White
paper on ISI activities soon: Advani From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Dec 8: Taking strong exception to the continuance of foreign support to militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Home Minister, Mr L K Advani, on Tuesday made it abundantly clear that the Government's decision to adopt a multi-pronged strategy for tackling the situation in the State had been necessitated by Pakistan's sponsorship of militancy and terrorism. The strategy, Mr Advani informed the Lok Sabha during question hour, includes, among other things, strengthening of border management, gearing up intelligence machinery, countering militancy in hinterland by pro-active actions, protection to minorities, modernisation and upgra-dation of Jammu and Kashmir Police and deepening the democratic process and galvanising development programmes. Replying to a question by Mr Kantilal Bhuria, Mr Advani, while reiterating that the number of incidents had decreased in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Valley, due to sustained pressure, vigil and concerted actions of the security forces and State administration, stated that the number of foreign militants killed during the current calender year till November 15 was 289 compared to 197 foreign militants killed during 1997. In his reply to questions by Dr Suguna Kumari and four others, the Home Minister, while confirming that a White Paper on the activities of the Pakistani ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) would be presented to Parliament soon, also reiterated that with a view to tackling the problem of militancy sponsored by ISI from across the border in various parts of the country and also frustrating their attempts, the Government had adopted a multi-pronged approach. Apart from the adoption of measures such as fencing, floodlighting, patrolling and curbing infiltration and exfiltration, close vigil, Mr Advani pointed out, was kept by the security forces and intelligence agencies along the border and Line of Control (LoC) and in the interior areas. He said that this apart, vigil on the International Border had also been intensified to check smuggling of arms and explosives. On the reported visit to Hyderabad by the infamous ‘‘terror merchant’’, Osama Bin Laden, sometime back, the Home Minister told Dr Suguna Kumari: ‘‘We have seen reports in this regard in a section of the print media. But as far as the Government is concerned, it has no such information’’. Mr Advani admitted that the ISI activities had been noticed in some pockets in the country's southern States. Responding to supplementaries, the Home Minister stated that the ISI, in the initial stages, concentrated in the North-West of the country -- in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Later, the ISI spread its activities to the country's eastern and northeastern regions, Mr Advani said and added that there was evidence to suggest the spread of the ISI activities into parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Stating that the present ruling establishment in Bangladesh had demonstrated encouraging response to New Delhi's demand for the end of anti-Indian terrorist camps across the Indo-Bangladesh border, Mr Advani said that the Government of India ‘‘is in touch’’ with the authorities in Nepal, through diplomatic channels, on the question of taking suitable measures against anti-India bases created in Nepal by the Pakistani ISI. The situation, he admitted, ‘‘is not still satisfactory’’. ‘‘We are vigilant’’, he assured the House. The Home Minister divulged that the Tamil Nadu Government had proposed to the Centre to declare the Al Umma Muslim outfit unlawful throughout the country. ‘‘This proposal is presently under the Central Government's consideration’’, Mr Advani said. He also divulged that no proposal to ban five Muslim outfits in Assam had been received by the Centre from the State Government. In his written reply to a question by Dr Jayanta Gongpi, Mr Advani said that a number of Muslim organisations like Muslim Liberation Front of Assam (MLFA), Muslim United Liberation Front of Assam (MULFA), Muslim Liberation Tigers of Assam (MLTA), Muslim Volunteer Force (MVF), Islamic Liberation Army of Assam (ILAA) had come up in Assam. The proclaimed aim of these organisations is to safeguard the overall interests of Muslims in Assam. However, reports indicate that some Muslim fundamentalist organisations have indulged in militant activities also, the Home Minister informed the House. Replying to a question by Mr Pankaj Choudhary, Mr Anand Ratna Maurya and Mr Rampal Singh, Mr Advani stated that Pakistani ISI ‘‘is adopting every possible means to infiltrate maximum foreign mercenaries into Jammu and Kashmir’’. Infiltration, he explained, was proved by the fact that 1633 militants had been killed at the Line of Control (LoC) since 1990, and from the