 |
Throat
slit after kidnapping Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 10: Militants massacred eight civilians of minority community and critically wounded three others after kidnapping them from hilly Sajjar village across Chenab river in Atholi area of Kishtwar tehsil in Doda district. The carnage was a clear attempt by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants to sabotage Centre’s peace initiative, which had been gaining momentum, official sources said. They said a total of 11 civilians, all male, were kidnapped by a big group of 12 to 14 heavily armed militants from Sajjar where they were cutting grass in the fields at 1000 hours today. SP Doda Ashkoor Wani told EXCELSIOR on telephone from Doda this evening before leaving for the spot that six dead bodies of civilians were recovered at about 1630 hours at a distance of about two kms from Sajjar. Three civilians were found in seriously injured condition while whereabouts of two others couldn’t be ascertained. Unconfirmed reports, however, said that two missing civilians have also been found dead. Eleven civilians, who were kidnapped, have been identified as Manhas Chand and his brother Sri Lal sons of Nand Lal, Isher Lal son of Wazir Chand, Ram Krishan son of Swaroop Chand, Tirath Ram, son of Bhag Chand, Chakardari son of Ramju, Santoor Singh son of Chowdhary Ram Chand, Harnam Singh son of Suram Singh, Sagar Lal son of Roop Chand, Hakim Singh son of Lakha Ram and Chamel Singh son of Laxmi Ram. All of them were residents of Sajjar and surrounding villages. Sources couldn’t say as to who were the dead, injured and missing from the list of 11 in view of communication gap as a first police and security forces team was yet to reach the spot. The team, which left Atholi immediately after getting a report, was expected to reach the spot tonight. A post of Special Police Officer (SPOs) was located inside Sajjar village. By the time, the SPOs came into action, the militants had killed the hostages. Three injured civilians were in the process of being shifted to sub district hospital of Kishtwar from where they were expected to be referred to Medical College hospital here. Sources said the militants had slit throats of all civilians. Few of them had been fired upon to ensure their death. Bodies of civilians were shifted to some houses by local people this evening. Authorities in Doda this evening sounded a general alert in the entire district in anticipation of trouble tomorrow in the wake of minority community members massacre. Tension was simmering among minorities following killings. This was second carnage in Jammu province in last three days. On Monday, militants had kidnapped and killed seven Gujjars in Dara Sangla area of Surankot tehsil in Poonch district. The Gujjars too had been killed by slitting their throats. Behind both massacres, sources were suspecting the hands of Lashkar militants. Sources said Lashkar outfit had its presence in Atholi area for the past quite sometime. Several operations were launched in the area in recent past but the militants remained elusive. Meanwhile, army and Special Task Force (STF), Doda gunned down three militants in two separate encounter in Chatru, Kishtwar and Padri Dhar, Bhaderwah today. Official sources said the first encounter took place with militants in Chatru Singhpur area of Kishtwar at 12 noon today after a confidence building patrol party was fired upon by the ultras. Army and STF personnel immediately fired back. An exchange of firing between the two sides lasted one and a half hour in which two militants including a ‘divisional commander’ of Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami (HUJI) Mohd Hussain alias Ishaq were killed. Identity of the second slain militant couldn’t be established immediately. Two AK-47 rifles and a large quantity of ammunition and explosives were recovered from the possession of slain militants. Security forces didn’t suffer any casualty in the operation. Another encounter took place between STF jawans and two hiding militants in Padri Dhar of Bhaderwah at 1545 hours today. One of the militant Irshad Ahmed R/o Doda and affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen outfit was killed in the operation while his associate fled away. One AK rifle, one Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) and war like stores, which could have caused large scale damage to civilian life and property, were recovered from the encounter site. Troops continued efforts to eliminate the absconding militant. In another incident, security forces foiled an intrusion attempt in Poonch sector last night. Sources said troops observed movement across the LoC at 2200 hours last night in Mandi sector and opened firing. Infiltrating militants ran back towards the LoC leaving behind four AK rifles, 264 rounds, one Pika gun, one UBGL with 10 grenades, two hand grenades, two pistol silencers and two binoculars. Strength, identity and outfit of the infiltrators couldn’t be ascertained, the sources said. |
