammad Khan. |
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3 accused of R K Finance scam arrested Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 24: With the arrest of three of the four accused, the Crime Branch of Jammu Police today solved much publicised Aar Kay Finance cheating case. All the arrested persons were evading arrest for the last more than one year and were declared as proclaimed offenders. On a specific information, sleuths of Crime Branch of Jammu conducted raids at various places in Punjab and nabbed Romesh Kundal son Punjab Dass resident of Talab Khatikan Jammu, Neeraj Samnotra son of Rajnesh Samnotra resident of Trikuta Nagar Jammu and Ravinder Gupta son of Brij Lal of Vikas Nagar Talab Tillo Jammu. The fourth accused namely Rakesh Gupta son of Tara Chand resident of Trikuta Nagar Jammu could not be arrested as he was not found with the above trio. "On a specific information we have conducted raids at different places in Jammu", said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Crime and Railways, Jammu, Mr M A Anjum. "This case was given wide publicity through media both the printed and electronic", he said, adding, "the latest being the telecast of their episodes on most famous programme ‘India’s Most Wanted’ on Zee TV on August 28, 2001", Mr Anjum said and disclosed that on information from some viewers/sources a number of raids were conducted at different places in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune etc. He said that for the last one year accused could not be arrested and it was believed that the accused were changing their places of stay and did not stay at one place for long. Mr Anjum said " ever since the case has been transferred to Crime Branch we have been making quite strenuous and sincere efforts to trace out the accused person to arrest them". It is worthwhile to mention here that above mentioned four persons had collected huge sums of money from the different people and went underground when people started demanding payment on maturity. Officially it was stated that they had collected about Rs 3 to 4 crores but unofficially it was reported that the four accused had collected about 27 crores from people belonging to different walks of life. One Ravinder Nath Kapoor of Jammu had lodged a complaint at Police Station Pucca Danga in the shape of FIR No 261/2000 U/S 420/406/467/468/120-B/RPC. The four persons were jointly running different financial institutions including M/s R K Traders and M/s Aar Kay Finance Corporation. They had collected huge sums from people but did not repay them on maturity. When pressure of the depositors increased, they suddenly went underground and disappeared from Jammu cheating the innocent persons of their hard earned money. The investigation was initially carried out by Jammu Police which was subsequently transferred to Crime Branch Jammu where it was taken up by a special team of officers. The Crime Branch Jammu seized some documents and property reported to have been procured by the accused persons from the amount collected from the depositors. More than half a dozen concerns in the shape of shops, godowns, houses, building complex, wine shops etc of the accused persons connected with the case have already been seized by the police. The accused persons, who were evading arrest after the commission of crime were first got declared as absconders and then as proclaimed offenders from the competent court by the Police. |
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Pak freezes assets of LeT,
UTN ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: In line with American action, Islamabad today froze the assets and bank accounts of Pak-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) whose chief Hafiz Muhammed Sayeed quit the post announcing the winding up of the activities of the organisation in Pakistan. LeT will now be headed by Abdul Wahid, who is said to hail from Anantnag in Kashmir, and is now in Mecca. Four days after US President George W Bush took a similar action against LeT and an outfit having links with Al Qaeda, banks in Pakistan were ordered to freeze the accounts of Lashkar, which has been accused of the December 13 attack on Indian Parliament along with Jaish-e-Mohammad. The Pakistan Central Bank issued instructions to all the banks to implement the decision against LeT and Ummah Tameer-e-Nau (UTN) linked to Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda. Shortly after the Government action, LeT leader Sayeed called a news conference in Lahore and said he decided to step down to "save Pakistan from the malicious Indian propaganda" and confine his activities to the preaching of religion. Sayeed be guided by a 14-member general council which comprises mainly of members from Kashmir. He also announced the change of LeT’s parent outfit Markaz Ad-Dawa Wal Irshad to Jamaat Ul Dawa. Markaz which has its headquarters in Muridke near Lahore has vast properties and trusts which runs Islamic institutions. UTN is an NGO floated by some retired Pakistan nuclear scientists which was allegedly helping bin Laden to acquire nuclear weapons. Saeed’s announcement followed pressure from US and India on Pakistan to take action against Lashkar, a pan Islamic outfit which waged Jehad or holy war in Kashmir and Chechnya along with another Pak-based militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad. Saeed, however, denied that there was any pressure on him from Pakistan Government to quit and said he did not apprehend any crackdown as feared against his organisation from Pakistan Government following US pressure. The developments came as Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf wound up his State visit to China and headed here today. Saeed’s announcement followed by Pakistan Government’s orders to freeze the accounts of Lashkar may provide a platform for US and the international community to take diplomatic initiatives to ease tension between both the countries over the terrorist attack on the Parliament. India blamed both Lashkar and Jaish-e-Muhammad for the attack and demanded arrest of the leaders of both the organisations. While Pakistan insisted for a joint inquiry and evidence from India to act against the organisations, diplomatically it became difficult for Pakistan to defend Lashkar and Jaish. Pakistan is reported to have passed a similar order to freeze the accounts of Jaish when it was previously listed as a terrorist group by the US Government few weeks ago. To a question at his press conference, Saeed said Lashkar’s activities would now be confined to Kashmir. He however parried questions of which part of Kashmir the militant outfit would operate, saying that he considered both Kashmir valley and the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as one Kashmir. "We consider entire Kashmir as single entity and do not respect LoC," he said adding that all activities of the Lashkar would now be confined in Kashmir". Lashkar recently shifted its activities to Muzafarabad, the capital of PoK after Pakistan Government reportedly instructed all militant outfits to operate only from PoK. Referring to reports of Pakistan Government applying any pressure on him, he said "Pakistan Government did not even contact us in this regard". About the pressure from the international community, he said "we have never taken such pressure seriously for the last 12 years and always tried to reduce it through our militant activities like striking Indian Army and establishments and Kargil." About his organisation creating problems for Pakistani civilians much on the lines of Osama bin Laden, he said "Kashmir freedom fighters have in the past waged the war of survival for Pakistanis and never created any problems for the civilians." Saeed said he was concerned about US declaring Lashkar a terrorist outfit. "We do not care. We do not want any peace certificate from the US. "We have written detailed letter to US State Department explaining that we have never targeted any civilians and only attacked Indian troops and military installations because they had forcibly occupied our lands in violations of UN resolutions," he said. The 14-member council announced by Saeed has a mixer of names from Lashkar activists from Kashmir valley as well as PoK. It included Zaki ur Rehman, its commander in the Kashmir Valley. (PTI) |
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No information of Osma entering Kashmir:US ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The US-led coalition said today it has no tangible information to suggest that suspected terror mastermind Osama bin Laden might have escaped to Kashmir but did not rule out the possibility of his death in heavy American airstrikes on Tora Bora mountains as suggested by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. Replying to a question about media speculation over bin Laden slipping into Kashmir, US coalition spokesman Kenton Keith told reporters here that several Al Qaeda militants have fled to Pakistan and they were subsequently apprehended by Pakistan security forces. "Beyond that, I have no information," he said. However, it is possible that Osama might have been killed as suggested by Musharraf due to intense bombing of Tora Bora, he said and paid rich compliments to Pakistan for sparing enough number of troops to guard the Afghan borders. Keith said cave-to-cave search was still on in Tora Bora to find bin Laden. He said the search for Taliban supremo Mullah Muhammad Omar is also continuing with the cooperation of the new Afghan interim Government. Asked about reports of former Taliban ambassador to Islamabad Mullah Abdul Saleem Zaeef seeking asylum in Pakistan, he said it is up to Pakistan Government to decide about giving him such a relief. "There was a very intense bombing campaign conducted in the area where bin Laden was last sighted or supposed to have been and if he had been affected by that bombing campaign I don’t think it would have surprised anyone," coalition spokesman Kenton Keith told reporters. "We simply don’t know," he said, adding that coalition and Afghan forces would continue scouring the caves and tunnels of the mountainous region for any sign of the Saudi dissident. US planes and Afghan forces pounded Tora Bora for two weeks to root out bin Laden and the remnants of his fanatical Al-Qaeda fighters. Local commanders declared victory in the area on December 16 but operations have continued in an attempt to find the main suspect in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, and mop up remaining pockets of resistance. "It (the operation) is continuing. There are a lot of caves out there," Keith said. "That area is honeycombed with caves and anything could still be up there and the process will have to contine until they are satisfied — the military and coalition authorities, the eastern Alliance and the new Government in Kabul — are all satisfied this process is completed." When questioned about the search for Taliban leader Mohammed Mullah Omar, believed to be hiding in the mountains north-west of the fundamentalist Islamic militia’s former stronghold of Kandahar, Keith said the hunt was continuing. He also said he was not able to confirm reports that US forces had last week arrested the deputy head of the Taliban’s intelligence service, Abdul Haq Wasiq, in the central Ghazni province