PDP activist among 5 killed in Valley
*16 injured in Shopian grenade attack

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 31: Sixteen people, including two police personnel, were injured when militants attacked a Special Operations Group camp with a grenade at Shopian in Pulwama district this evening, official sources said.

Militants lobbed a grenade on the SOG camp at Gagran village at around 5.30 PM in which 14 civilians and two policemen, including a Special Police Officer, were injured, they said.

Police personnel manning the camp fired in retaliation but the ultras escaped, the sources said.

A hunt has been launched to nab the militants involved in the attack, which took place minutes before the breaking of the Ramzan fast, they said.

In another incident in downtown Srinagar, militants lobbed a grenade on a BSF picket at Habbakadal this evening without causing any damage, the sources said.

The explosive was hurled by militants at the picket manned by the troops of 89 battalion BSF around 6.30 PM, but it missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside, they said.

As people were busy in breaking the fast, the road was deserted avoiding civilian casualties, they said.

This was the second grenade attack in as many days in the locality. Last night, militants hurled a grenade on a BSF picket which landed on the new Habbakadal bridge without causing any harm.

Militants have stepped up grenade attacks since the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan began on Tuesday. Ultras have carried out six grenade attacks at various places in the Valley during the past four days which left two civilians dead and scores injured.

Although no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for today’s attacks, Lashker-e-Toiba had threatened to step up attacks on security forces during the month of Ramzan.

Meanwhile, while as two militants and an Army porter have been killed in north Kashmir today while unidentified militants have shot dead an activist of ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anantnag district during last night. Elsewhere, unidentified gunmen shot dead a released militant in down town locality of Srinagar last night. Meanwhile, residents of Bidder hamlet in Kokernag area of Anantnag district today strongly protested against alleged molestation of a young girl at the hands of Army. Police has registered a case against the Army.

Informed sources in south Kashmir told EXCELSIOR that, a party of RR 36 Bn entered the village of Bidder at 1030 hrs this morning. According to the sources, two soldiers asked 10-year-old son of a local baker, Nazir Ahmed Sofi, to find out whether everything was all right at a temporary watch point created by the forces over a rooftop. However, the boy refused to follow the Army orders.

Eyewitnesses said that soldiers called the boy’s father, Nazir and ordered him to search the place. However, Nazir’s family members did not allow him to comply the orders. Eyewitnesses said that irritated by Nazir, one of the soldiers started beating him up. However, these eyewitnesses revealed, Nazir’s daughter, Maroofa, a 12th class student, could not bear the humiliation meted out to her father and slapped back to the soldier resulting in a scuffle.

According to eyewitnesses, soldiers torn out Maroof’s outfit and fired in air before escaping from the spot. In the meantime, villagers assembled and took out a procession against the incident. They were raising slogans against the Army.

Police and district administration immediately reached to the spot and pacified the agitating villagers. Later, police registered a case bearing FIR No 2129/2003 under section 354, 351 RPC against Army.

Informed sources said that troops of 5-Sikh regiment spotted a group of two unidentified militants while infiltrating across the Line of Control near Taj Picket in Nowgam sector in Kupwara district early this morning. The militants were challenged resulting in a gun battle with security forces. Officials said both the militants were killed in the exchange of fire. They believed that the slain militants were foreigners.

Sources said that one Alif Din, son of Alam Din of Gujjarpati died in a cross border shelling near Kuntawali Picket in Kupwara today. Alif Din was a porter with Army.

Reports from south Kashmir said that unidentified militants barged into the residence of a 35-year-old PDP activist, namely Ghulam Mohammed Yatoo, son of Abdul Gani at Krad Shangus in Anantnag district last night and shot him dead. Yatoo was also president of the local auqaf.

Here in Srinagar city, unidentified gunmen fired at one, Muzaffar Ahmed Shah while he was returning home after offering evening prayers at Narparistan in Habakadal locality last evening. Shah died on the spot.

Reports said that Shah was a former militant of Al-Jehad outfit and was currently a shopkeeper by profession.

Meanwhile, two women, identified as Masrat Bano and Aziza, both residents of Karnah were injured in cross border shelling between Indian and Pakistani troops in Karnah today.

‘Pak most complex challenge for US diplomacy’

WASHINGTON, Oct 31: Pakistan presents one of the most complex and difficult challenges facing US diplomacy anywhere in the world while India holds out the prospect for long-term political, economic and security ties with Washington, says an influential Task Force on India and south Asia.