statements given by the captured militants. According to Mr Advani, 1183 kg of explosive material, 601 kg of RDX, 78 kg of galatine and other assorted explosive material and 194 improved explosive devices were recovered in Jammu and Kashmir from August 1 to November 15 this year. Mr Advani informed Mr Mohan Rawale that the total arrests in connection with the militant activities in J&K during the current year were of the order of 1119. Mr Advani said in reply to a question by Mr Sushil Kumar Shinde and Mr Madhavrao Scindia that militants in Jammu and Kashmir ‘‘continue’’ to get all kinds of help from the ISI to sustain violence in the State. Mr Madan Patil wanted to know if a recent newspaper report about US trained militants helping ISI in J&K was correct. In his reply, the Home Minister said that the Government had seen media reports in this regard. The Government, he added, had consistently brought to the attention of the international community Pakistan's active involvement in the instigation and sponsorship of terrorism against India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, ‘‘which has been widely acknowledged by international public opinion’’. Answering a question by Mr Indrajit Gupta and three others, the Home Minister stated that a number of border villages of Kargil, Gurez, Karnah, Keran, Marchil and Uri in Kashmir division and of Bishnah, Samba, RS Pora and Hiranagar in Jammu division had been subjected to heavy firing from across the border. The inhabitants of some of these villages had to temporarily shift from their homes to safer places. Mr Advani said that 72 civilians and 58 security personnel were killed in J&K since May last in the unprovoked firing by Pakistan. |
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| No intention to switch over
to Presidential form of Govt: PM NEW DELHI, Dec 8: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said Government had no intention to switch over to Presidential form of Government and refuted opposition charge in the Rajya Sabha that Parliament sittings were being curtailed. Dismissing as too far-fetched the allegations of Gurudas Das Gupta that the Government was trying to amend the Constitution for this purpose, Vajpayee said the member might have made such allegations under political compulsions but the Government had no such intention. Vajpayee did not agree with Das Gupta’s observation that the Centre was trying to switch over to Presidential form of Government under the garb of reviewing the Constitution. Intervening in an hour-long discussion on curtailment of Parliament sittings, he said we are not afraid of facing Parliament and do not intend to reduce the number of days of the session. If the house agrees we can sit on Saturdays or even extend the Winter session beyond Christmas holidays to complete business, he said. The issue was raised by Gurudas Das Gupta (CPI) through a special mention on delay in calling of Winter session and reduction in the number of days for the session. Several members cutting across party lines expressed concern over gradual reduction of the sittings and demanded immediate steps to reverse the trend. Sharing the members’ concern, Chairman Krishan Kant said the general purposes committee of the House will meet tomorrow when the issues raised by them would be deliberated upon. Agree in that the number of sittings should not be reduced, Vajpayee said our intentions are very clear and attributed the present situation to a number of factors, particularly November 25 Assembly elections in four States. He said his Government would like Parliament to sit for 120 days a year and added that if the Business Advisory Committee recommended that both Houses should sit beyond Christmas, we are ready. The Prime Minister said it was not proper for Parliament’s Standing Committees to take longer time in finalising their recommendations. In such a case, a situation arises when there is no work before Parliament, he said and added that if the committees work fast, Parliament will have lot of business before it. When a member complained that even if the committees submitted their recommendations in time, the Government delayed filing of the Action Taken Report (ATR), Vajpayee assured the house that his Government would expedite the ATR. Earlier, raising the issue, Das Gupta said the current session had commenced 15 days after the normal schedule. While 35 bills were pending in the Rajya Sabha, 11 of them were before the lower House, he said and expressed concern over the rise in the number of ordinances. (PTI) Terrorists misusing Internet: Advani Excelsior Correspondent NEW DELHI, Dec 8: The Union Home Minister informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the Government has come across instances of terrorists and secessionists misusing Internet for the purpose of anti-India propaganda. In his written reply to a question