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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, June 25: Nine top militants including a dreaded ultra Shabir Lawe, a district commander of Hizbul Mujahideen were eliminated by army, BSF and police in separate operations across Poonch, Doda and Udhampur districts since last evening. Three army jawans were killed and three others including a Major were injured in another operation in Laa area of Thanna Mandi in Rajouri district. Official sources said an army team, that was heading for Laa in Thanna Mandi area of Rajouri district to eliminate the militants, was ambushed by the militants this morning. Troops fired back but the militants had taken positions in advantageous locations. Till this evening, three army jawans had been killed and three others including Major A P Singh seriously injured. Deceased army jawans have been identified as Lance Naik Rajesh Kumar, Sepoys Romeshwar and Lance Naik Ravindera Singh. Injured included Major A P Singh, Naik Naresh Kumar and Lance Naik Sanjeev Kumar. Injured were evacuated from the encounter site and admitted in Army hospital. One militant was also killed in the operation tonight. Sources said there were atleast 12 to 14 militants involved in ambush on army patrol. Massive re-enforcement of troops has been rushed to Laa to eliminate the militants. A breakthrough was expected by late tonight, they added. Meanwhile, SSP Doda Ashkoor Wani told EXCELSIOR that a massive search operation was launched by Rashtriya Rifles and Special Task Force (STF) Gandoh in village Kilotran in Gandoh area of Doda late last night. Operation was launched after a confirmed information was received about the movement of a group of militants in the village. Seeing the approaching columns of army and police, the militants took shelter in the house of a Forest guard. STF and army jawans waited for the militants to come out of the house in an attempt to prevent civilian casualties. Early today, one of the militant came out of the house without a weapon and started running towards a forest area. As he didn’t stop despite repeated warnings, he was gunned down by the army. Another militant was killed inside the house after civilians managed to come out. Slain militants have been identified as Shamas-ud-Din Wani alias Shabir Lawe alias Shamim Ahmed son of Abdul Gani Wani, a resident of Dallian and Aftaab Ahmed alias Sher Khan son of Showkat Ahmed, a resident of Kilotran. Lawe was also known as ‘Peer’. Two AK-56 rifles, one pistol, a wireless set and ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter. Shabir Lawe was active in Doda for last five years and was presently working as ‘district commander’ of Hizbul Mujahideen for Doda. Lawe’s killing was a big setback to Hizbul outfit, the sources said. Lawe was oldest militant in Doda district. He was trained in Pakistan in 1989. Lawe was also involved in the killings of 15 BSF jawans in Gandoh in 1990. He was known for forcibly recruiting local youths into militancy and taking them to Pakistan for arms training. Another militant was gunned down by security forces at village Hanoo under the jurisdiction of Gandoh police station last night. His identity couldn’t be ascertained. One pistol was recovered from his possession. In another successful operation, army and Poonch Police liquidated two foreign mercenaries in Bari Bahak village near Hill Kaka in Surankot tehsil of Poonch district this morning. Security forces, according to sources, retaliated after being fired upon by the militants from a dhok, where they had taken shelter. In retaliation, two militants were killed while three to four others managed to escape and fled deep into a surrounding forest area of Hill Kaka. No casualty was reported on army side in the encounter. Two AK-56 rifles with seven magazines and 190 rounds, eight hand grenades, four rifle grenades and three UBGL grenades were recovered from the possession of two slain militants, whose identity couldn’t be established immediately. Army continued searches in Hill Kaka forests to track down the absconding militants but they remained untraced. Slain militants were activists of Hizbul Mujahideen’s Pir Panjal Regiment (HMPPR). A foreign mercenary was shot dead by jawans of 73 battalion of BSF in Mutgala area of Gool tehsil in Udhampur district last night. He was hiding in a house, which was cordoned off by BSF jawans. In the exchange of firing that lasted about an hour, the BSF jawans killed a mercenary without suffering any casualty. Killed militant was later identified as Abu Shamama alias ‘Doctor’, hailing from Pakistan. He happened to be a ‘commander’ of Lashkar outfit and was involved in many atrocities on civilians in Gool area. Recovery made from him included one AK rifle with four magazines and 155 rounds, one Chinese pistol with one magazine and four rounds, a