|
Two students, Govt employee among 5 gangsters arrested Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, May 10: Two students and a Government employee were among five members of a scooter lifters gang arrested by City police today. From their possession, three stolen motor-cycles and one scooter have so far been recovered. Police also smashed another gang engaged in removing gold from ornaments by using sulphuric acid, thus, cheating the people. Five members of the gang have been arrested while one of them managed to escape. Police sources identified the arrested members of scooter lifters gang as Satish Singh son of Des Raj R/o Udheywala, a daily-wage employee of Horticulture Department, Amit Kundal son of Jangi Ram R/o Ranjitpura, Talab Tillo, a higher secondary part-II student of SM Jain higher secondary school and Vikas Kumar son of Rattan Lal R/o Bohri, Talab Tillo, a B Com Part-I students of SPMR Commerce College. Two other persons arrested with the gang included Joginder Singh son of Amar Nath R/o Abdullian, RS Pura, a painter and Ashok Kumar of Akhnoor. While Joginder Singh used to paint the stolen scooters, Ashok Kumar was recipient of stolen property, sources said. Sources said one of the gangster Satish Singh was intercepted by a Pacca Danga police station party at Shakuntla Crossing when he was riding on a scooter. However, he didn’t stop and tried to escape. In the meantime, the scooter exhausted of petrol and Satish Singh was arrested by police. Scooter found in his possession turned out to be a stolen one, they said, adding Satish was subjected to questioning during which he admitted that he was part of a scooter lifters gang. He also disclosed the identity of his other associates, all of whom were arrested in the raids carried out by police late last night. So far, one scooter and three motor-cycles have been recovered at their instance. All stolen two-wheelers were being run with fictitious registration numbers. They had stolen two-wheelers from Chander Bagha Community Hall, Canal Road, Gurha Morh, Jain School and a private Polytechnic College along Akhnoor road. Police didn’t rule out the possibility of more stolen vehicles recovery from their possession as questioning of gang members was still in progress. Pacca Danga police have also arrested five members of another gang, which used to cheat women by removing gold from their ornaments. They included Vikram Kumar of Saharanpur, Mohd Mumtaz and Pinku Kumar of Bagalpur, Bihar, Manoj Kumar and Rinku Parsad of Delhi. Shiva of Bagalpur managed to escape. Police said the gangsters approached the house of a Junior Engineer Sunil Raina in Panjtirthi. They told JE’s wife that they can revive shining of her golden ornaments. However, in the process, they removed gold from the ornaments using sulphuric acid. Getting a tip off, police raided the house and arrested five of them. Their one associate fled away. Police said the gang members had cheated a number of people by using the same modus operandi. Both the gangs were smashed by a Pacca Danga police station party headed by SHO Inspector Swaran Singh Jangi under the supervision of SSP Jammu Rashmi Ranjan Swain, SP City (North) Sheetal Singh and SDPO City Ashok Sharma. |
|
Pant hints at meeting with Shah NEW DELHI, May 10: Centre’s interlocutor on Kashmir K C Pant today indicated possibility of holding talks with Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah saying he would be holding parleys with all those groups which have responded to the Government’s proposal for restoring peace in the State. "I will be actually meeting with all such groups who have shown some response to the Centre’s offer," Pant told reporters on the sidelines of a briefing organised on the completion of one year of National Population Commission (NCP). Pant is Vice-Chairman of the NCP with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as its Chairman. Pant, who is also the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, said so far he had received invitation from the Awami National Conference leader G M Shah to visit the Valley. Asked whether he would also be meeting Shabir Shah during his visit to the Valley, Pant said "well he has responded to the Centre’s offer and we will see what works out." However, Pant said the action plan for the Kashmir valley will be finalised only after his visit to Srinagar was finalised. Though Hurriyat Conference has also responded to the Centre’s initiative, Pant continues to