by Mr Suresh Warpudkar, Mr L K Advani said that suitable measures were being taken by the Government to prevent anti-nationals from misusing Internet. According to Mr Advani, steps are afoot for the preparation of inputs to counter such anti-India propaganda by projecting the Government's viewpoint through the media. The Home Minister did not spell out the Government's operational plan in this regard. He merely stated that concerned agencies had been sensitised to take corrective, remedial measures and to keep a regular watch on the contents of these web-sites. Admitting that Pakistani militants had been found floating anti-Indian literature in Jammu and Kashmir, the Home Minister informed Mr Tariq Anwar during question hour that some magazines containing anti-India propaganda are known to have been published from Pakistan for the last few years and smuggled into India. Mr Advani said that while steps were being taken by various concerned agencies to see that the people ‘‘are not influenced and misled by anti-India misinformation campaign unleashed by Pakistan’’, the J&K Government had been advised to initiate all possible steps to ensure that stringent actions were taken against persons involved in the clandestine circulation of such magazines. Mr Sriram Chauhan wanted to know if Pakistani ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) had been active in Karnataka, particularly in the coastal regions of the State. In his reply, the Home Minister said that a case had been registered in this connection in Karnataka's Puttur police station. Following this incident, security has been provided at the residence of concerned legislator, Mr Advani informed Mr Chauhan. Mr Advani, while replying to a question by Mr Madhukar Sirpotdar and Mr Maganti Babu, let it be known that a scheme to issue multipurpose national identity cards to all citizens of 14 years and above is under preparation. Persons below 14 years, Mr Advani pointed out, would be separately registered under Registration of Births & Deaths Act, 1969. He also pointed out that separate coloured cards were proposed to be issued to non-citizens. Mr Advani argued that illegal immigration not only leads to change in demographic pattern but it has an average effect on the security of the country and is also a big drain on employment opportunities and social services like schools, hospitals, public transport, drinking water and public distribution. Mr Advani, however, admitted that no systematic assessment in this regard was available. The Home Minister informed the House that there are schemes such as prevention of infiltration of foreigners in Assam and Meghalaya and mobile task force (MTF) in West Bengal and Tripura which are being implemented by the concerned States to detect infiltrators. He said that standing instructions had been issued to the Border Security Force (BSF), State Government and Union Territory administrations for detection and deportation of infiltrations. Mr Advani said in reply to a question by Mr Naresh Puglia and Mr A F Golam Osmani that 38245 foreigners, majority of them from Bangladesh (36914), were deported during 1997. Myanmar accounted for 593, followed by Sri Lanka (211), Pakistani (209), USA (44), Afghanistan (35), Germany (26), UK (26) and Malaysia (15). According to Mr Advani, the BSF killed 92 foreign infiltrators -- 61 Pakistanis, 28 Bangladeshis and 3 of Myanmar -- on the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders during the first eleven months of this year. Mr Advani put the number of the captured foreign infiltrators at 5284. Huge qty of stolen
items seized Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 8: Gandhi Nagar police today arrested a notorious burglar from a hideout in Nanak Nagar area and recovered a large quantity of stolen items from his possession. A series of dacoities have been worked out with his arrest. The arrested burglar has been identified as Bhupinder Singh alias Shantti, 30, a resident of Sector No. 2 in Nanak Nagar locality under the jurisdiction of Gandhi Nagar police station. SP City (South) Mr Sheetal Singh Jamwal said Gandhi Nagar police was hunting Shantti for past sometime after his involvement figured in a number of burglary cases in Gandhi Nagar and adjoining areas. Shantti was arrested by a Gandhi Nagar police station party under the supervision of SHO Mr Ashok Sharma. The arrest was made when police raided the hideout of burglar in the wee hours of this morning in Nanak Nagar and arrested him when he was asleep. He was whisked away to police station where he was subjected to sustained interrogation. Police said during interrogation the burglar led police to another hideout where he had dumped the stolen items, which were seized. The seizure among other items include eight stereos, two LPG cylinders, two bicycles and scores of brief cases, blankets, gas pumps and other accessories. Police was hopeful of effecting more recoveries during the continued interrogation of the burglar. About 12 thefts have been worked out so far and some others were expected to be solved. Police said Shantti was wanted to Gandhi Nagar and some other police stations in connection with different cases. He was a history-sheeter of Gandhi Nagar police station. He was arrested by the police twice earlier but started burglaries after being bailed out. RS Pura Bus Stand