hand grenade and one bayonet. Jawans of 108 BSF also recovered one AK rifle with three magazines and 50 rounds during a search operation in Basa village of Mahore tehsil of Udhampur. Two militants were shot dead by security personnel in Arai village Mandi sector in Poonch last night. Identification of the militants couldn’t be established immediately. One Pika gun, one AK-56 rifle, four hand grenades, 80 Pika rounds, 150 AK rounds and six AK magazines were recovered from the scene of encounter. Meanwhile, army today arrested four youths, who had recently been recruited by the militants and were being taken to Pakistan for arms training. They had separated from their main group. They have been identified as Javed Ahmed Mir, 19, son of Abdul Gaffar Mir R/o Nuristan, Tral, Mushtaq Ahmed Mir, 19, son of Habibullah Mir R/o Pushana, Tral, Mohd Amin, 18, son of Abdul Aziz R/o Nuristan, Tral and Mushtaq, 18, son of Ghulam Mohd Naik R/o Tarai, Tral in Pulwama district. Mushtaq Ahmed Mir and Mohd Amin were bus conductors. On June 22, army had apprehended two Kashmiri boys in Surankot. |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, June 25: Fortyeight persons, mostly tourists and army personnel, were injured, one of them seriously, when a powerful scooter bomb ripped through the army parking area outside Second Class current booking counter near Movement Control Officer (MCO) in Railway Station tonight. Six vehicle including two army vehicles and a Maruti car were damaged in the blast that occurred at 2110 hours and left screens of several shops in Second Class waiting hall damaged. Blast triggered panic among the tourists especially the pilgrims scheduled to travel through Pune bound Jhelum Express that was to leave the station in next half an hour. SSP Crime and Railways Jammu, M A Anjum told EXCELSIOR late tonight that explosive device, whose exact nature couldn’t be ascertained immediately, had been planted in a scooter and parked in a lane, close to army parking area. The improvised device went off at 2110 hours with a bang damaging parked vehicles and screens of shops and causing injuries to 48 persons including few women and children. Anjum said the scooter had been parked in the lane which was close to Second Class current booking counter, Mussafir Khan (waiting hall) No. 2 and army’s Movement Control Office. Such was the impact of explosion that it created a two and a half feet crater at the spot. Scooter was lost completely in the explosion. Six parked vehicles including a Maruti car No. 5656 JK02J and a Bajaj Scooter No. 7047 JK02D and two army vehicles also suffered extensive damage in the blast. Twentyseven injured were admitted in Medical College hospital, three in Gandhi Nagar hospital and five in Military Hospital, Satwari. Other injured including some women and children were given first-aid by army and discharged, Anjum said. Doctors in the Medical College said condition of one of the injured, who has been identified as Santosh Nigam from Lucknow was stated to be serious. He was being operated upon when the reports last came in. Police said all the injured had sustained splinter injuries of the explosive device as well as wind screens which got damaged with the explosion. Most of the injured were sitting in the Second Class waiting hall. IGP Crime and Railways Chowdhary Masood, DIG Crime & Railways P K Gupta, SSP M A Anjum and SP Chowdhary Gulzar rushed to the site of explosion immediately. Civil and Jammu Police officials including Divisional Commissioner Anil Goswami, Deputy Commissioner R K Goel and SSP Jammu R R Swain also visited Railways Station for investigations. Mr Anjum said police have collected all splinters of the scooter and were making efforts to ascertain its chasis or engine number. Scooter had been blown into pieces and ascertaining its registration or any other number appeared to be a distinct possibility. Railways Police sources said the area, where the scooter bomb was planted by the militants, was mostly used by army for parking to reach their Movement Control Office. They said a boundary wall near the parking contained impact of explosion and minimised the nature of injuries. "At this stage, we can’t say much on the nature of explosive devices but two and half feet crater and extent of damage on the spot showed that RDX might have been used in it", the sources said, adding bomb experts have collected all relevant material from the spot. Sniffer dogs were also pressed into service by the police. Sources said checking and frisking of passengers both outside and inside the trains was intensified after the explosion. However, all trains including Jhelum Express left on scheduled timing. Railways Police have also taken the assistance of other security agencies for intensified checking. Efforts were also on to identify the militants and their outfit involved in the