maintain that he does not believe in communication through media. The ANC extended the invitation through Muzzaffar Shah, spokesman of the party and also the son of ANC chief on May 8. "I have gladly accepted the invitation of ANC," Pant said. The ANC led by Shah has accepted Centre’s invitation for talks with a condition that Pant should visit the State and see "reason" in Kashmiris’ "wishes and national aspirations". Earlier, Pant said he would be soon replying to the clarifications sought by Shabir Shah-led Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) on the Kashmir issue. "I have read the letter and I will be replying soon on the clarifications," Pant said refusing to give any further details. Last week, a two-member JKDFP team comprising Saleem Geelani, spokesman and chief organiser of the party, and Maulana Abdullah Tari, secretary general, handed a letter to Pant seeking clarifications on the Centre’s move. The party had made it clear that it would take the next step after receiving a "right response" to four issues raised by it for "clarifications" from Pant. The clarifications were sought on whether talks would be held with Pakistan, even though at a later stage, agenda of talks and whether the Centre considered the Kashmir issue as a law and order problem or a dispute which needs to be resolved. JKDFP also sought to know whether the Government was serious about holding talks with groups like National Conference and Congress and whether the Government planned to hold talks with the Kashmiri militant groups. (PTI) |
|
Heavy turnout of voters in Assembly polls NEW DELHI, May 10: An estimated 65 percent of the over 13 crore voters cast their ballots in assembly elections in four States and the Union Territory of Pondicherry as violence marred balloting in Assam, West Bengal and Kerala killing 12 people. Assam, where polling took place under the spectre of ULFA violence, 65 percent of the voters came out to exercise their right defying the threats by militant outfits. Kerala registered the highest turnout (73 percent) among the five States, followed by West Bengal (71), Pondicherry (65) and Tamil Nadu (58), Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill told reporters here. In Assam, where 37 people were killed in the run up to the election, poll-related violence today claimed six lives, including those of four security personnel, and five persons, including three Trinamool Congress and a CPI(M) worker, were killed in neighbouring West Bengal. A CPI(M) activist was killed in violence-prone Kannur district of Kerala, allegedly by RSS cadres. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee did not cast her vote in Kolkata as she had been camping in far-away Midnapore, scene of violence between her party and CPI(M) supporters, to ensure that Trinamool activisits were not prevented from exercising their franchise. Gill said repolling had been ordered in 64 booths in Assam and 11 in West Bengal following reports of poll irregularities. Use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the first time in all constituencies in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Pondicherry and in four constituencies in and around Guwahati, has been successful, Deputy Election Commissioner Subhas Pani said. Voting took place for 294 seats in West Bengal, 234 in Tamil Nadu, 140 in Kerala, 125 in Assam and 30 in Pondicherry in what was dubbed as "mini-general elections" since Vajpayee Government assumed office in 1999. Among the candidates whose fortunes were sealed are West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and CWC member A K Antony. AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha could not contest in the election as her nominations were rejected in view of her conviction in a corruption case. Counting of votes will be taken up on Sunday morning and most of the results are expected to be available by the evening. (PTI) |
|
|
NEW DELHI, May 10: The Congress is set to emerge as a major gainer in today’s "mini general elections" wresting power in Assam and Kerala and sharing it in Tamil Nadu with the J Jayalalitha-led Secular Front, knocking out the NDA and the Left Front from these States, says an exit poll on Doordarshan this evening. The ruling Left Front appears to have beaten back the spirited offensive of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress-Congress combine in a closely contested fight in West Bengal, projects the Times-DRS poll. In the Union Territory of Pondicherry, the Tamil Nadu allies AIADMK-Congress-CPI are likely to form the Government by joining hands in the post-poll scenario, to edge out the DMK, a constituent of the NDA. The actual counting of ballots will be held on Sunday and today’s exit poll was conducted