blast solved Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Dec 8: Border Police today worked out last month’s explosion at RS Pura Bus Stand which had damaged a number of parked buses by arresting main accused in the blast—Dev Dutt alias Kaka, an ISI agent. Police today also recovered a large consignment of arms, ammunition and explosives from a hideout in Supwal area under the jurisdiction of Samba police station. According to reliable sources, Border Police conducted hectic investigations into powerful explosion at RS Pura Bus Stand, which occurred late in the night ending last month. Though the explosion didn’t cause any casualty, a major tragedy was averted as the area was isolated at the time of blast. Few buses parked at the Bus Stand had suffered extensive damage in the blast. Sources said police have arrested five suspected agents of ISI in connection with the explosion. One of them identified as Dev Dutt alias Kaka, a resident of a far off village in RS Pura, has confessed that he planted the explosive device at RS Pura Bus Stand at the behest of ISI. Dev Dutt has also confessed his links with the ISI for past quite sometime. Police said they have succeeded in establishing some vital clues about the activities of ISI agents in border areas of RS Pura during the past sometime. On the basis of Kaka’s interrogation, police have also picked-up four other agents of the ISI from different areas of RS Pura. All of them were being subjected to interrogation to ascertain their involvement in subversive activities. Police said Kaka disclosed that he had been heavily paid by the ISI and assigned the task of engineering large-scale militant activities in the border areas of RS Pura. He was given explosive devices for triggering explosions at sensitive areas. He had himself planted the bomb at RS Pura Bus Stand and then fled to a hideout. Police said on the basis of interrogation of ISI agents’ and other information developed by the police, a consignment of arms and explosives was today recovered by the police from Supwal area under the jurisdiction of Samba police station. The consignment had been dumped by the ISI agents at an isolated place after smuggling it from across the border. The consignment was seized before the militants could shift it to a safer place. The recovery include RDX, pistols, grenades, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), ammunition, pouches and some accessories. Details of the recovery were being worked out as the consignment was seized late tonight. Sources said a major tragedy has been averted with the recovery of ISI agents’ consignment as it was to be used by the militants at Railway Stations, Bus Stand and other crowded and sensitive areas. Grenade attacks at
Khanyar, Hawal, Kawdara Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Dec 8: While as security forces eliminated at least six militants -- all believed to be foreigners -- in two separate operations in Kupwara district, unidentified gunmen shot dead a pro-Pakistan militant-turned-teacher in Pattan and a labourer of the Central Defence Ministry’s Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in Bandipora area of Kashmir valley since last evening. In other militancy-related incidents, security forces defused an IED at Sopore while as militants launched grenade attacks on paramilitary forces at Khanyar, Hawal and Kawdara localities of the capital city today. Meanwhile, today’s call for a Valley-wide shutdown, issued by some unit of pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen from Muzzafarabad, PoK, failed to evoke any substantial response though almost all the shops at the main business centres of Lal Chowk and Budshah Chowk remained closed for the day. Official sources told EXCELSIOR that, acting on a specific information regarding the presence of foreign militants, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation at Nagri Malpora in Kupwara district and eliminated a group of four militants this evening. Sources said that during the search operation, militants opened fire which triggered off a fierce encounter. Troops of Rashtriya Rifles 04 Bn and BSF 172 Bn pinned down the holed up militants and maintained a tight cordon and the operation was in progress beyond midnight. Sources confirmed the death of four militants who, according to preliminary reports, were all believed to be foreigners. Even as the dead bodies were being