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All 16 on
board killed NEW DELHI, Aug 10: The Indian Air Force today shot down a Pakistani Navy spy plane as it intruded 10 km into Indian airspace over Gujarat, with Islamabad saying all the 16 personnel on board were killed in the action, following which India’s armed forces were put on high alert. The four-engine French-built Atlantique Aircraft, used for anti-submarine warfare and reconnaissance was brought down at 1115 hours by an air-to-air missile fired by an IAF MiG-21 fighter jet over Kori creek in Kutch. India said the wreckage had fallen two kms inside its territory while in Karachi, Pakistani Navy claimed that it had been located within their area near Badin, around 300 km north-east of Karachi and all 16 on board had been killed. Defence Minister George Fernandes said armed forces have been put on state of alert in the entire western sector following the downing of the Pakistani aircraft. According to Defence Ministry, the intruding Pakistani aircraft was detected by IAF ground radars at 1057 hours and was immediately intercepted by two MiG-21 fighters, which took off from Naliya airbase, 10 kms south of the Indo-Pak border. When the IAF jets closed in to identify and signalled the Pakistani aircraft to land at an Indian base, the intruding jet, instead of maintaining course, took a turn towards the MiG-21s, challenging them in a hostile manner. The moment this happened the IAF fighter fired an air-to-air missile hitting one of the engines of the intruding Pakistani plane, Fernandes told reporters here giving details of the incident. Fernandes said three Pakistani helicopters had attempted to approach the area carrying what Islamabad described as international observers but turned back after the IAF warned them their action would be treated as a hostile act and they would be shot down. He said he had no idea of the number of personnel on board the Pakistani aircraft since the wreckage was yet to be retrieved from the marshy area. Fernandes said efforts were on to find out the motive behind the Pakistani intrusion but obviously, it had not come in with good intentions. After the incident, Director General of Military Operation Lt Gen N C Vij informed his Pakistani counterpart Lt Gen Tauquir Zia about the incident and was told that Pakistan was aware that its aircraft had been shot down. In Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz claimed that the Pakistani plane was shot down by India inside Pakistani territory and the wreckage is lying two kms inside their area. Describing the shooting down as a cowardly act, he told reporters Pakistan reserves the right to make an appropriate response in self defence. Indian High Commissioner G Parthasarthy was summoned to the foreign office and strong protest was lodged with him over the unprovoked shooting down of unarmed aircraft on a routine training flight. It was, he said a flagrant violation of international norms as well as bilateral agreement which would vitiate the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Breguet Atlantique’ Aircraft, which was shot down by an IAF combat jet over Gujarat, is a French-made high-performance surveillance plane and can carry deadly anti-submarine Exocet missiles. Atlantique, four of which were purchased by Pakistan, can fly at a speed of 658 kms per hour and at a maximum height of 33,000 feet. It has an operational range of 9,000 kms which is enough to give long-range maritime reconnaissance and airborne and warning cover to the Pakistan Air Force in the Arabian sea, an Air Force official said. Pakistan had initially bought one such long-range plane and upgraded it in 1992-93 and later acquired three more in 1994 along with spares. Besides two AS 12 or AM 39 Exocet’ missiles, the plane has got special sensors, ‘Thompson-CSF Ocean Master’ radars, Sonobuoys, signal processors and other surveillance equipment. The aircraft, which can be used in active combat and anti-submarine operations during wartime, can carry weapons like nine MK-46 torpedoes, MK-11 depth bombs, anti-ship missiles and mines. (PTI) |
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Farooq
opposes talk with militants Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Aug 10: Stoutly opposing demand of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKDPD) supremo Mufti Mohammed Sayeed to hold unconditional talks with militants, Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today accused former Union Minister of befooling masses for petty political gains. In an informal chat with media-men, Chief Minister out-rightly rejected, what he called illogical demand, and did not see any reason to hold talk with gun-totting militants who do not want to live in India. "How can we hold talk with those who neither respect Indian Constitution nor called themselves as Indian", he asked and smelt petty political consideration of Mufti Mohammed Sayeed in airing this non-serious demand. Launching a scathing on Mufti for not highlighting miseries of the masses when he was at the helm of the affairs in Union Government, Chief Minister sarcastically asked why Mufti during his tenure as Union Home Minister in the Vishwanath Pratap Singh Government did not hold talks with militants. "He (Mufti) has launched this prevaricating campaign to befool the masses to get their votes", he said and declared that Farooq Abdullah would not be intimidated