town of Maqaur. However, when asked if Washington would like Omar extradited to the United States, Keith said: "He’s definitely one we are very interested in." The United States has said it would seek to extradite bin Laden and any other senior Al-Qaeda or Taliban leaders captured in Afghanistan or Pakistan. US intelligence experts have already begun interrogating some of the several hundred Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters caught in Pakistan, as well as the estimated 7,000 prisoners captured by coalition and militia forces in Afghanistan. Keith said the coalition was happy with the "very impressive forces" Pakistan has deployed to the Parachinar area in its North West Frontier Province abutting Tora Bora to capture fleeing Taliban "but primarily Al-Qaeda" fighters. He dismissed comments that Pakistan’s surveillance of its western border had dropped off as a result of escalating tensions and cross-border shelling with India. "Those who have tried to come across the Tora Bora region, across those mountain passes, have met determined Pakistani operations to intercept them and detain them," he said. On restoring law and order in Afghanistan, Keith stressed this was the domain of the UN-mandated international security assistance force and the new Government, not US-led coalition forces. The coalition’s task, he said, was to wipe out Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces in cooperation with the interim Government led by Hamid Karzai. Karzai said Sunday, a day after being sworn in as head of the six-month interim authority, that American troops could remain in the country "as long as there are these terrorist elements hiding out in Afghanistan". The 44-year-old Pashtun royalist also said the peacekeepers would stay in Afghanistan until stability returned to the country after more than two decades of war. Currently the force, which is set to number between 3,000-5,000 troops has a six-month mandate. (Agencies) |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 24: Chief Justice of J&K High Court Mr Justice H K Sema today approved transfers and promotions including selection grades to the Sessions Judges in a full court meeting. Registrar General J&K High Court Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain issued orders of transfers and promotions. Mr Rajesh Kohli, Additional District and Sessions Judge Jammu is transferred and posted as Principal District and Sessions Judge Kargil vice Mr Janak Raj Kotwal who has been transferred and posted as Principal District and Sessions Judge Rajouri, the post fallen vacant due to the killing of Mr V K Phull. Mr S K Jamwal, Additional and District Sessions Judge (Leave Reserve) Jammu (Fast Track Court) is transferred and posted as Additional District and Sessions Judge Kishtwar. Mr Nazim-ud-Din Wani, Additional District and Sessions Judge (Leave reserve. Fast Track Court Hiranagar) Kathua is transferred and posted as Additional District and Sessions Judge (Leave reserve) Jammu vice Mr S K Jamwal. The full court meeting after considering the service record of eligible District and Sessions Judge placed Mr Nazir Ahmed Kakroo, Principal District and Sessions Judge Kupwara and Mr Kuldeep Singh, Additional District and Sessions Judge Ramban in the selection grade of 14300-400-18300 with effect from December 22, 2001. The meeting also accorded sanction to continuance in judicial service of Mr Kuldeep Singh, Additional District and Sessions Judge Ramban till he attains the age of 60 years. It is worthwhile to mention here that Mr Kuldeep Singh was due to retire after attaining the age of 58 years in the month of January 2002. In the full court meeting it was also decided that recruitment and appointments of three District and Sessions Judge will be made by direct recruitment and these posts will be advertised soon. In the full court meeting held on December 22, six senior Sub-Judges were recommended for the appointment of adhoc District and Sessions Judge till final selection is made under the rules. Those who were recommended included Mr Hariom Singh, Ahmad Ullah Malik, Abdul Rashid Bhat II, Kanwal Jit Singh, Shakti Kumar Gupta and Gopi Krishan Pandita. Is is also worthwhile to mention here that the names of adhoc District and Sessions Judges Mr Duni Chand Sagotra, First Additional Sessions Judge Jammu and Mohammad Nazir Fida, Additional Sessions Judge TADA Court have not figured in the list of adhoc Sessions Judges for further period. |
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Gen Padmanabhan next CoSC chairman NEW DELHI, Dec 24: Chief of Army Staff Gen S Padmanabhan will take over as Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee on December 31 following the retirement of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sushil Kumar. Gen Padmanabhan will be the senior-most chief as Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis will also retire, on December 31. The end of the year will see a change in the top guard of the Navy and Air Force with Air Marshal S Krishnaswamy taking over from Air Chief Marshal Tipnis and Rear Admiral Madhavendra Singh replacing Admiral Sushil Kumar. Sixty-year-old Gen Padmanabhan took over as Army Chief on September 30, 2000. A soldier’s soldier, he has held many prestigious command, staff and instructional positions including Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) and GOC, 15 Corps in Srinagar where he successfully handled the Hazratbal crisis in 1993. The fourth artillery officer to become chief, Gen Padmanabhan had the unique distinction of having commanded an artillery brigade and two infantry brigades in vastly diverse areas and terrain between July 1985 and February 1991. (UNI) |