"Even though Pakistan offers valuable help in rooting out Al-Qaeda remnants, it has failed to prevent Islamic terrorists from using its terrority as a base for armed attacks on Kashmir and Afghanistan." The Task Force set up by the council of foreign relations and the Asia society said in its report.

The Task Force included important personalities like Mr Frank G Wisner, former US Ambassador to India and current president of the Asia society, and Marshall M Bouton, president of the Chicago Council on foreign relations.

The report noted that the US had a major stake in a stable Pakistan at peace with itself and its neighbours and asked the Bush administration to be prepared to provide substantial assistance to Islamabad to this end. The extent of US assistance should, however, be caliberated with Pakistan’s own performance and conduct.

It said that given the dangers inherent in festering India-Pakistan rivalry, the US should become more active in trying to help the two nuclear-armed neighbours manage their differences. Their hostility, especially over Kashmir, remained the gravest threat to regional peace and US interests. India’s most recent proposals to Pakistan, although limited, and the overtures to the Hurriyat group were encouraging move, the reports added.

The report said India, with its democratic political system and decade of steady economic advance, held out the prospect for long-term political and security ties and substantially expanded trade and economic relations with Washington.

The medium-term policy challenge for the two countries was to complete the transition from past estrangement through engagement on to genuine partnership. The two countries should intensify efforts to broaden and deepen bilateral political, security, intelligence and law enforcement cooperation, it said.

The report said trade policy dialogue between the United States and India ought to be increased and the two countries should seek to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement dealing with services. The US should ease restrictions on exports of dual-use products (civilian and military use) and on civilian space satellite cooperation.

The goal for US diplomacy should be to help start a bilateral process of India-Pakistan negotiations. A plausible place to begin would be working out a comprehensive cease-fire along the Kashmir Line of Control (LoC), the most likely flashpoint of wider conflict.

Pakistan should be pressed more vigorously to make good on President Pervez Musharraf’s pledge to stop infiltration across the LoC. India should be urged to reduce the heavy weight of its security forces upon Kashmiris, reach an accord with the State Government that better addresses the aspirations of Kashmiris, and step up support for economic development, it added. (UNI)

Infiltration on but violence on decline: Brig Gupta

SRINAGAR, Oct 31: There is no let up in the infiltration from across the border though militancy related violence within the Valley has decreased, a senior Army officer said.

However, the recent grenade and other attacks by the militants was borne out of frustration to derail the peace process, Brigadier A K Gupta and Brigadier R Halgal of 15 corps told reporters at a fortnightly press briefing here today.

They said Pakistan is making desperate attempts to send more trained militants into the Kashmir valley from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) before the infiltration routes closed due to snowfall.

"We have foiled 13 infiltration attempts during the past fortnight," they said, adding, "besides we have also rescued a number of youths from being exfiltrated by agents for arms training."

He said recently Army rescued 8 youths of Sopore who were being taken to PoK for receiving arms training. Two persons have been arrested for recruitment drives.

In reply to a question, Brig Gupta said though the level of infiltration is going down but it has not stopped.

To another question, he said it will come down due to snowfall on the upper reaches.

Statistics reveal a marginal dip in militancy operations in the last two weeks.

A total of 27 militants were killed and ten others apprehanded during the period as against 36 killed and 21 apprehended in the previous fortnight, they said, adding militant actions against the security forces has also come down during this period.

There were a total of 18 bids against the security forces as against the 26 bids in the previous fortnight.

"This could be achieved because of continued vigil on the borders and within the Valley besides using a number of advanced gadgets and means, including unmanned ground sensors, jammers and surveillance devices, which have proved effective."

About the civilian casualties in grenade and IED blasts, they said militants are frustrated as they wanted to derail the peace process.

In the last fortnight, 27 AK rifles, 6800 rounds of AK ammunition, 72 hand grenades, 100 detonators, 1 rocket launcher, 4 pistols, 39 rounds of pistol ammunition and explosives were recovered.

They said besides counter-insurgency operations, the Army was engaged in civic action in the Valley. (UNI)

Pak welcomes India’s reaction to proposals

ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 : Notwithstanding India’s strong reaction to its Kashmir-centric proposals, Pakistan today promised to implement all mutually-agreed measures to improve bilateral relations.

However, it said New Delhi should not "obstruct steps" to provide "some relief" to Kashmiris and "not misconstrue" its proposal for UN involvement in the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and offer of medical help to people in the State.