as an indicative exercise. With the pollsters predicting a close fight in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, a veil of suspense continues to hang over the actual outcome. Anti-incumbency, rising prices, corruption and lack of pro-poor policies were identified as the major factors in deciding the voters’ choice at the hustings. The Congress-led UDF is set to get a two-thirds majority in Kerala with 100 of the 140 seats while the ruling LDF is poised for a drubbing with only 37 seats, according to exit poll. The UDF is likely to get 48 per cent of the votes while the LDF would secure 42 per cent. Others will get nine per cent. The UDF vote share indicates a five per cent swing in its favour. Congress state president Balakrishna Pillai, participating in a discussion on the national channel of DD, dismissed speculation that in-fighting within the party would make the selection of the Chief Minister a contentious issue. The exit poll showed Congress leader A K Antony as the front runner for the post. In Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK front led by J Jayalalitha is set to wrest power from the ruling DMK, winning 125 of the 234 seats. The DMK-led front would get 105 seats in a close fight. The DMK front is likely to get 47 per cent of the votes while the AIADMK front of J Jayalalitha, who was debarred from contesting the assembly polls following her conviction in the Tansi land deal case, will get 48 per cent, projects the Times-DRS poll. Others are likely to get the remaining five per cent votes. The ruling Left Front appears to have held on to its bastion in West Bengal with some effort, winning 150 of the 294 seats with the Trinamool Congress-Congress (I) combine close behind with 138 seats, according to the exit poll. The Left Front and the TC-Congress combine are likely to be tied at a 44 per cent vote share with the others getting 12 per cent. Stormy petrel Mamata Banerjee, who could not cast her vote today due to poll violence in Midnapore, may not fulfil her aspiration to become Chief Minister this time but she has been able to shake the Left Front, which has suffered a six per cent negative swing. On the other hand, Ms Banerjee’s gamble to part ways with the BJP in favour of the Congress appears to have paid off with a four per cent swing in the combine’s favour. In insurgency-hit Assam, the Congress is likely to form the Government, winning 60 of the 126 seats while the ruling AGP-BJP combine would be reduced to only 33 seats, the exit poll said. The Congress vote share is projected at 42 per cent, with a 12 per cent swing in its favour. The ruling AGP-BJP combine is set to suffer a negative swing of 9 per cent, notching up a vote share of 31 per cent. Others, with 32 seats, are likely to play a crucial role in Government formation. The Congress is falling short of the half-way mark of 63 by three seats. The election in Dibrugarh constituency has been countermanded following the killing of the BJP candidate. In the Union Territory of Pondicherry, the opposition DMK is poised to get 40 per cent of the vote share followed by 28 per cent for the TMC-INC-CPI and 25 per cent for the AIADMK. However, in the post-poll scenario, the DMK is likely to be edged out as the other combines are expected to join hands to retain power. The AIADMK and the TMC-INC-CPI front went to the polls separately in Pondicherry despite being in alliance in neighbouring Tamil Nadu The Times-DRS poll did not specify the seats likely to be won by the parties. It said others would get seven per cent of the vote share. (UNI) |
|
Farooq to take up issue
with Advani Excelsior Correspondent/Agencies NEW DELHI, May 10: Border Security Force (BSF) has ordered an inquiry into the alleged attack by its personnel on mediapersons at Magam in Badgam district of Kashmir today. At least 17 journalists and cameramen were injured when BSF men allegedly attacked the mediamen covering the funeral procession of civilians killed in yesterday’s firing at Magam. A BSF spokesman said an enquiry into the alleged misbehaviour of BSF men would be conducted by a senior officer immediately and action would be taken on the basis of findings of the enquiry. We are yet to ascertain the facts. However, we express our deep regrets, he said. Meanwhile, in Srinagar, Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah while talking to a group of journalists today, expressed his dismay over the incident of alleged beating of mediapersons by BSF at Magam and said that he would take up the matter with Union Home Minister L K Advani. The journalists who called on the Chief Minister to apprise the latter about the situation, said that while they were performing the professional duty, the BSF attacked them without