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LAHORE, Dec 24 : The Lashkar-e-Toiba today said it had decided to move its militant wing to Kashmir from Pakistan following calls on Islamabad to ban the group and arrest its leaders. "Lashkar-e-Toiba will continue its militant activities against the Indian Army in occupied Kashmir," leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed told a news conference here. He said the group had appointed a new commander to its militant wing, Maulana Abdul Wahid Kashmiri, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir. "We do not care about the U.S. decision to declare Lashkar-e-Toiba a terrorist organisation as we do not want a certificate from the U.S. For being non-terrorists," Saeed added. (REUTERS) |
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Freezing accounts not enough: Nambiar ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Vijay Nambiar today said Pakistan Government’s decision to freeze the accounts of Lashkar-e-Toiba and the announcement by Lashkar chief Hafeez Muhammad Saeed to quit as its head do not meet India’s demand for a crackdown on the two outfits. Reacting to the twin announcements, he told the media here that "it is not enough. We want the culprits to be brought to book." Nambiar told BBC yesterday that "for the time being" India was not considering severing diplomatic ties with Pakistan. Nambiar, who has been recalled by the Indian Government as a mark of protest for Pakistan’s reluctance to crack down on Lashkar and another Pakistan-based Islamic militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad for their involvement in the terrorist attack on Parliament, would leave for New Delhi towards the end of this week. According to High Commission officials, Nambiar was not scheduled to leave by tomorrow’s flight from Lahore to New Delhi. He, however, was expected to catch the next flight to Delhi which was on December 28. Nambiar reportedly called on Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar and was later expected to make farewell calls on Pakistan Foreign Secretary Inamul Haq, who went along with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to China. Haq was due in Islamabad tonight. Earlier, Nambiar told the local media here that India wants to see that the issue could be resolved through diplomatic means instead of use of force. Referring to the chances of war between the two countries, he said "tension does exist. But we do expect that there may not be such possibilities and even if there are, they should be less. It will be better if the problem is resolved through diplomatic means." Nambiar said his recall was a signal to Pakistan to recognise the seriousness of the issue. "I was called back after considerable consideration. Though you may term this approach as harsh but we consider it as beneficial as it depends by the point of view. So far as the response of my Government is concerned is very beneficial and has been taken after sufficient consideration. "It is signal on our part. We believe that it will make people realise the importance of the issue that how far we are desirous of solving this problem." If the problem cannot be resolved through diplomatic means then what course can be adopted for its solution, he asked. Instead of resorting to use of force we want to resolve it through diplomatic course, he said. Nambiar said the Indian Government has kept all its options open and weighed the effectiveness of methods it adopted. (PTI) |
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George blames Pak for support to attackers SIACHEN, Dec 24: Blaming Pakistan for its active support to terrorists involved in the December 13 attack on Parliament, Defence Minister George Fernandes today said India had moved some troops to forward areas to match Pakistan’s build-up on the border. "After December 13, there is tension on the border. There is build-up of forces by Pakistan on border. So India also had to take similar steps to send some troops to forward areas. The process is also on to send some more forces," he said addressing jawans guarding the sensitive border at an altitude of 18,000 ft under inhospitable conditions. Referring to December 13 attack, Fernandes said all evidence suggests to conspiracy hatched by Pakistan to not only bring down the Parliament house but also to destabilise the strong democracy in the country. The terrorists, who attacked the seat of democracy, came fully prepared and were punished by the security personnel, he said. Stating that Indian Army was fully prepared to meet any eventuality, the Defence Minister asked the soldiers to be vigilant to the challenges. The country has faced similar challenges earlier also and emerged successful, he said noting the courage demonstrated by the Indian soldiers during the Kargil conflict. Stating that global community had witnessed the challenges of terrorism only after September 11 attack in the US, Fernandes said India has been facing the menace for more than a decade and waged its own battle. "Now the US has understood what terrorism is. India has been raising the issue of terrorism from across the border before the international fora. But the world community was not bothered," he said. During the day-long visit, Fernandes visited several forward areas in an effort to boost morale of soldiers. Fernandes had earlier said he would be spending his Christmas with jawans who were bravely facing the proxy war from across the border. Fernandes would also visit Drass, Kargil and some forward areas in the western sector. (PTI) |
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