explosion. There was panic among the passengers at Railways Station following the explosions. Many of them were seen rushing towards the parked trains. However, normalcy was restored with the arrival of police and para-military on the spot. A Defence spokesman tonight said that army’s 166 Military Hospital treated 14 patients including six children, four women and four army jawans. A Quick Reaction Team of army medical was rushed to the spot. Some of the injured were later referred to Medical College hospital. Meanwhile, a general alert has been sounded in Jammu City and surroundings following militants’ strike. Police had reports that militants were planning to strike in the City to disrupt Amarnath pilgrimage, which coincides with Vajpayee-Musharraf summit next month. All City police stations and posts besides naka parties have been put on ‘maximum alert’. |
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SPO, Taxi driver
killed in Khansahib Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, June 25: In a chance encounter this evening, one Major of Rashtriya Rifles and three top-wanted militants of Hizbul Mujahideen died at Poshkreeri (Bijbehara) in Anantnag district. Earlier, in a mysterious shootout, one counter-insurgent SPO and a Taxi driver got killed at Dabipora, near Khansahib, in Budgam district. Informed sources in south Kashmir told EXCELSIOR that a patrol of Rashtriya Rifles 03 Bn spotted a group of militants bathing at Poshkreeri village in Bijbehara-Pahalgam belt, at 3.30 p.m today. As the militants found the troops nearby, they made an attempt to escape while firing several shots. In retaliation, troops killed two militants while as third one managed to escape. The militants killed on spot were identified as Hizbul Mujahideen’s battalion commander Bashir Ahmed Wagay alias Yusuf R/o Sallar and Farooq Ahmed Bhat alias Sheeraz R/o Wularhama. When troops collected the two dead bodies and began search for the third one, leader of the contingent, Major Rawat, was targetted from the house of Gaffar Mir. The Major, who was talking to his colleagues over radio, was hit in his head and he died on spot. Troops destroyed Gaffar Mir’s house, killing the Gujjar militant who had escaped and gunned down the Major. He was identified as Abdullah Khatana alias Khalid R/o Bidor. One Civilian, namely Ghulam Mohiuddin Dar S/o Ramzan Dar of Poshkreeri sustained injuries in exchange of gunfire. He was rushed to hospital. The search operation ended at 7.30 p.m. Three AK-56 rifles, one wireless set and nine grenades were recovered from the site of encounter. Today’s encounter took place in the residential locality of Hizbul Mujahideen’s topmost commander Aamir Khan alias Khalid Saifullah. Earlier at 3.50 p.m, one SPO and a Taxi driver got killed in a mysterious shootout at Dabipora, Khansahib. Official sources claimed that militants ambushed a privately-hired Taxi of SOG Budgam’s Khansahib camp at Dabipora, in upper Budgam. Five armed personnel of SOG Budgam were travelling in the vehicle. Sources said that SPOGhulam Nabi R/o Chaker, Pattan, as also driver Abdur Rasheed of Lattar Chadoura, got killed and four SOG men managed to escape and reached their Khansahib camp safely. Reinforcements rushed to the spot but there was no presence of militants in the area. Residents of upper Budgam localities insisted that there was no militants’ ambush. They suspected that the SPO and the driver were killed by their own colleagues. Today, militants lobbed a hand grenade towards a vehicle of Project Beacon at Regal Chowk in the capital city. It fell short of the target and exploded, causing injuries to a Beacon official as well as a civilian. An official bulletin said that one civilian, Altaf Hussain Shah of Uri, sustained injuries in a mine blast in Uri sector. |
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No fixed agenda for summit talks: Pak ISLAMABAD, June 25: Pakistan has said that there would be no fixed agenda for the forthcoming summit meeting between Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee but at the same time the focus of the talks between the two leaders would be on Kashmir. Speaking to the media here last night defence spokesman, Maj. Gen. Rashi Querishi and Secretary to Information Ministry, Sayed Anwar Mehmood said Pakistan was not insisting on any fixed agenda for the summit. "As far as Pakistan is concerned the focus of the dialogue will be on Kashmir and at the same time Pakistan is ready to talk about any issue which India may like to discuss," they said. Mahmood said a two-member foreign office team is leaving for New Delhi on June 27 to work out the details of the programme of Musharraf’s three-day visit beginning July 14. Gen. Querishi said the outgoing President Rafiq Tarar was informed about the dissolution of the Parliament and provincial assemblies a few days before Musharraf