any provocation, resulting into serious injuries to many scribes besides damage caused to their costly equipment. While inquiring about the welfare of the injured journalists, Dr Abdullah , who was leaving for Delhi, said that he will take up the matter with the Home Ministry personally so that action against guilty officials is being taken at the earliest. Earlier, in an outrageous incident of high-handedness by security personnel, 17 scribes, mostly videographers and photo journalists, were today injured, one of them seriously, when BSF personnel assaulted them at Magam on Srinagar-Gulmarg road where they had gone to cover developments in the wake of yesterday’s blast which killed 11 people, official sources said. The BSF jawans led by an Assistant Commandant beat them up with gun butts and lathis and threw B Kumar, a Delhi based cameraman of Enadu TV, into a stream after he received serious head injuries, the sources alleged. Their cameras and other equipment worth lakhs of rupees were either damaged or thrown into the stream by the BSF men, the sources said. The incident took place when the scribes were covering from a distance BSF assault on villagers, who after receiving bodies of victims of yesterday’s incident were raising slogans. Two FIRs have been registered against the BSF personnel in connection with the assault on journalists and Minister of State for Home Mushtaq Ahmad Lone and Director General of State Police A K Suri have assured a probe into the incident. The injured include S Irfan of PTI, Fayaz Ahmad of UNI, Naseer Ahmad of Zee TV, Shujat Bukhari, Nissar Ahmad Bhat of Hindu, Aijaz Rahi and Mehrajuddin of Associated Press, Bilal Ahmad Bhat of ANI, S Tariq of NDTV, Tauseef of AFP, Sanam Aijaz of ETC, Javid Ahmad Shah of Indian Express and Sayed Muzaffar Hussain of Urdu daily Srinagar Times. Giving an eyewitness account, Naseer Ahmad claimed the incident took place near main Magam chowk where the BSF men first beat up the villagers without any provocation and then their officer ordered them to pounce on the journalists. The BSF personnel fired a few rounds in the air, surrounded the journalists and beat them up one by one and damaged their cameras, he said. Their fury subsided after Deputy Inspector General of BSF, R P Singh, reached the spot. However, later when the journalists went looking for their expensive cameras, BSF DIG Incharge of Magam, A K Malik, reached the spot and ordered his men to take action against the scribes who were once again beaten up, Naseer alleged. The journalists then ran to the nearby Magam Police Station and took shelter, he said. Later, Minister of State for Home Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, Director General of Police A K Suri, Inspector General of BSF, Srinagar, G S Gill and Inspector General of CRPF P C Joshi reached the spot, gave a patient hearing to the journalists and assured a probe into the incident. The injured journalists were then taken to hospitals in Srinagar for treatment. Meanwhile, Jammu based working journalists condemned the attack on mediapersons by the BSF personnel near Hagam in Srinagar and urged the Union Home Minister L K Advani to order a high level probe into the thrashing and manhandling of journalists representing both print and electronic media. Expressing shock, the journalists in a resolution demanded that the guilty officials be punished immediately. They further urged the Union Government and the BSF authorities to make the payment for the damaged equipments of mediamen. |
|
Project Officer, AEE arrested by Vigilance in fraud case Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, May 10: A Project Officer of District Rural Development Agency and an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of Irrigation and Flood Control were arrested by Vigilance department for their alleged involvement in two different fraud cases. A top official in the Vigilance Commissioner’s office said that Project officer Saudagar Singh posted in Pulwama has been booked under case FIR No. 93/ 99 while Farooq Ahmed Lone, AEE of Flood Control Division Baramulla under case FIR 13/ 99. Giving more details, the spokesman said that action was taken after the AEE and some more staff after the receipt of a complaint alleging that Irrigation Division Baramulla misappropriated public funds while executing sub-standard works in district Baramulla. In the course of preliminary enquiry by the Vigilance it was found that officers of Irrigation Division, Baramulla in pursuance of a criminal conspiracy had drawn funds amounting to Rs 16.45 lakhs at the fag end of the financial year 1997-98 in violation of codal formalities. It came to light during verification that three allotment orders were issued in the month of