In a statement, the Foreign Office also maintained that India’s response to its proposals was "partial and once again tries to exclude core issues." "India should not misconstrue steps proposed by Islamabad for the welfare of Kashmiris as well as modalities for Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service," the statement said, referring to India’s reply to Pakistani proposals and counter-measures.

"If India is serious it should not obstruct steps that may provide some relief to the Kashmiris trapped in a tragic situation," it said, referring to India’s rebuff to its proposal for provide assistance to "Kashmiri students, widows and rape victims."

"Pakistan welcomes India’s response to the proposals though it remains partial and once again tries to exclude core issues" Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan said in the statement.

Khan, however, did not react to the specific point made by India that Islamabad should pay compensation to the victims of terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Pakistan urges India to reconsider and respond positively to the proposals made by Pakistan to promote confidence between the two countries and facilitate greater people to people contacts, including between Kashmiris," he said.

Khan said Pakistan believed India was "predicating greater people-to-people contacts", including resumption of air links and Samjhota Express and introduction of Lahore-Amritsar bus service. But Pakistan has already indicated its willingness to attend the second round of civil aviation talks in New Delhi from December 1-2 while making it clear that it opposed linking the outcome of the parleys on airlinks with technical level talks to resume air links, he said.

By making progress on air links a precondition for movement on other fronts signals "hesitancy and negative mindset," on the part of India, he said. At the same time he expressed Pakistan’s willingness to implement all agreed CBMs.

He also reiterated Islamabad’s willingness to respond positively to any proposal, which is "unconditional, substantive and was aimed at the resolution of all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir issue."

"A genuine peace process would require an immediate resumption of a meaningful dialogue for the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue along with other issues.

"India should not stall the momentum towards abatement of tension by its refusal to persue a composite dialogue and by making baseless allegations," he said.

Khan said Pakistan has noted with "satisfaction" that instead of stonewalling all peace proposals made by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, India has shown willingness to hold talks on some of the issues included in the composite dialogue agenda as well as on measures that would restore the relationship between the two countries to the pre-December 2001 status.

"This, however, is a limited objective. Pakistan calls upon India to resume dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues, especially the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," he said. Khan also urged the Indian Government to delink its relations with Pakistan from its domestic politics and stop "conducting diplomacy through the media."

"Pakistan would also urge India to eschew diplomacy through the media and undertake serious negotations on the whole range of confidence building measures through official channels," he said.

Reiterating his oft-repeated allegations of "repression and suppression" of Kashmir, Khan claimed that Pakistan’s offer to assist Kashmiris was motivated by a "genuine desire to alleviate the sufferings."

He also took exception to India’s assertion that Kashmr was part of India. "Kashmir is certainly not a ‘particular region’ of India as stated by the Indian spokesman," he said. (PTI)

4 militants, civilian killed

Excelsior Special Correspondent

POONCH, Oct 31: Army and police today gunned down four militants at village Morha Bachai while the ultras kidnapped and killed a civilian in Marhot in two separate incidents in Surankote tehsil.

Official sources said a joint team of army and police launched a search operation in Morha Bachai on a tip off given by police regarding presence of four militants in the area. A contact with the militants, who had taken shelter in a dhok, was established at 2 PM after which a heavy exchange of gun-battle took place between both sides.

By this evening, according to sources, four militants had been killed while two others managed to slip away in a surrounding forest area. Security forces didn’t suffer any casualties in the operation, they said.

Recoveries made from the slain militants included two AK-56 rifles, two Pika guns, five magazines, one radio set, 10 detonators, one hand grenade, three army dresses, one antenna and one torch. Sources said recoveries of three army dresses indicated that the slain militants might have been planning to carry out a fidayeen attack on a security installation in Surankote.

Identity of the slain militants hasn’t been established so far but two of them were suspected to be the foreign mercenaries of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit. Security forces continued a search operation in Morha Bachai forests to trace two absconding militants.

Meanwhile, two militants last night kidnapped a 42-year old civilian Mohd Bashir son of Zia from his house at village Marhot in Surankote. The militants took him to a nullah in the same area and shot him dead, the sources said, adding that body of the civilian was recovered by police this morning and handed over to his family after post-mortem.

Militants involved in the killing were stated to be local activists of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.

Sushma Choudhary is Advisor Planning Commission
Govt effects major Secy level changes

NEW DELHI, Oct 31: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the Government today appointed Mr Deepak Chatterjee, Secretary in the Department of Commerce, as the first Chairman of the newly-Constituted Competition Commission of India.