took over as President. He said the President’s office had become un-tenable with the dissolution of these institutions, adding an uncertainty was being created as to whether the assemblies would be restored or not. As laid down by the Supreme Court, the Government was committed to handing over power to an elected Government by October 2002, Querishi added. Querishi also denied reports that any Prime Minister or senior minister would be appointed. He said there would be no change in the functioning of the Government and also denied that Corps Commanders were being appointed as provincial Governors. He also termed as baseless, reports that local Government institutions would be used as an electoral college by Gen. Musharraf to get himself elected as President. Replying to queries on domestic issues, Gen. Querishi said the Government was studying proposals to reconstitute the National Security Council (NSC), to introduce stringent "checks and balances" to ensure smooth running of a future political set-up. He said the shape of proposed nsc had not yet been finalised and the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) was still working on it. Suggestions to include the leaders of political parties and all the four Governors in the NSC was under consideration, Querishi said, adding powers of the Chief of the Army Staff were being studied. (PTI) |
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Mufti for easing visa restrictions NEW DELHI, June 25: Former Union Home Minister and senior Kashmiri leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed today said India and Pakistan should ease the visa regime as a step to build confidence before the summit level meeting between the two countries. "The visa regime between the two countries should be eased immediately so that the divided families from both sides of the border could meet. This will go well down with the people in both the countries," Sayeed told reporters here. Welcoming the forthcoming Vajpayee-Musharraf summit, Sayeed, president of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party, hoped that a dialogue which was rational and based on practical wisdom alone could help find a lasting solution to the vexed Kashmir problem. "Both the countries have no alternative but to ensure peace. That is what the peoples of the two country want. The borders should not fail them by frittering away the gains that such a summit can achieve," he said. Among other confidence building measures, Sayeed said the Special Operation Group of the State police should be reined in or disbanded as it was very "infamous for its notorius acts." Sayeed said besides relaxing the visa regime, both the Governments should allow trading activities between the two divided sides of the State. He said the "surrendered militants engaged in anti- insurgency measures, who are widely responsible for the undue harassment to the common masses, should return arms." The State Government should also pay relief to the families of deceased militants. "If one in a family becomes a militant, the entire lot cannot be punished," he said. Sayeed, who quit Congress to form his own group, said the Government should also ensure concrete measures for return of Kashmiri migrants to their homes. Referring to elections in Jammu and Kashmir, he said "people of the State have lost faith in electoral process due to repeated rigging of elections. Thus it is imperative on the Government that in order to restore the people’s faith in the electoral process, free and fair elections should be ensured." (PTI) |
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‘Kashmir should remain integral part of secular India’ WASHINGTON, June 25: Ahead of the summit meet between Premier A B Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, influential Congressmen and prominent members of the US establishment have said that solution to the Kashmir problem must be found within the framework of secular India. Vajpayee deserves kudos for ending the deadlock between the two countries, said Congressman Jim McDermott, co-chairman of the India Caucus, adding the challenge before Vajpayee is to reach a solution under which Kashmir remains an integral part of secular India. "Kashmir has to remain an integral part of secular India," he said, speaking at a symposium organised on the plight of Kashmiri Pandits held in Fremont, California. Realising India’s rising global stature, he said, "India has potentially a great role to play in the geopolitical solution to the instability in the region stretching from Iran and Afghanistan up to China and including Pakistan. "When you look at that area on the map, you realize how central India really is," McDermott said. Until the Kashmir issue is resolved, he said, India will not be able to reach its full potential and take its place as a world leader. Yossef Bodansky, Director of a congressional terrorism task force, said: "Kashmir has been transformed into an instrument of Pakistan-run strategy and the evidence of it was the war in Kargil in the summer of 1999. The Kashmiri Jihad, Pakistanis will tell you, is a war for the liberation of the Muslims of the Valley." "However, the population of the areas where the bulk of the crossing over the border took place was Muslim Shiite and Tibetan Buddhist. What were they going to do there? Kashmir is a classic case of Islamic state sponsorship taking over an indigenous movement," Bodansky said. The Pakistani involvement in Kashmir is to fulfil the dream of its founder to include Kashmir as a part of Pakistan, he said, adding "I am afraid that for the foreseeable future, unless there is some drastic change, the world will be meeting again and again discussing the trials and tribulations of Kashmir. Congratulating the Vajpayee Government for extending a hand to Musharraf, McDermot said: "However illegitimate General Musharraf’s Government may be, it is still the power to be reckoned with. However, appearing sceptical about Musharraf, he said "while his comments are generally positive in the press, the fundamentalists are making it extraordinarily difficult for him to actually carry them out." Congressman Mike Honda said "I feel very sad to hear about the plight of a community in India which has been suffering for so many years at the hands of Islamic zealots". (PTI) |
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Lawyers stay away on
re-opening of HC Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, June 25: Jammu Bar president D S Saini has constituted a "fact-finding committee" to probe into the circumstances under which a " resolution" was passed by some lawyers wherein the strike in protest against the opening of fast Track Courts/Circuit Courts was called off. About 55 lawyers had recently passed a signed " resolution", the copies of which were faxed to the newspaper offices, wherein they had decided to call off the strike and further passed a " no confidence motion" in the leadership of D S Saini. This was claimed in the pressnote sent to newspaper offices. It was in the backdrop of the same "resolution" that Bar chief today constituted a fact finding committee to probe into this resolution , which has been termed as " fake". The Committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days. Thereafter, president will place the report before the general house for disciplinary action against the "alleged conspirators" responsible for "sabotaging" the ongoing strike. This committee was constituted after a group of lawyers,( whose names appeared in the resolution), approached Bar president with the denial of their signatures. Meanwhile, while the High Court re-opened today after summer vacations, the lawyers stayed away from appearing in the courts on the first day, as dharna launched by Jammu Bar entered third straight day today. Bar chief, under whose supervision the dharna was held today, appealed to Chief Justice of India Dr A S Anand to intervene into the matter so that smooth functioning of the courts in Jammu and Kashmir is resumed. He declared that mass dharna will continue till demands of Advocates were accepted. Meanwhile, the strike launched by Jammu lawyers in protest against the opening of Fast Track/Circuit Courts entered 64th day today. Bar chief claimed that the normal functioning of both High Courts and Subordinate Courts remained " paralysed" today also. |
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Intl chartered flights likely for Srinagar NEW DELHI, June 25: In a bid to promote tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, the Government is contemplating several steps including allowing of landing facility for international chartered flights at the Srinagar Airport, official sources said here today. The Government was likely to take a decision soon as this could give fillip to tourism in the State by enabling tour operators to straight away bring tourists from foreign countries, the sources told PTI here. The move is also aimed at negating the misinformation campaign launched by some vested interests that the situation in the State was not conducive for visits by tourists, the sources said. They said that the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, K C Pant, who is also the Centre’s negotiator on Kashmir, had evinced keen interest in the proposal. The matter was raised by several groups and individuals in their meeting with Pant, during his visit to the State last month. The Srinagar Airport has already been upgraded to meet the requirements of landing of international flights, the sources said. Besides this, the Indian Airlines would soon be allowing a promotional package for groups and tourists for Srinagar, the sources said. They said this had been a long standing demand of tour operators of Kashmir. This was also discussed at a meeting where several issues of Kashmir were reviewed by Pant. Other measures in the field of civil aviation sector were extending the airport at Kargil, the sources said. The railways has also been asked to prepare a feasibility report on laying of more tracks and building of additional bridges along the Jammu-Pathankot sector. This move is aimed at boosting the industry sector of the State and easy transportation of petroleum goods, the sources said. About the laying of Bhatinda-Kathua petroleum pipe line, the sources said some initial hurdles were there and the Government expected to overcome them soon. The Petroleum Ministry had sought commercial tax exemption from the State Government as otherwise the proposal would not be cost-effective, the sources said, adding the Government was likely to take a decision on this shortly after consulting the Finance Ministry. (PTI) |
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Kashmir talks path to peace: Jaswant WELLINGTON, June 25: India and Pakistan are on a path of dialogue and reconciliation over Kashmir after two years of stalemate, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said today. Singh, the first Indian Exteral Affairs Minister to visit New Zealand, was speaking after talks with Prime Minister Helen Clark and top ministers. He said they discussed the upcoming summit between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf. "We discussed the recent developments in our neighbourhood and the projected visit by President Pervez Musharraf which is due in the middle of July," Singh told reporters. "That process (talks) is a continuation of what India has always subscribed to, a path of dialogue and reconciliation," Singh said. "It’s a continuation of the .. Process, and we will persist with it," he added. "I work on the basis of resolving issues," Singh responded when asked if he could see a time when the dispute over Kashmir will be resolved. Singh said New Zealand and India share a common position on Fiji, where rebels last year toppled the elected Government led by ethnic Indian Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry. "We hope very much that elections are held peacefully, they are violence free and also that the electorate of Fiji provides a very stable answer to the issues that currently afflict that country," Singh said. (AP) |
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Musharraf optimistic about summit ISLAMABAD, June 25: Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf today said he was cautiously optimistic about next month’s summit meeting with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and vowed not to compromise on the country’s resolve to maintain minimum nuclear deterrence. "South Asia must come out of the pit of poverty and learn to live in peace and harmony. It is in this spirit that I have accepted the invitation of Indian Prime Minister," he said. "I am going there with cautious optimism", Musharraf, who will be visiting India for three days from July 14 said addressing the 26th International Nathiagali Summer College on Physics and Contemporary Needs here. Musharraf said he would continue to rely on nuclear deterrence as that was the only way Pakistan protected its security as well as economic interests. "Minimum nuclear deterrence will not and cannot be compromised as the security of Pakistan rests on this capability", he said. Stating that Pakistan’s capability "is entirely for self-defence" he said "we have no aggressive designs". Without metioning India or the proposed cuts in Pakistan’s defence budget, he said "we believe in acquiring minimum nuclear deterrence and do not want to direct our limited resources towards the race of weapons of mass destruction." The Musharraf Government for the first time in Pakistan’s history, has proposed a marginal Rs two billion cut in the defence spending which in actual terms amounted to about 6.5 per cent. (PTI) |
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Hurriyat meeting a ‘non-issue’ NEW DELHI, June 25: India today described as a "non-issue," the Hurriyat leaders decision to seek meeting with Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf. An official spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry said that any meeting of the Hurriyat leaders with Gen Musharraf was a "non issue" in the context of the Indo-Pak dialogue. Asked whether the Hurriyat leaders will meet the Pakistan President at a reception being hosted by the Pakistan High Commissioner, the spokesperson said that Gen Musharraf’s programme here has to be finalised mutually. She said a high level official team of security, protocol and the Foreign Ministry will arrive here in the first week of July for talks with Indian officials on various aspects of the President’s visit. They will also visit Agra and Ajmer to discuss security as well as other arrangments of the visit. She said that President Musharraf’s itinerary is being finalised and the two countries are holding consultations on the issue. (UNI) |
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Hizb for top priority to Kashmir NEW DELHI, June 25: The Hizbul Mujahideen today urged India to initiate more confidence building measures in Jammu and Kashmir and threatened to step up its militant activities if the Kashmir issue was not accorded top priority at next month’s India-Pakistan summit. "The Indian leadership should take steps like the withdrawal of forces, the stoppage of human rights violations, and the release of prisoners as part of their confidence building measures, "Hizb supreme commander Syed Salahuddin told a private TV channel. The Hizb chief said the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), a conglomerate of more than 23 political and other groups, should be included in the next stage of talks. Unless the Kashmir issue was given a focus and basic priority in the summit meeting between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the Hizb would not restrict its operations against the security forces in the strife-torn state, the United Jihad Council leader said. He stressed the need for addressing the Kashmir issue in the summit and resolving it in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of the troubled state. On July 24, last year, the Hizb had announced a unilateral cease-fire in the state but withdrew it on August 8.(UNI) |
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Kohli shifted from IT Ministry NEW DELHI, June 25: Government today shifted Vinay Kohli, Secretary in the Information Technology Ministry, to the Department of Chemicals and Petro-Chemicals and brought R R Shah, Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, in his place. Shah, a 1967 batch IAS officer from UP cadre, will continue as ex-officio secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation to look after the monitoring of the Gujarat earthquake reconstruction programmes, an official announcement here said. V N Kaul, Secretary in the Department of Chemicals and Petro-Chemicals, has been appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The new assignments were approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. (PTI) |
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22,300 yatris registered at Jammu Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, June 25: With the registration of 1,747 pilgrims on the last day of advance registration for Amarnath Yatris today, a total number of 22,300 pilgrims were registered here since the registration started on June 10. This figure is 250 pilgrims more than the allotted quota of 22,050 pilgrims which were to be registered at Jammu counters during the 16 day long advance enrollment. Disclosing this the Deputy Director Tourism, Mr Manhas who is also the Registration Officer said out of 22,300 Yatris registered at Jammu so far, 18,676 will leave via Pahalgam, Chandanwari track while 3,624 will leave via Baltal, Sonamarg track. These pilgrims have been registered for the different dates in the month long pilgrimage that begins on July 2. |
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SRINAGAR, June 25: The Hurriyat Conference today decided to wait for the response from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf to its communication to both the leaders seeking appointments with them. "We discussed the forthcoming Indo-Pak summit and unanimously decided to wait for the response of the two leaders to our communication," Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat told reporters after a three-hour executive council meeting of the 23-party conglomerate. Bhat, who reluctantly agreed to talk to mediapersons, said it was premature to say anything about the possible response of the two leaders. "We will wait for some time and after a week’s time we will decide our future course of action which will be decided and deliberated upon in the next meeting of the executive council after a week or so," he said. Last week, Hurriyat had sent similar letters to the two leaders after the 23-party conglomerate failed in its attempt to get accepted as a party to the Kashmir issue. The meeting was held close on the heels of some Hurriyat leaders meeting Pakistani High Commissioner Ashraf Jehangir Qazi in New Delhi. Former Hurriyat chairman and firebrand Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who had skipped the executive meetings in the past, attended today’s meeting. Geelani claimed recently that contents of the letter sent to Vajpayee and Musharraf were not discussed at the last meeting of the executive council held on June 13. (PTI) |
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