February and March 1998 bearing Nos. FCD/2526 dated 13-2-98 and No. FCD 2557 dated 13-3-98, for execution of work viz, restoration/ repair of flood protection bund on Gudari nullah, repairs of flood protection works on right side Ningh nullah and Sisri nullah. During spot inspection, the Vigilance team found that either works have not been executed or in some cases sub-standard works have been executed whileas, the funds have been drawn against the so called works in full and misappropriated in collusion with the contractors. Since the enquiry prima-facie established the allegation, the Police Station Vigilance Kashmir registered a case under Section 5(1) (d) read with Section 5(2) Prevention of Corruption Act 2006. Farooq Ahmed- AEE was found to be the main key player and he was arrested and placed under interrogation/ questioning by the investigating team. Meanwhile, Saudagar Singh Project Officer DRDA was apprehended for criminal conspiracy and defrauding the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 33.10 lakhs, while effecting purchase of over two thousand machines (sewing). The arrested official has been placed under questioning. Two more employees have already been apprehended in this case, the Vigilance spokesman said. |
|
Two held, tension in
Rajouri Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, May 10: Tension gripped the town here this evening after two college students kidnapped a minor girl from a madarsa near Jama Masjid and confined her to a hotel where they alleged took her nude photographs. Irate mob, protesting against the incident, damaged the vehicle of SHO Rajouri police station. Both the accused have been arrested by police. People gheroed police station for more than three hours demanding public punishment for the accused. Police sources said the incident occurred at about 1700 hours when Imran Qureshi son of Fazal Qureshi and Arif Mehmood son of Abul Majid both residents of Darhali bridge and college students in Jammu kidnapped a 10-year old girl Tameena from a madarsa near Jama Masjid. They took the girl to hotel Fort View in the heart of town where Imran Qureshi had booked a room since last evening. Both of them alleged took nude photographs of the girl forcibly after holding her to illegal confinement for about half an hour. In the mean-time, a report spread in the entire town about the kidnapping of minor girl. While searching the girl, local police and people reached hotel Fort View where police succeeded in arresting both the youths and rescued minor girl from their captivity. Sources said Imran Qureshi managed to destroy the film in which he had allegedly taken photographs of the girl. A police party led by DySP Headquarters Abdul Aziz Khan reached the spot and sent both miscreants to lock-up of police station. Police recovered drugs, a music system, packets of potato chips and toffees and powder from the room of hotel. This, according to police, indicated that both the miscreants used to give drugs to the girls and then take their photographs. Meanwhile, a large number of prominent citizens gathered in the town and marched towards police station demanding that miscreants should be handed over to them for awarding public punishment for committing a most shameful and heinous crime with a 10-year old girl. Agitated people also damaged the vehicle of SHO. They demanded that owner of the hotel should also be arrested as he was well aware of the illegal activities being carried out from his hotel. DySP and other police officers assured people that stern action would be taken against the accused. They pacified the mob telling them that stringent laws would be applied on the accused and case against them will be taken to logical conclusion. Police said accused were being subjected to sustained interrogation to ascertain their involvement in other such cases. People alleged that similar incidents of girls kidnapping had been reported earlier also. Police promised an in-depth investigation in the case. Prominent citizens including Abdul Rashid Bhat, Mohd Tariq, Ashok Sharma, Vibodh Gupta and Yogesh Sharma threatened that people would be forced to take to streets if stern action wasn’t taken against the accused. |
|