by these vicious campaigns. "As Farooq Abdullah I favour talk with only those who are ready to leave gun and express faith in the Indian Constitution", he asserted. Expressing serious concern over the increasing militant activities in the Valley after Operation Vijay, Dr Farooq Abdullah said that frustrated Pakistan has intensified militant activities to boost the sagging morale of the its forces. He, however, declared that every possible effort would be made to frustrate nefarious designs of enemy. "Despite being badly defeated at Kargil, Pakistan has not learnt any lesson, it is high time to teach it a lesson for all its stupid misadventures", Dr Abdullah said. Dr Abdullah urged the Central Government to inform the entire world about the treacherous designs of Pakistan, who has been exporting militancy in the State for the last one decade. He demanded that Pakistan should be declared as terrorist state for her involvement in spreading militancy in her neighbouring countries. Replying to a question, Chief Minister said it was very easy to demand more security forces but we have to keep into consideration law and order problems in other parts of the country. "Instead of demanding more forces we have to utilise available force for keeping a check on militant activities in the State", he said and hoped that after frustrating Pakistani designs at border, army would assist security forces in their anti-militancy campaign. "We are keeping a strict vigil on the situation and will make every possible effort to maintain peace in the State", he said and asserted that State Government would not be intimidated by violence unleashed by militants. Chief Minister did not see any reason to postpone elections in the State and asserted that National Conference has been geared up to face elections. Chief Minister, however, parried the question regarding statement of the IGP, BSF regarding politician-police-militants nexus in the Valley. "I have not read that statement", he simply said. Earlier, addressing a function which was organised by the Bari-Brahamana Industries Association to present a cheque to the Chief Minister for Kargil martyrs, Dr Farooq Abdullah highly appreciated efforts of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee in improving relations with Pakistan. "It is unfortunate that our Prime Minister was organising peace yatra while Pakistani Premier was sending intruders on Indian soil", he regretted but hoped Indo-Pak relations would improve for the development of this sub-continent. Lavishing praise on Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, Chief Minister said that some time he felt surprised that how the leaders who were groomed in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideology, which propagating Hindutava, behaving after getting power. "Despite being supporter of RSS ideology, he never discriminated with any one", he said while praising Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and prayed the God for his long life. Paying tributes to the Kargil martyrs who had attained martyrdom while protecting dignity of the Mother Land, Chief Minister said that it was responsibility of the Government to provide every possible help to the families of martyrs. "Despite facing financial crunch, we would make every possible effort to provide held to the families of Kargil martyrs", he said. Dr Farooq Abdullah, who came all the way from Delhi after attending meeting of Defence Sub-Committee, informed that Central Government has decided to make uniformity in giving ex-gratia relief to the families of Kargil martyrs. Earlier, on behalf of the Bari Brahamana Industries Association, president of the BBIA, Mr Vijay Aggarwal president a cheque of Rs 3,51,000 for the Prime Minister Relief Fund (Shakti). Beside two cheques of Rs 5,000 each were also handed to the Chief Minister. |
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Fighting on for 2
points in Mushkoh NEW DELHI, Aug 10: Pakistani Army has launched a major build-up along the 140-km Line of Control (LoC) even as Indian Army was trying to get two strategic points vacated in Kargil sector of North Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan was reinforcing its units under the 92 Brigade in Skardu region of Pak-occupied Kashmir along Mushkoh, Drass, Kaksar and Batalik sub-sectors, official sources quoting Field Intelligence Units report said here. They said Pakistan’s move comes close on the heels of India deciding to raise its troop strength in the region after the Kargil incursions. Meanwhile, fighting was still going on for recapturing the point 5353 in Mushkoh valley, situated on the Line of Control (LoC), which Islamabad claims to be a part of Pakistan. This feature belongs to India as per the maps signed by the two Directors General of Military Operations in 1972 after the Simla agreement. The feature is important as it overlooks whole of the Drass and Matayan areas along the National Highway 1-A, the sources said. Another feature, point 5468, Northeast of Muntho Dalo in the Batalik sub-sector has also been illegally occupied by Pakistani troops and efforts were on to re-capture it, the sources said. Meanwhile, intermittent artillery shelling by Pakistan continued in and around the Kargil town. The sources said since the targets had been registered earlier it was easy for Pakistan to shell the vital installations in the area. In the meantime, the Indian Army was facing an uphill task of de-mining the features vacated by Pakistani troops in last week of July. The sources said Pakistani troops had burried hundreds of small but deadly Anti-Personnel Mines (APM) before retreating. The Army dug out nearly 400 such APM’s from one feature called Dog hill in Drass sector. Pakistani troops had planted snow mines in higher reaches of Batalik in a bid to inflict casualties on the Indian Army. The movement of troops has already been affected by an early snowfall this year. (PTI) Advani orders