An official spokesman today said Mr Chatterjee, who took premature retirement, will be replaced by Mr S B Mohapatra, presently Secretary in the Ministry of Textiles. Mr Mohapatra will be replaced by Mr Nripendra Misra, currently Secretary in the Department of Fertilisers.

Mr Arun Bhatnagar, Secretary in the Department of Food and Public Distribution, as Secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, Public grievances and pensions in place of Mr S S Dawra who retired today. Mr Bhatnagar will be replaced by Mr S K Tuteja, Secretary in the Ministry of Small Scale Industries and Ministry of Agro and Rural Industries.

Ms Binoo Sen, presently Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, will be the new Secretary in the Water Resources Ministry in place of Mr A K Goswami who is also retiring today.

Ms Binoo Sen will be replaced by Ms Radha Singh, presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources, as Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Mr B S Minhas, presently Special Secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, will replace Mr Tuteja as Secretary in the Small Scale Industries.

Mr A K Vijayavargiya has been posted as Secretary, Northeastern Council Secretariat against a vacant post.

Mr Laxmi Chand, presently Additional Secretary in the Coal Ministry, will be Secretary in the Department of Fertilisers in place of Mr Nripendra Misra while Mr Shekhar Dutt, at present Director General, Sports Authority of India, will be the new Secretary in the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy in place of Ms Maithi S Sinha, who is also retiring today.

Mr Kamal Taori, presently Advisor, Inter-State Council Secretariat, has been appointed Advisor, Planning Commission, in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary.

Ms Sushma Choudhary, presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, will also be Advisor, Planning Commission.

Mr Abhijit Sengupta, has been posted as Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce in place of Mr I V Saptharishi who has completed his deputation tenure.

Mr V Thulsi Das, has been posted as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources in place of Ms Radha Singh.

Mr J P Singh, will be the new Director General Sports Authority of India in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in place of Mr Shekhar Dutt.

Mr Arvind Singh, has been posted as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Coal in place of Mr Laxmi Chand. (UNI)

BSF in different role

JAISALMER, Oct 31: Protecting the country’s frontiers along the Indo-Pak border is not their only task.

BSF para-troopers, manning the checkposts, fondly take care of winged creatures who freely intrude into the desert state of Rajasthan from across the border.

The security personnel have set up several "Pakshi Vihars" (bird sanctuaries) at the border in Thar desert giving water, which is precious than blood here, and food to the flying visitors from across the border.

Besides protecting the country’s border, "we are fulfilling our social responsibility to protect the winged creatures," BSF DIG Rajiv Dasot told PTI.

"The chirping of birds is the only sweet sound one hears in the desert in the morning," he said.

Several birds have made Pakshi Vihars their permanent homes, the DIG said. (PTI)

Army porter killed in shelling, 15 houses damaged

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Oct 31: An Army porter was killed in Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowgam sector of Kupwara district whileas 15 houses were damaged when the enemy troops opened unprovoked shelling in Kargil sector.

Official sources said that Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate shelling on forward positions from across the border, killing Army porter Alif Din, a resident of Gujjarpati-Zirhama village of Kupwara.

Intermittent shelling from Pakistani side was also reported in Machil, Keran, Tangdhar, Karnah, Gurez and Teetwal sectors of Kupwara and Baramulla districts, but there was no reports of any casualty or damage to the property.

The sources said troops guarding the LoC also fired in retaliation but the casualties suffered by Pakistani troops could not be known immediately.

Meanwhile, at least 15 houses were damaged when Pakistani troops opened unprovoked shelling in the Kargil sector for the past two days, official sources said today.

The sources said Pakistani troops fired more than 60 artillery and mortar shells targeting civilian areas and security force installations in the Kargil district.

The sources said shelling by Pakistani troops continued till last evening disrupting normal life in the villages adjacent to the Line of Control (LoC).

A number of shells landed in village Chanigund, 12 Km from the main Kargil town, causing damage to at least 15 houses. Two houses were completely damaged as four shells directly fell on them, the sources said.

However, there was no report of any casualty as the people in the village had migrated to safer places.

A resident Ghulam Nabi said that this was for the first time after 1999 that Pakistani troops targeted the village forcing migration of a number of families.

A number of people were wounded and more than 30 houses and other structures were damaged in the Pakistani shelling during this season. Traffic on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway was suspended a number of times due to the Pakistani shelling this summer.

Censors to be installed on IB

HOSHIARPUR (PUNJAB), Oct 31: Censor machines would be installed along the Indo-Pak border in Punjab to check infiltration, a top border security force official said here today.

With a view to tighten security along the border, censor machines would be installed at all key points along the Punjab border, BSF Inspector General, Punjab Frontier, G S Gill told reporters at the Subsidiary Training Centre of the force at Kharkan camp here.

These machines would raise an alarm in case anyone tried to cross the border, he said, adding "this would further help in checking infiltration."

He, however, said only some stray activities of smugglers were noticed on the border during the year so far.

Citing a few incidents, Gill said a kilogram of heroin kept in a packet and thrown into the Indian side by a Pakistani smuggler was seized about three months ago in the Khemkaran sector.

Besides, 3.5 kg cocaine was seized from one Kenyan national and another from Nigerian recently, he said, adding the cocaine had been packed in capsules which were hidden in their bodies, he said.

A cache of arms and ammunition including nine revolvers, magazines and a large quantity of ammunition was recovered from near the border during the period, he said.

Earlier, Gill took the salute from 364 newly passed out recruits and awarded medals to nine recruit constables for their outstanding performance in different subjects during their nine month basic training programme.(PTI)

Sonia flays communal forces

NEW DELHI, Oct 31: Terming secularism as an index of "religiousness and spirituality", Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said communal forces were "endangering" the unity and integrity of the country and should be tackled boldly.

She said "divisive and fundamental forces" were posing threat not only to the country’s unity and integrity but also its economic development.

"Communal forces endangering the unity and integrity of the country should be tackled boldly," Gandhi said while presenting the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award for 2002 to spiritual leader and founder of Ahimsa Yatra Acharya Shree Mahapragya here.

Referring to secularism, the leader of the opposition said "it does not mean irreligiousity but on the contrary, was an index of religiousness and spirituality."

"The more a person is religious, the more secular he is," she said emphasising that these ideas be passed on to younger generations.

She said India had always been receptive to thoughts and ideas from outside and it was this tradition that had helped it preserve its unity despite diversities.

Favouring mutual exchange of views, Gandhi said the country becomes weaker when it under-estimates the ideas of others and avoids mutual understanding. In his message of acceptance of the award received by his disciple Muni Shree Lokprakash Lokesh, Acharya Mahapragya said the Ayodhya issue could be solved by religious leaders if politics and political leaders are kept away. (PTI)

Pandits tell US Congress their woes

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 : Members of Congress have heard a graphic account of ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and moderate Muslims from Kashmir at the hands of Pakistan-backed Jihadis mostly sent across the Line of Control and some converted to their cause in the Valley.

National Director of the Indo-American Kashmir Forum Jeevan Zutshi said at a conference sponsored by Congressman Frank Pallone, founder and former Co-Chairman of the India Caucus yesterday that in 1990, 300,000 Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and moderate Muslims had to flee Kashmir for their lives to neighbouring parts of India.

Since 1989, said Zutshi, Pandits have been forced to live in wretched camps under subhuman conditions lacking even basic amenities. The past 14 years have taken a great toll in these camps in terms of psychological and mental disorders, epidemics and reproductive disorders, resulting in a birth-to-death ratio of 1:4.

Killing of over 1,100 Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, Zutshi said, has been documented. Their ancestral, cultural and spiritual roots are in Kashmir. "They have every right to live in the Valley without fear of persecution and they should not become the forgotten people of Kashmir," he said.

He expressed gratitude to members like Congressman Pallone and others who have promised them that they will not be forgotten.

Pakistan, said Zutshi, tried to take the Valley in wars. When that failed, it resorted to terrorism. He charged that Pakistan is churning out 10,000 Jihadis every year from its madrassas to kill infidels. "So long as these schools are not shut down there is very little hope of change," he added. (PTI)

IAF to have only best talent

NEW DELHI, Oct 31: With the Indian Air Force going in for high technology, Air Chief S Krishnaswamy today indicated that the organisation would use the option of only keeping the best talent in service.

Pointing out that high technology demanded high performances, he said in times to come the Air Force would use the option of only retaining the "meritorious" after the mandatory ten years in service.

Talking to reporters after the Commanders conference here, he said the new merit-based promotion policy has got the full endorsement and approval of the just-concluded top Commanders conference.

Krishnaswamy said with IAF poised to enter outer space management and warfare, it was imperative that anybody bidding for voluntary retirement after ten years would be allowed to go.

He said this policy would be applied at all level.

The Air Chief said the IAF had recently conducted a survey across the country to find out where the best talent could be spotted out.

The survey was carried out by ORG-MARG, he said. (PTI)
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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