Indian forces test skills against NBC background HANSERA (THAR DESERT), May 10: For the first time, Indian armed forces personnel and warmachines were put through survival drills of nuclear, biological and chemical warfare as the top army brass today asserted that any immediate threat to the nation would be of a conventional nature rather than a nuclear strike. Acknowledging that the nuclear threat had come to the very doorsteps of the country, top commanders said any war in the region could be triggered by a notion on the part of an adversary of some advantage in a particular area which could be exploited by it through large scale manoeuvres elsewhere. The riposte to this would be to use India’s conventional superiority by deploying newly-raised armoured groups in rapid "deep armoured thrusts" employing surprise and force multipliers to devastating effect, according to Lt Gen Pankaj Joshi, Central Army Commander. He told reporters here that any future conflict would definitely have a nuclear backdrop but discounted the use of nukes itself saying international pressure would make it extremely difficult to use such weapons. Asserting that this was the essence of the ongoing operation ‘Poorna Vijay’, biggest ever exercise by the armed forces over the last one decade being conducted in wide areas of Thar desert, Joshi, the referee for the wargames, said India’s nuclear strategy was defensive in nature. Asked if New Delhi had come up with the wherewithal to survive nuclear attacks, he replied "yes and no". Gen Joshi said armed forces did not differentiate between tactical and strategic nuclear weapons adding that in his estimation the country’s neighbourhood had not witnessed development of tactical nuclear weapons delivery system. His top armoured commander, Maj Gen I A Satur, leading the blitzkerg on the notional enemy land said "my mechanised columns are moving in BMPS (troops carriers) proofed against NBC". The General, who claimed to have moved his tanks, mechanised columns, heavy artillery and other force multipliers almost 190 kms in six days said his well spread out troops moving in divergent pincers had "de-containment teams" which along the way were making men and warmachines fortified against chemical and biological warfare. "We have some equipment and we are acquiring some more sophisticated systems", Gen Satur told newsmen at temporary headquarters at Kaunlasar, about 140 kms southwest of Bikaner towards the International Border. Taken aback by a barrage of questions on nuclear preparedness, Gen Joshi said the biggest foe his troops had encountered during the last six days was the heat and dust-storms. "The boys and machines had to contend with temperatures soaring to 52 degrees celsius and inside tanks and infantry combat vehicles it was even 5 to 7 degrees higher. But the soldiers and warmachines performed exceedingly well", the General said. On the exercises, the army commander said "some deficiencies had come to the fore, specially about spares", but added that these were not on critical items which could cripple such future vital operations. He said the new equipment tested in the wargames which involved 40,000 personnel, more than 500 tanks, hundreds of infantry combat vehicles and pieces of artilley were the Unmanned Aerial Reconnaissance Vehicles (UAV’s), highly sophisticated communication systems including V-sat terminals and IT wartools. However, top commanders were tighlipped when asked if 150-250 km long surface-to-surface Prithvi missiles with nuclear warheads had been deployed in the wargames. On why Arjun Main Battle Tanks had not been deployed, Gen Joshi said though some of these tanks had been inducted, no one regiment was fully equipped with these tanks. To enable their testing in such wargames. ‘Four armoured regiments have received these tanks. But they are still in the stage of building it up to deployment level", the General said. The armoured division commander, Maj Gen Satur, leading the rapid offensive, on use of UAV’s said "they add quite a punch which we were lacking earlier. It makes battlefield more transparent". The top army brass disclosed that while artillery division had been set up a few years ago, their amalgamation in armoured rapid strike battle group had been amazing. (PTI) |
|
Kashmiri translation of Quran released SRINAGAR, May 10: Kashmiri translation of holy Quran "Kifayat-ul-Bayan" by Maulana Syed Muhammad Qasim Shah Bukhari was released here recenlty, nearly three months after the death of the Islamic scholar. Bukhari had started work on the translation in 1965 from Jammu sub-jail after his arrest following the Indo-Pakistan conflict. He died here on February seven. The 1008-page work is the second translation of Quran in Kashmiri language. (PTI) |
|
|