removed and the identities of the militants killed being ascertained a large quantity of arms and ammunition had been seized at the site of encounter. In yet another operation, troops of Rashtriya Rifles 22 Bn and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police, eliminated two foreign militants at Rangath Gali of Kalaroos forest area in Kupwara district last evening. Two AK-56 rifles, one pistol, 35 hand grenades, 10 kg of RDX, one wireless set and 3000 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. During last night, militants intruded into the house of Mohammad Ramzan Malik son of Abdul Karim Malik at Matrigam on Bandipora-Gurez road and shot him dead. Malik had been working as a labourer with BRO’s Project BEACON. Sources said that during last night, unidentified gunmen intruded into the house of a former "battalion commander" of Hizbul Mujahideen, namely Zahoor Ahmed Bhat son of Nunda Bhat, at Gunjal, Pattan, and shot him dead. The former pro-Pakistan militant was now working as a school-teacher. Reports from Pattan said that Bhat’s assassination was believed to be the handiwork of pro-Government militants. Dead body of another released militant of Hizbul Mujahideen was recovered in Kulgam area of south Kashmir. Reports from Beerwah, Budgam, said that a civilian sustained injuries in a shoot-out between militants and troops of Rashtriya Rifles 34 Bn at Shanglipora. Sources said that police apprehended a "battalion commander" of Hizbul Mujahideen from Shaheed Gunj in the capital city and at his instance recovered one AK-56 rifle from Dadsar, Tral. Police also claimed to have apprehended a "platoon commander" of the same outfit from the city interior of Shalakadal. Two detonators, 3 IEDs and a hand grenade were claimed recovered from him. One pistol, one RPG, 4 RPG rockets, 11 rifle grenades and a hand grenade were recovered by security forces from Lassipora, Khag in Budgam district. Grenade attacks in town Official sources said that militants today launched a number of grenade attacks on BSF bunkers in the capital city here but failed to cause any damage. Sources said that at 1800 hours, this evening, militants fired 3 rifle grenades, one after another, in Fatehkadal-Babademb locality, towards a BSF picket. One of the 3 grenades hit the shutter of a shop, close to the building of Khanyar Police Station, and caused extensive damage to the merchandise. Nobody was reported killed or injured. At around the same time, militants hurled a hand grenade towards a BSF picket at Badamwari Road, near Firdaus Cinema, in Hawal. It also missed the intended target and failed to cause any damage. Minutes before the attacks at Khanyar and Hawal, militants lobbed a hand grenade on a BSF picket on Nullah Maar Road at Kawdara in downtown. It also exploded fairly wide of the intended target and failed to cause any damage. Bandh in Civil Lines Pro-Pakistan militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen’s call for a shutdown failed to evoke a positive response in Kashmir valley, with the glaring exception of Civil Lines, where most of the shops and business establishments remained closed today. Most of the shops at the capital marketplaces of Lal Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Residency Road, Maisuma, Koker Bazar and Hari Singh High Street remained closed. However, shops, business establishments and Government offices functioned normally in all other parts of the capital city. Reports available from the rural district headquarters of Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Baramulla and Kupwara said that there was no impact of bandh in any part of Valley as vehicular traffic plied without any disruption or disturbance. Business establishments, educational institutions as well as banks and all Government offices functioned as usual. There was, however, plentiful confusion among the common people with regard to the call for shutdown as most of the Kashmiris believed that nobody had called for a bandh on the third consecutive day today. Valley observed partial bandh on the call of separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference and some militant outfit, on occasion of the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s 2-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday and Monday. Hurriyat contests PM’s statement on Kashmir SRINAGAR, Dec 8: Hurriyat Conference, an umbrella of 27 separatist outfits, has contested Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s statement that Jammu and Kashmr including Pakistan-occupied areas is constitutionally and legally part of India. Reacting to Vajpayee’s statement made during his just concluded two-day visit to the State, a spokesman of the Conference today termed it as contrary to historical facts, saying that the Kashmir dispute had remained unresolved since 1947. It was India which had taken the issue to the United Nations where it was granted the disputed status, the spokesman said, adding India’s acceptance of the UN resolutions bears testimony to the fact that the struggle has been on since 1947. He said this struggle was headed by the late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah till 1975, but the accord signed by him was declared treason by the people of Kashmir who vowed to carry on the freedom struggle. (PTI) Use of RDX to attract life imprisonment NEW DELHI, Dec 8: A bill seeking to provide for life imprisonment to those convicted of offences involving the use of lethal explosives like RDX and remote control devices was introduced by the Government in the Lok Sabha today. The bill, introduced by Home Minister L K Advani, seeks to put all lethal explosives including RDX, Penta Erythritol Tetra Nitrate (PETN), high melting explosives and remote control devices under special category explosive substances. The Explosives Substances Act of 1908, which is sought to be amended by the bill, currently provided for imprisonment ranging from five to 14 years for one’s involvement in the use of conventional Leta exlosives. The Act does not make any distinction between offences involving use of conventional explosives and offences committed with more lethal explosives which have now been bracketed in the special category explosives substances. The objects and reasons mentioned in the Explosive Substances (Amendment) Bill 1998 said that this measure was necessitated in view of the incidents of bomb blasts on a very large scale in some parts of the country particularly in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and the North-East causing huge loss to life and property. (PTI) SC to review judgement in JMM bribery case NEW DELHI, Dec 8: Two-year old multi-crore JMM MPs bribery case took a new turn today with the Supreme Court agreeing to review its earlier judgement holding that MPs who allegedly accepted bribe but voted in Parliament would be immune from prosecution. A five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice S Anand, Justice S P Bharucha, Justice K Venkataswami, Justice B N Kirpal and Justice S Rajendra Babu agreed to hear a petition filed by Union Government seeking review of the Apex Court’s April 17 judgement. The earlier five-Judge Bench had held that the MPs, who voted against a no-confidence against the then Narasimha Rao Government on July in Qooen in Parliament after receiving bribe, would enjoy immunity from prosecution under Article 105(2) of the Constitution. The Bench had, however, held that those MPs who accepted the bribe but did not vote were liable for prosecution along with the mps who give bribe. The Bench had also held that MPs were public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act. From Amon the 21 original accused, the trial Court had categorised bribe takers MPs - Shibu Soren, Suraj Mandal, Shailendra Mahato (later turning approver), Simon Marandi, Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav, Anadi Charan Das, Roshan Lal, Abhay Pratap Singh, Haji Ghulam Mohammed and Ram Sharan Yadav. (PTI) NEW DELHI, Dec 8 : Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, while admitting the economy was passing through a difficult phase, today asserted in the Rajya Sabha that there was no going back on reforms, the second phase of which has been started by BJP-led Government. "We are in a difficult (economic) situation, there are pressures on fiscal and current account and we have inherited a full-blown recession that started in mid 1996 ," he said adding,"we are entering the second generation reforms to make the Indian industry globally competitive". The Government had failed to check price rise because of factors beyond its control but "don’t judge us only by onions and potatoes," he said replying to a short-duration discussion on the current economic situation. During the discussion spread over two days, opposition members, particularly the Congress, blamed the Government for "total mismanagement" which they said had pushed the economy to the brink of collapse. "We are sorry and we have already paid a price" for the price rise, Sinha said referring to BJP’s defeat in Assembly elections in three States. But what was important was the long-term challenge that the economy faced particularly in the face of the currency meltdown and global recession, he said adding "we will take sectoral steps to survive the onslaught of competition." "India cannot become a closed economy. We will have to learn to live with domestic and international competition. It is not because of the compulsions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) but in the interest of the country that we encourage competition," Sinha said. "If we have faced a problem it is because we have built a system which is sheltered," he said adding the Indian industry is adjusting well to the new challenges. Referring to the Left members charge that the Government was working towards closure of the public sector, Sinha asserted "it is not the intention of the Government to destroy the public sector". "But it is also not our intention to keep on providing budgetary support to PSUs" and to keep paying wages to workers in unenviable public enterprises, thereby pushing the fiscal deficit further, Sinha said. Regarding the current price situation he said the economy has started showing signs of improvement with prices of onions and potatoes registering a decline and inflation coming down. (PTI) JAMMU, Dec 6: Militants kidnapped a youth from his house at village Thangar Kangri, about eight kms from Sunderbani in Rajouri district last night. He has been identified as Mansa Ram son of Sain Dass of Thangar Kangri. Reports received here said five militants knocked at the door of Sain Dass’ house at 2200 hours last night. Mansa Ram, who opened the door, was dragged out by the militants and kidnapped at gun point. Militants forced Mansa Ram to carry their two large bags containing arms and ammunition towards upper reaches. Family members informed local police about the kidnapping immediately after the incident. The whereabouts of the youth remained uncertain so far. Police and security forces have registered a case and started searches to trace the youth and apprehend militants but no breakthrough has been made so far. Sources said the militants had escaped towards upper reaches of Sunderbani to store arms and ammunition in the already established hideouts. A full-fledged operation is being planned by the local police with the assistance of security forces to smash militants’ hideouts and eliminate them. Meanwhile, reports reaching here said that an encounter was going on between security forces and militants at village Chambir Tarar in Darhal area of the same district since this evening. Reports said the encounter started this evening when security personnel raided a hideout of the militants at Chambir Tarar near Darhal. Militants opened heavy firing on the security jawans, who returned the firing. The encounter was going on when the reports last came in. However, there was no report of any casualty on either side. Militants have been trapped in the hideout, the reports said. Meanwhile, a Defence spokesman said, Army foiled an infiltration attempt in Mandi Loran area of Poonch district this morning and recovered a large quantity of explosives. He said alert Army personnel deployed on the Line of Control (LoC) noticed a group of four-five militants trying to infiltrate into Indian territory from across the border. Army personnel challenged the infiltrators and asked them to surrender alongwith the explosives consignment being smuggled by them. However, the spokesman said, militants opened firing on Army jawans and lobbed explosives towards them in a bid to escape. Troops returned the firing and during exchange of firing, the militants managed to escape back to Pakistan taking advantage of darkness leaving behind the explosives, which were seized by the jawans. The seizure include a large quantity of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and detonators, which were being brought by the militants for triggering explosions in the border districts. RS panel suggests measures for probity in public life NEW DELHI, Dec 8: A Parliamentary Committee on ethics has suggested that it should be compulsory for Members of Parliament to declare their assets and liabilities for maintaining high standards of probity in public life. The Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha, in its first report presented to the House, recommended several measures, including the framework of a code of conduct for MPs, for setting high standards of behaviour in public life. The Committee is of the view that but for the sincerity and commitment of political parties, probity in public life cannot be fully ensured, it said. The 10-member Committee, headed by veteran Congress leader S B Chavan, said it should be compulsory for members to declare not only their assets and liabilities but also those of their families, including spouse, dependent sons and daughters, before the committee. The Committee favoured suitable changes in the law for breaking the nexus between money power and elections, open ballot instead of secret ballot in elections to Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies and review of the question of corporate funding of political parties and its ramifications. It said it does not favour the idea of subjecting the members to the disciplinary authority of an agency outside the jurisdiction of the House. Political parties should devise self-controlling norms to regulate the conduct of their members and deny tickets to people with criminal record or those with doubtful integrity, the Committee felt. (PTI) |