retaliatory action From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Aug 10: Dozens of hardcore militants, besides five prominent secessionist leaders and three media persons, in Jammu and Kashmir are said to be possessing important imported ‘spy-devices’ - coded wristwatches. A sensational disclosure, in this connection, has been made by a ‘pro-Government’ militant leader during his unpublished interaction in Delhi with a higher-up of the Government of India. The ‘pro-Government’ militant leader has confessed that he, too, had received as a ‘valuable gift’ one coded wristwatch from one Pakistani ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) functionary in 1994-95, prior to his decision to quit the dreaded Hizbul Mujahideen and to subsequently render his assistance to the Indian security forces, particularly in southern Kashmir, during their operations against Pakistan-aided ultras. Hardcore militants, possessing coded wristwatches, belong to the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Peoples League, Jamaat-i-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), according to reports furnished to the Union Home Ministry. These reports, interestingly, have made a specific mention of the daughter of a prominent leader of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC), who also has a coded wristwatch. Coded wristwatches, it is officially pointed out, are also possessed by various politicians, businessmen, industrialists and property dealers in different parts of India, including the mega cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. But the purpose of ultras possessing such watches is different altogether. In fact, according to the ‘pro-Government’ militant leader, anti-Delhi elements, who are in the possession of the coded wristwatches, have to make a specific use of them, namely, to keep alive anti-Delhi lobby in Jammu and Kashmir. The coded wristwatches are meant to be loaded with "important" data such as names and addresses of the men in motion or to be set in motion against Indian authorities. A highly-placed source told EXCELSIOR that a coded writstwatch recently led to the arrest of three ISI operatives in Surankot sector of Jammu region. The achievement in Assam on the other hand, was however much more significant than the Surankot development, the source said, divulging that a seized coded wristwatch led to the arrest of more than 20 agents of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen in Assam. At least three of the captured agents had confirmed the existence of a nexus between a group of ultras in J&K and ISI-funded elements in parts of Assam. The source pointed out that men of two intelligence agencies had just been instructed officially to keep an eye on those in the two States who are alleged to be in the possession of coded wristwatches and electronic diaries. In Jammu and Kashmir, for instance, reports, now available with the Home Ministry, talk of the "subtle" link at least three local media persons have already established with a group of "defiant, determined anti-India devils, with each media person in the possession of the coded wristwatches. These reports have identified these scribes as well as the Kashmiri secessionist leaders whose imported gadgets contain names and addresses of "important anti-India devils". After the Home Minister, Mr LK Advani, was given a detailed account of how Pakistan-aided ultras in Assam and Jammu and Kashmir had developed a working relationship for continuing terrorist offensives in the two sensitive States, he ordered early measures for beefing up security in the two States, for organising multi-pronged attacks on the "operatives of the enemy, for strong administrative and legal action against all those who helped certain categories of the ultras in converting dollars into rupees, and for a drive to prevent certain publications and periodicals in the two States from deriving "substantial" pecuniary advantages by publicising the activities of militant and fundamentalist organisations. Instructions have also been issued to nab the "best" of ISI spy handlers not only in Jammu and Kashmir and Assam but also in other parts of the country, including Delhi, UP, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and West Bengal. In fact, the Government has favoured effective measures to get hold of two of these operatives, namely, Hafiz Mohammed Akram of Kupwara district (Kashmir) and Salim Ahmed of Muzaffarnagar (UP). |
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Militants' new strategy to win people's support SRINAGAR, Aug 10: Alarmed by waning support for their cause among the local populace, militants in the Valley are no more indulging in violent activities which affect the livelihood of the people and force them to look towards security forces for safety, say senior officials. The new Pakistani strategy to win back the support of the people affected by terrorism over the past eleven years belies the claims of State and Central Governments citing arrival of tourists and shooting of bollywood masala movies as indicators of resumption of normalcy in the Valley. All the houseboats on the Dal Lake were fully booked till the Kargil skirmishes broke out. The strategists across the border have realised that killing tourists would only alienate them from the people who are totally dependent on tourism for their livelihood, B N Kabu, Deputy Inspector General, Border Security Force (BSF), told here. He said the arrival of tourists or the shooting of an odd movie in the Valley cannot be construed as real indicators of the return of normalcy, which give the complete picture. Other officials said the situation could be considered normal only when Kashmiri Pandits return and people on their own come forward to give information about militants. In Sopore, famous for delicious apples and once called ‘liberated zone’ by militants, the ultras under a deal have stopped attacks even on security forces inside the town to prevent harassment of apple growers. The latest trend that has come to light is that pro-Pakistan activists and business community have struck a sort of deal with the militant groups not to carry out violent action against security forces inside Sopore town, said A S Mangat, Inspector General, BSF, Baramulla Frontier. In return, the militants are provided with money and any other thing they require, he said. The prosperous apple trade in Sopore cannot be treated as a sign of normalcy as it is happening to some extent with the blessings of the militants, said another official. He, however, said the security forces have gained full control of Sopore town and the businessmen were paying the militants as we cannot individually provide security to all of them. According to Mangat, militants are also paying hefty sum to the poor villagers and respecting their womenfolk to gain sympathy and safeguard their movements and hideouts. He, however, said there were occasions where locals provide hideout and support to militants due to fear. The forces too on their part are trying to expose and defeat the new game plan of the militants by running schools and medical camps and engaging in developmental activities. It is basically a war of wits, said an official. For instance, Mohd Maqbool Dar, vice-president, Auqaf Committee, Minjli told here, once again we have started feeling that the jawans are our own brothers in Khaki who have come here to help us overcome this difficult situation. (PTI) |
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Girls outclass boys in Part III exams Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Aug 10: Girls outclassed boys in the B.A/B Sc/ B Com Part Final examinations by virtually sweeping faculty of Arts and taking seven positions each in Commerce and Science Faculty out of a total of 10. Results of the examinations were declared today by the Jammu University and accounted for a total pass percentage of 67. Government College for Women, Parade Ground Jammu achieved a unique distinction of bagging first position in all three faculties. Deepali Mahajan bagged first position in Science with 85.09 per cent marks while Sakshi Arora and Veenu Gupta clinched top slots in Commerce and Arts faculties with 77.05 and 77.57 per cent marks respectively. Shuvdeep Singh of Govt Degree College Kathua and Deepali Sharma of Govt Degree College Rajouri claimed second and third positions in Science securing 84.48 and 84.30 per cent marks respectively. In Commerce, Karunakar Kaushik of Govt Degree College (Boys) Udhampur and Varun Jain of SPM Rajput College of Commerce, Jammu claimed second and third positions with 76.16 and 75.88 per cent of marks. Shonima Malhotra and Parul Parihar, both of Govt College for Women, Gandhi Nagar took second and third position in Arts faculty with 76.30 and 75.87 per cent marks respectively. Monika Kalsotra of Govt Degree College (Boys) Udhampur took fourth position in Science taking 84.12 per cent marks. She was followed by Ravinder Khour of Govt Degree College Kathua who had 83.03 per cent marks. Sourav Mehta of GGM Science College Jammu romped home with sixth position (82.90 per cent marks) while Rajni Mahajan secured seventh position for Govt College for Women, Parade Ground (82.30 per cent marks). Sneh Lata of Govt Degree College Kathua, Sunil Kumar Dubey of Govt Degree College (Boys) Udhampur and Sulakshna Kumari Thakur of Govt Degree College Kathua bagged eighth, ninth and tenth positions in Science faculty securing 82.12, 82.06 and 81.33 per cent marks respectively. Supriya Kohli, Upasna Abrol, Puja Gupta and Sheetal Nagpal, all students of Govt College for Women, Parade Ground secured fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh positions in Commerce faculty with 75.22, 74.88, 74.16 and 74.11 per cent marks respectively. Eight position in Commerce went to Vaibhav Kohli of SPM Rajput College of Commerce who had 72.88 per cent marks. Shalini Bali and Shital Mehra of Women College Parade ground took ninth and tenth positions in Commerce having 72.77 and 72.27 per cent marks. Pawan Singh Bali of Govt College for Women, Gandhi Nagar took 75.39 per cent marks to take fourth position in Arts faculty while fifth position went to Purnima Baigra of Govt College for Women, Gandhi Nagar. Gandhi Nagar women college student Preeti Mahajan claimed sixth position in Arts with 72.78 per cent marks while Farhat Zia Soherwardy took seventh position for DDE (ICE) Jammu (Male). Sapna Sharma, Ansuya Jamwal and Deepti Gupta, all students of Govt College for Women Gandhi Nagar bagged eight, ninth and tenth positions taking 70.30, 69.33 and 69.21 per cent marks respectively. Govt College for Women, Gandhi Nagar bagged seventh positions in Arts while Govt College for Women, Parade Ground, Govt College for Women, Udhampur and DDE (ICE) Jammu (Male) shared rest three positions. In Commerce Govt College for Women, Parade ground bagged seventh positions leaving behind two for SPM Rajput College of Commerce and one for Govt Degree College (Boys) Udhampur. The Science faculty was topped by Govt Degree College, Kathua with four positions followed by Govt Degree College Udhampur and Govt College for Women Parade ground with two positions each. Govt Degree College Rajouri and GGM Science College Jammu secured one position each. The overall pass percentage in the examinations stood at 59—67 for regular and 30 for private candidates. Of a total of 7556 students enrolled for the exams, 4512 managed to get through. |
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Two Amarnath yatris die enroute shrine Excelsior Correspondent PAHALGAM, Aug 10: Two more Amarnath pilgrims who were on their way to Holy Cave breathed their last today at Panchtarni and Sheshnag respectively. According to an official spokesman one Yatri namely Sublesh Patil, 52, son of Nariain Bai of Six Arjun Alora, Baroda (Gujarat) died at Panchtarni this morning following cardiac arrest while another Yatri namely Vinod Sharma, 53, son of Raday Sham of Extension Two Delhi passed away in his tent at Sheshnag due to respiratory problem today. With this the death toll of Amarnath pilgrims has risen to three. Earlier one lady identified as Kiran Bala of South West Bengal died at Sheshnag on August 3. It is recalled that eight Amarnath Yatris who were on their way to Jammu were killed yesterday while 41 were injured when a bus carrying them rolled down into a nallah at Chenani on Jammu, Srinagar, National Highway. Meanwhile, with the arrival of yet another batch of 2449 Yatris from Jammu here today, the total number of pilgrims reaching Kashmir valley from rest parts of the country and abroad has risen to 59,142. The spokesman said out of these 57,115 devotees had ‘darshan’ of the Icy Lingam at the Holy Cave of Amarnath Ji situated at an altitude of 3880 meters till this evening. He said 34,022 pilgrims after performing darshan returned to their homes till this morning. The batch of 3325 pilgrims who had reached here yesterday left for the next destination early in the morning, the spokesman said. Our Jammu correspondent adds: The 16th batch of 2449 pilgrims left the M A Stadium as usual early in the morning today under tight security cover in 121 vehicles. These Yatris drawn from different parts of the country include 1987 male, 335 female, 115 Sadhus and 12 children. The first vehicle left the M A Stadium at 0430 hours and the last one crossed the Jewel Chowk at 0630 hours. All the Yatris who had reached the M A Stadium boarded the buses for the Base Camp except an odd number of over 150 Sadhus were seen leaving the Stadium in utter disgust. A group of the Sadhus who had come from Rajasthan told this reporter that they have been wandering here for last over five days now and every day they are asked to come next day. Another group threatened that if they will not be accommodated tomorrow they will stage a protest demonstration in front of Deputy Commissioner’s Office. Soon the cavalcade of vehicles left the M A Stadium the security agencies asked the every body to leave the Stadium for its complete sanitisation. An announcement was made through public address system asking every body to leave the Stadium. When some Sadhus did not pay any heed to the announcement the cops were directed to evict them from the Stadium and soon after the Stadium was emptied, the security men took the control of it and started thorough checking. |
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Pregnant woman gang raped by militants Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Aug 10: A pregnant woman was gang raped by unidentified persons—suspected to be militants—at village Ghalot in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district last night. Official reports reaching here said a group of eight miscreants, expected to be the militants wearing face masks and carrying rifles, attacked the house of Abdul Malik at village Ghalot last night and dragged out her pregnant daughter, who had come to the house of her father for few days stay. However, the woman managed to escape from the clutches of militants and ran about half a kilometer crying for help. She was chased by the militants as no help came from the people. Militants overpowered the woman in a field where she was gang raped by all the militants for more than one hour till she was rendered unconscious. Militants fled from the village after committing the heinous crime. Family members of the woman later removed her to hospital where she was medically examined. She regained consciousness after a day long medicare by the doctors. Reports said Mendhar police have registered a case in the gang rape but failed to apprehend any of the accused. They said father of the girl had even identified a couple of militants, who were suspected to be locals and furnished their identity to police. Despite this, police have failed to effect the arrest of any of them. Reports said militants were, infact, carrying rods whom they had given the shape of rifles to terrorise the woman’s family and neighbourers. Despite alarms raised by the woman during rape, no one had come to her rescue. Police have, however, registered a case and started investigations. Statement of the woman has been recorded. |
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Two militants shot
dead in BG Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Aug 10: Army gunned down two militants during an encounter at Bhimber Gali (BG) sector here while a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed and two others were injured in an ambush by the militants at Mohanta village in Kandi area. A Defence spokesman said troops eliminated two militants at Bhimber Gali in the early hours of this morning when they tried to infiltrate into Indian territory from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). When challenged and asked to surrender, the militants opened firing and tried to escape back to PoK. Troops opened firing and gunned down both the militants on the spot. However, their dead bodies couldn’t be picked up by the Indian army in view of heavy firing from across the border. There was no casualty on Indian side in the encounter. Though identity of the slain militants hasn’t been established, both were suspected to be the foreign mercenaries and activists of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit. They were being pushed into Indian territory for stepping up subversive activities in this border district on the eve of Parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, militants ambushed a BSF patrol at Mohanta in Kandi area today. Militants opened heavy firing and lobbed several grenades towards the BSF patrol. A BSF jawan Naresh Kumar was killed in the encounter while two other jawans identified as Mohd Yusuf and Pritam Singh were seriously injured. The encounter continued for half an hour. Militants fled from the spot as reinforcement started reaching. Another BSF patrol of 181 battalion recovered three rockets, four rocket boosters, 150 rounds of AK-57 rifle, 20 detonators and IED circuits during searches in village Beran Thora in North Kandi today, BSF sources said. |
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Army source killed, driver shot in Valley Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Aug 10: Unidentified gunmen have shot dead a former counter-insurgent and National Conference activist in Budgam district while as an auto-driver has been left injured in the capital city today. Official sources told EXCELSIOR that during last night, some unidentified gunmen barged into the residence of Mohammad Akbar Dainda S/o Ali Mohammad Dainda near Arizal in upper Budgam and shot him dead. Untill dislocation of the Raiyaar camp of Army a few weeks before. Dainda had worked as a counter-insurgent source with Rashtriya Rifles 34 Bn. He had later diversified into the timber smuggling in Arizal-Sholipora belt and lately he had become a close associate of the Khansahib MLA of National Conference Mr Abdul Gani Naseem. The slain wood-poacher was introducing himself to everybody as the "Halqa president" of NC in Raiyaar-Arizal area. Officials were sure that he had been eliminated by militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba. In the capital city here, unidentified gunmen fired upon Tanvir Ahmed Ghasi S/o Ghulam Mohammad Ghasi of Maisuma, at Baba Demb, Khanyar, at 1100 hours today. He sustained critical injuries and was rushed to SMHS Hospital for treatment. Sources said that he was an auto-driver. Reports from Baramulla said that militants kidnapped a civilian, namely Lateef Khan S/o Jalal-ud-Din at Chitti Bandi, in Bandipora, from his house. Meanwhile four civilian got injured when a Tata-Sumo vehicle and a speedy truck had a collision near Qazigund on Jammu-Srinagar highway. Reports from Anantnag said that two wild bears attacked three farmers at Hugam. While as Ghulam Mohammad Bhat S/o Habibullah Bhat R/o Hugam got killed, the predators left two women -- namely Zareefa and Aayisha critically injured. Villagers rushed to the spot, rescued the injured and rushed them to hospital. SRINAGAR, Aug 10: Jammu and Kashmir BJP unit vice president Abdul Rashid Kabuli, twice winner from Srinagar parliamentary seat, today said he would not contest in the coming Lok Sabha polls in the state and wanted to work for strengthening the democratic institutions. I was offered a ticket for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat by the party high command but I have decided not to contest the coming elections. I will utilise time and energy in strengthening democratic institutions, allowing people to cast their votes in a free and fair manner, he said. He alleged that the ruling National Conference had hatched a conspiracy to rig the coming elections. Kabuli said the root cause of the present problem in the state was the rigging in the 1987 Assembly elections resorted to by the ruling National Conference. He said it was the duty of the Election Commission and the Centre to ensure free and fair elections in the state to restore the shaken confidence of the people. (PTI) |
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