NEW DELHI, may 10: Founder of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Hashim Qureshi has been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) today following a heart ailment, family members said. Qureshi, who hijacked an Indian Airlines plane in 1971 and had surrendered at Indira Gandhi International Airport in December last year, was flown from Srinagar this afternoon after a local court asked for his immediate shifting to AIIMS, they said. He had been ailing in the Srinagar jail and was admitted to Soura Medical Institute on April 24, the sources said. Qureshi’s family had to seek court’s intervention to get him transferred to AIIMS, they said. The JKLF leader has been advocating that peace process needs to be given a chance and has also expressed his readiness to meet Centre’s interlocutor K C Pant if invited for the talks. Qureshi, who returned to the country after nearly two decades of self-exile in Amsterdam, has been favouring the peace initiative of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He is facing trial in connection with the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane. (PTI) |
|
|
SRINAGAR, May 10: Militants today attacked the headquarters of the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) of Shabir Shah at the posh Rajbagh locality in the city this afternoon. Activists of a lesser-known militant outfit, Al-Hamas, lobbed a hand grenade towards Mr Shah’s office. However, the grenade after hitting the main board of the DFP headquarters exploded on the roadside without causing any damage. A spokesman of the DFP told UNI that some splinters also fell in the compound. However, no one was injured. Mr Shah is presently on a tour to Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh province to generate support for his efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully. He is the only separatist leader who had replied to Centre’s negotiator Mr K C Pant’s talks offer letter. However, Mr Shah was warned by several militant outfits not to accept the offer. A spokesman of the Al-Hamas told local journalists that they will not allow any sell out on Kashmir. The outfit had also hurled a hand grenade towards the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) office in the same locality causing injuries to four of its activists on the day when the alliance was to take a final decision on Mr Pant’s letter. (UNI) |
|
APHC leader for tripartite talks ISLAMABAD, May 10: Sheikh Abdul Aziz, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League and a member of the executive council of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), today called for a result oriented tripartite dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue, which he said was a matter of life and death for the Kashmiris. He urged the Indian leadership to concede the right of self determination to the Kashmiris. "It is imperative that India recognises the realities on the ground and agrees to tripartite talks," he said. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad today, Sheikh Aziz said the Kashmir issue was a threat to world peace, and in its backdrop, India and Pakistan had gone nuclear. Sheikh Aziz, stressing that poverty was the sole enemy of the people of South Asia, said it could be overcome with a peaceful solution of the Kashmir issue. During his month-long visit to Pakistan, Sheikh Aziz met most of the Kashmiri and Pakistani leaders. He met with Gen Pervez Musharraf yesterday and said the CEO had told him Pakistan was keen for a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir problem. Sheikh Abdul Aziz expressed support for Pakistan’s policy on the Kashmir issue and ruled out any third option for its settlement. (UNI) |
|
|
KHANNABAL (Kashmir), May 10 : Former Union Home Minister and leader of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has said involvement of Pakistan was "essential" in peace talks to resolve the Kashmir issue. "Without Islambad’s involvement, a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue is not possible", Mufti told a workers rally of his Party here yesterday. He said the Kashmir issue had become complicated and it could not be resolved overnight, but the process had been set in motion. "No one has a magic lamp to solve the complicated problem in a day or two but a conducive atmosphere is building slowly for a permanent resolution of the issue", he added. Mufti said his Party’s stand for unconditional talks had been vindicated, with the BJP-led NDA Government appointing K C Pant as its negotiator. "It does not matter who comes forward for talks but the biggest achievement was that people of Kashmir have also favoured a dialogue by accepting the message", he said. Mufti said the Centre’s positive response towards holding unconditional dialogue was a major achievement after the declaration of unilateral ceasefire. This "soft stand" of holding a dialogue with all those interested in resolving Kashmir imbroglio was a step forward towards restoration of peace, he said. He demanded the reopening of Srinagar-Rawalpindi road as a confidence building measure to allow people of the two parts of Jammu and Kashmir to meet each other. (PTI) |
|
|
|
|
| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports | |