Pak Army launches hunt for Al-Qaeda militants

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: Pakistan armed forces today launched a major operation in the country’s tribal dominated South Wajiristan agency bordering Afghanistan to crack down on the remnants of Al-Qaeda and Taliban hiding there.

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said military operations were launched after the end of the deadline given to the local population to surrender the foreign militants hiding there.

The operation followed an amnesty offer by Musharraf to all the foreign militants willing to surrender. Musharraf had promised not to hand over the surrendered militants to any foreign powers.

This was the third operation launched by Pakistan Army in the recent months in the same area to apprehend foreign militants. Rashid told reporters here that Pakistani forces have been sent to South Waziristan tribal area to apprehend the suspects.

"This action is part of Pakistan’s commitment with the international coalition," he said, adding the operations would be conducted by Pakistan forces alone and not by any foreign forces.

"We will not enter into other’s territory and will not allow others to violate our boundaries," Rashid said, when asked if US forces would take part in the operation.

He said the operation was aimed at blocking the illegal entry of suspects in Pakistani area. "We have sealed our borders and some people have surrendered. We want the others to surrender."

The minister said so far around 50 persons have surrendered but declined to give their details or nationalities.

He also denied that the action was aimed at apprehending Osama bin Laden or his deputy Aimn Al-Zawahri.

"This action is not against any one but it is against terrorism," the minister said. He said no pictures of Aimn Al-Zawahri has been taken through satellite and this is just propaganda by the west.

He said American forces have not landed in Pakistan to take part in the operations and the Pakistani forces are capable to deal with any suspect.

Asked if these people would be handed over to any other country, Sheikh Rashid said that President Musharraf had already given a policy statement that those who are surrendered would not be handed over to any country.

On other issues, asked about lifting the ban on Indian channels, he said time was not ripe for allowing the Indian channels. (PTI)

PDP leader among 4 killed, 650 kg explosives seized

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Feb 22: A ruling PDP leader was among four persons killed in the Valley where security forces smashed three militant hideouts and recovered nearly 650 kgs of explosives and 11,000 rounds since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

In the third attack on ruling party leaders within a week, ultras today shot dead PDP block president Ghulam Nabi Baig at Pahalgam in Anantnag district. Unidentified militants sprayed bullets on Baig, working as head clerk in Pahalgam Development Authority, around 11.45 am, the spokesman said. He was rushed to hospital where he was declared brought dead.

No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the killing of Baig, a resident of Irum Colony of Aishmuqam. On February 16, militants of Save Kashmir Movement gunned down two block presidents of the party, Ghulam Mohammad Dar and Ali Mohammad Bhat, at Hyderpora and Budgam.

The spokesman said ultras shot dead a private teacher in his house at Gopalpora in Anantnag district last night. A body was recovered from Chitibandi-Bandipora area of Baramulla.

In a severe blow to militants’ plan to escalate violence during the coming Parliamentary polls in the State, BSF seized nearly 650 kgs of explosives and 11,000 rounds of assorted ammunition from two hideouts in the city.

Acting on specific input, troops raided a hideout near ferry point in Parimpora and recovered 50 kgs of high explosives and 11,000 rounds of ak ammunition kept in gunny bags in an abandoned house, a BSF spokesman said. The consignment was probably coming from Gauripo side and meant for Hizbul Mujahideen to escalate violence during the polls.

In a seperate raid last night, security forces arrested a shopkeeper Noor Mohammad Gujri in Maharajgunj area of downtown city and recovered 600 kgs of low explosives from his shop, the spokesman said.

He said Mohammad Shafi, a resident of Lal Bazar area of the city who is at large, reportedly used to buy explosives from Noor and distribute it to the militant outfits to carry out subversive activities.

A hunt has been launched to nab Shafi, he added.

Police recovered two pistols and a hand grenade at Preng-Hajan in Baramulla district, a police spokesman said.

Meanwhile, informed sources told EXCELSIOR that Ghulam Mohammad Mir S/o Khair Mohammad Mir R/o Naristan, Tral, was picked up by the troops of Rashtriya Rifles 42 Bn, Yangwani camp today.

When contacted over telephone late tonight, S P Awantipore, Vijay Kumar, said that he had taken cognizance of the peoples’ complaint and established contact with security forces. "Army spoke to me late this evening and maintained that Mir was just serious. Facts will be available tomorrow only as it was not immediately possible for Police to reach Yangwani camp and see the detainee’s condition", Vijay Kumar said.

Two civilians killed in Doda

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 22: Two civilians were kidnapped and killed by the militants while another escaped the captivity in Doda district today.

Official sources said the militants kidnapped Kunj Lal son of Mangta Ram and Girdhari Lal son of Neel Kanth, both residents of Nagri, Thathri in Doda district from Khatru forest area last night. While Girdhari Lal managed to escape from the militants’ captivity, Kunj Lal was shot dead.

Body of Kunj Lal, 38, was recovered from Kakihtar nullah in Jubba area of Gandoh this morning. Police sent the body for post-mortem.

Another civilian, Shamas Din son of Ghulam Qadir R/o Sali in Kastigarh area in Doda district, was also kidnapped by the militants and killed.

A civilian Mohd Razak son of Kaka R/o Nar Mankote in Mendhar area of Poonch district was injured in a mine blast. he was working as a porter with Army.

Injured has been admitted in the district hospital in Rajouri.

HM warns against participation in LS polls

SRINAGAR, Feb 22: Pakistan based militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen has warned the people of Kashmir of dire consequences if they took part in the Lok Sabha elections.

The threat, conveyed through posters read: "We want freedom, not elections. Anyone found participating in the polls will be dealt with severely."

The Hizbul threat comes in the wake of efforts by the Government and various political parties to set rolling the poll campaigning by organising rallies and public meetings.

While the BJP had organised a rally in the heart of Srinagar on Tuesday last, the Congress-PDP coalition held a massive public meeting in Sopore area of Baramulla district on Saturday.

Highly placed official sources confirmed having received information about pasting of posters by the militant organisation but said authorities have already initiated steps to counter the threat to ensure public participation in the coming elections in large numbers.

The threat posters’ have been pasted in several villages in Pulwama and Anantnag in south Kashmir and Kupwara and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir.

Hizbul Mujahideen posters were seen pasted at Bilorgund, Tiknu, Bubbar, Sheikhyar, Rajpora, Shadimarg and Drabigam in Pulwama district, Kulgam in Anantnag, Sheikhnar and Sogam in Kupwara and Rafiabad in Baramulla over the past few days, reports reaching here said. Police and security forces have been directed to intensify vigil and patrolling in the areas where the posters have been pasted by the outfit to infuse sense of security among the local residents.

"It is nothing new. We were expecting such things as it was the practise of the militants to create fear among the people to keep them away from the democratic exercise," the sources said.

They hoped that the people, like in the past, will participate in the coming elections in good numbers to give a befitting reply to the militants and send a message that they want peace and development.

Meanwhile, hardline separatist groups including the breakaway faction of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani also appealed people to boycott the elections.

Ever since the elections were announced, Geelani and his associates are visiting nook and corner of the Valley calling upon people to boycott the polls.

Islamic Students League headed by detained separatist Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi had also given poll boycott call, while erstwhile Hurriyat constituent People’s League led by Sheikh Abdul Aziz, also under detention for the past three years, said it is planning its strategy to enforce poll boycott.

Leader of Democratic Freedom Party Shabir Ahmad Shah, considered a moderate, had also issued a statement for poll boycott asking all separatist organisations to formulate a joint strategy to convey to the world that prior to the solution of Kashmir issue, the election process is meaningless. (UNI)

Rather pooh-poohs Baig’s claim of zero deficit budget

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 22: Former Finance Minister and National Conference leader Abdul Rahim Rather today pooh-poohed Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig’s claim of presenting a zero deficit budget for second time in a row saying that by "postponing liabilities or fudging the figures, the Government can’t prove it a zero deficit budget".

In his 55 minutes hard hitting speech while initiating debate on the budget, presented by Mr Baig in the Assembly on Friday, Mr Rather cited "glaring contradictions’ in the figures in the ‘Budget at a Glance’ and the budget speech delivered by the Finance Minister.

"If we had resources at par with the expenditure, which is a must to claim a zero deficit budget, than why the Jammu and Kashmir Bank overdrafts had increase from Rs 1000 crore during last year to Rs 1350 crore now"? the NC MLA from Charar-e-Sharief asked.

"If there is no gap between income and expenditure why more overdrafts were taken from the JKBL? If the money available was at par with the expenditure, why huge bills worth over Rs 100 crores are pending in the treasuries? If it is a zero deficit budget, why Rs 40 crore, sanctioned and released in favour of the PDD, have been diverted on account of salaries of the employees? If it is a zero deficit budget, why the money kept by the Railways authorities in ‘Civil Deposits’, has been utilised by the Government to meet its own expenditure? Mr Rather, whose speech was heard by Mr Baig with rapt attention, asked.

Describing the budget as ‘full of contradictions’, Mr Rather said had he been in the seat of Mr Baig he would have torn the budget documents into pieces in full view of the House. He hoped that Mr Baig would also act accordingly.

"Out of the total plan of Rs 2570 crore, the Government has said that only Rs 1590 crore had been spent till ending January 2004. This means that Rs 1000 crore on this account are yet to be paid. Where this amount will come from"? he asked noting that the Central Government has released entire amount to the State Government due from it during the current year.

Pointing out that the Finance Minister had taken into account Rs 425 crore as electricity charges recovery in defining the zero deficit budget, the former Finance Minister asserted that upto January 2004, the Government had recovered only Rs 230 crore power dues. "Can a department, which had recovered Rs 230 crore power arrears in 10 months, can recover Rs 200 crore in the remaining two months", he asked justifying his immediate reaction to the budget, dubbing it as ‘misleading’.

Referring to the State Provident Fund figures of Rs 213 crore shown in the receipts, which for the current year have been projected at Rs 312 crore, Mr Rather wondered from where Rs 100 crore increase will come. "Presumingly that there had been such a large growth then why the figures for the next year have been projected at Rs 292 crore"? he asked.

"In his budget speech, the Finance Minister has projected an increase of Rs 100 crore in Additional Resources Mobilisation (ARMs) for next years. However, in the budget, there has been no mention that from where these additional resources would be mobilised", he asserted.

"When no taxes have been imposed in the budget where the ARMs will come from", he said and asked: "whether the Finance Minister plans to impose taxes without informing the legislators like it had done last year while slapping entry tax at Lakhanpur"?

Referring to Mr Baig’s statement of a cut in non plan revenue expenditure, Mr Rather said the expenditure was Rs 4842 crore during 2002-03 while it has gone upto Rs 5873 crore in the revised figures. "It shows an increase of Rs 1031 crore. The same Government, the same employees, but the expenditure has increase by Rs 1031 crore", he wondered pointing out that the non plan revenue expenditure is used for running the Government and not for the development or other works.

Simultaneously, the former Finance Minister averred, Mr Baig had, in the budget speech, been claiming on cutting down the non plan expenditure and use non plan surplus to finance plan expenditure in three years of time. "It took the previous Government 50 years to bring down the non plan revenue expenditure but the new Government has increased it by 10 Arabs of rupees in just one year", he regretted and said the previous NC Government had made a lot of headway in cutting non plan revenue expenditure.

Further, the NC MLA, noted that the expenditure will increase with recent expansion of the Council of Ministry. "Their (the Ministers) salaries, petrol, house and vehicles will increase burden on the Government but the Government has made no provision in the non plan expenditure for them. Instead, the Government had been talking of reducing the non plan budget expenditure", he said and wondered: "how it can be? Will the new Ministers take to the streets, like the daily wagers, to ask for their salaries"?

Mr Rather pointed out another glaring discrepancy in the figures mentioned in two Government documents—the budget speech and the Budget at a Glance. While the budget speech, Mr Baig had mentioned the expenditures at Rs 2570 crores while in the Budget at a Glance, the figure of total expenditure has been shown at Rs 2687 crore—a difference of Rs 117 crore.

"The Finance Minister has claimed in the budget speech that the State’s own revenue has exceeded the budget estimates but when we go through the figures given by the Finance Ministry, it revealed that as against the target of Rs 1295 crore, they would achieve only Rs 1152 crore at the end of current year, a shortfall of 11 per cent", Mr Rather said.

He expressed surprise over the fact that against the ARMs of Rs 168 crore, the Government has said that they have achieved nothing. "I fail to know, where had the money gone? Last year, the people of the State know the advalorum toll tax was levied on textiles, toll tax was increased by 25 per cent, entry tax was levied on more items, rates of entry tax were changed upwards, toll tax was levied on chicks, cess was levied on petrol and excise duty was revised upwards. However, still from all these measures, the Government has collected no money", he said.

Referring to the Finance Minister’s statement that the Government intends to reduce the loans, the NC leader said no doubt the Government had this year taken Rs 272 crore worth loans—about Rs 250 crore less than the previous year. However, simultaneously, it has gone for Rs 400 crore excess overdraft from the J&K Bank. The interest rate is more on the overdrafts than the negotiated loans, he added.

Mr Rather pointed out that the Government has shown Gross Capital Receipts, the borrowing requirements, at Rs 1346 crore in 2002-03 and Rs 1282 crore this year. For next year, a provision has been kept for Rs 1488 crore. "How the Government can claim of arresting the policy of taking loans"? he asked.

Mr Rather recalled that in the last year’s budget speech also, Mr Baig had announced a first step toward the financial autonomy. This time also, they say, it’s a first step toward the financial autonomy, he said, adding it should have been the second step.

The NC leader said the Government hasn’t given the sectoral wise break up of the expenditure of Rs 2800 crore projected plan. No priorities have been fixed, he added.

Also, he pointed out, there had been no mention of the Government employees demand of merging 50 per cent DA with the basic pay as done by the Centre and several other State Governments. "The Government should say yes or no to their demands. And, if they say no, they must give the reasons for that".

"Over 90,000 teachers are on strike, Over 20,000 adhoc employees have been removed from the services. Unemployment is increasing with over two lakh youths without jobs. Still, the Government has shown no courtesy to make a mention of their demands", Mr Rather regretted.

He also described as ‘baseless’ the Government claim of 151 per cent increase in tax collections at Lakhanpur. "When you are deducting advance tax at Lakhanpur, the increase is bound to occur. Otherwise also, that tax would have been deducted at Jammu", he said, adding the levy of additional taxes have increased the tax revenue at Lakhanpur and the Government can’t take credit of it.

He also regretted what he called "leak of the budget" before its presentation in the House. He pointed out that the Doordarshan had telecast a news, before presentation of the budget, that it will be a zero deficit budget.

Adhocees’ status changed

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 22: Minister for Finance & Planning, Muzaffar Hussain Baig today said the Government has changed the status of the ad hoc employees into contractual services only to facilitate their regularization and not retrench them.

Winding up the discussion on the budget in the legislative assembly today, the Minister said in view of the Supreme Court judgment on the ad hoc employees, the Government was left with only two options, either to continue them and invite contempt or terminate their services. "However, taking a compassionate view of the matter, the Government found a via media so that both the Apex Court orders are honoured and the interests of the adhocees are also safeguarded," he said and added that the Government decided to change the status of the adhoc employees to contractual service to facilitate their permanent absorption.

The Government, Mr Baig said decided to refer all the posts held by the adhocees to the recruiting agencies with a direction that relaxation in age and qualification should be given to the adhocees while making recruitments. He said instructions would also be given to the recruiting agencies to take into consideration the experience gained by the adhocees while making the recruitment. He said even if an adhocee fails to get absorbed permanently in the first attempt, they would be given repeated chances till their permanent selection.

Mr Baig said at present 1700 adhoc employees are working in various departments who would fall under the purview of the order. He said out of the 55,000 daily wagers appointed till 1994, 52000 have been regularized while the rest are being regularized in a phased manner.

Cong creating instability: PM

LUCKNOW, Feb 22: Charging the Congress with creating instability by supporting and bringing down Governments, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said that no opposition combination of parties even in the name of secularism would succeed as people would judge the ruling NDA by its achievements.

"The results of the recent Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have shown that voters want a change and that too in the right direction," he told a rally here.

On his first visit to his constituency here since the dissolution of the Lok Sabha on February 6, the Prime Minister said the outcome of the Assembly elections had given a boost to BJP.

Vajpayee, who arrived here on his first visit this morning, said NDA had followed policies in the last five years to ensure that the country emerged stronger and people got social justice,

Even if opposition parties formed an alliance in the name of secularism, they would not succeed as the electorate knows what NDA Government has delivered, Vajpayee said.

Vajpayee said the Congress in the past had created political turmoil by extending support to Governments and then pulling them down.

The Prime Minister said certain parties, which were there with NDA, had left.

"We told them that they were independent entities and that they were free to move out. We will meet them in the electoral battlefield," he said. He asked BJP cadres to gear up for polls as the election schedule would be announced soon. Uttar Pradesh BJP leader Kalyan Singh was present at the rally. (PTI)

Becoming Premier no priority: Sonia

NEW DELHI, Feb 22: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said becoming a Prime Minister was not a priority before her and accused BJP of raking up the issue of her foreign origin as the party-led Government at the Centre had "totally failed".

"For me, that is not a priority. Let us see when the time comes," she said in an interview to NDTV when asked why the Congress was not coming forward on the issue of leadership of anti-BJP alliance. 0

To a query whether she felt that her being born in Italy was a liability, the Congress president said it might work adversely with some voters but "I have never felt that I am a foreigner. I am an Indian absolutely."

"Wherever I go, especially in rural areas, in the midst of women and less fortunate people, I never feel that I am a foreigner. They never look at me as a foreigner because I am an Indian," Gandhi said.

"In fact, I feel like a foreigner when I go abroad," she said.

"I don’t resent when they (BJP) talk about my foreign origin. It makes me laugh. Why should I resent when I completely feel like an Indian."

Asked whether her transition from a foreigner to an Indian had been completed, Gandhi said "transition was completed long ago. After being part of a family which took part in the freedom struggle and laid down lives in the service of the nation, I have assimilated and imbibed a certain amount of these feelings."

On her children Rahul and Priyanka joining active politics, she said it was "really silly" to repeat the same answer.

(Gandhi’s pet answer on such questions is that it was for her children to decide.)

Asked whether as Congress president she feels her children should be more involved in politics, she said "I don’t think I can answer that—I won’t." (PTI)

Laden traced, to be held soon

LONDON, Feb 22: The world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, has been tracked down and the SAS, Britain’s elite soldiers, are poised to seize him in his secret mountain lair in Pakistan, a leading London tabloid claimed today.

Working closely with US forces, the SAS have hemmed Laden into a remote mountain area measuring just 16 km wide in Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, ‘Sunday Express’ claimed.

The man behind the September 11 outrage is reportedly being guarded by only 50 of his most loyal supporters who have pledged to lay down their lives for him.

The report quoted a US intelligence source saying last night: "he is boxed in."

According to the report, SAS and US special forces are awaiting orders to swoop on the world’s most wanted man in the desolate Toba Kakar mountains in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier.

American military chiefs are confident that bin Laden - who is believed to be holed up with Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar - cannot escape. But British planners have warned against over-confidence.

According to the report quoted to defence sources in London, the UK is reluctant to get drawn into a full-blown "spring offensive" to wipe out the remnants of Al Qaeda, although US President George W Bush favours the move as a boost to his re-election prospects in November.(PTI)

Telgi’s diary seized from cop’s house

NEW DELHI, Feb 22: CBI today claimed to have recovered a diary from the residence of arrested Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Gaurav Agarwal in which address and telephone numbers of scamster Abdul Karim Telgi were noted.

Agarwal, who was arrested along with another Delhi Police Inspector Puran Singh, were produced before a Duty Magistrate here today who remanded them to one day’s judicial custody, CBI sources said.

Agarwal, Singh and Telgi have been named by the CBI in the case registered by the agency on February 20 in which it claimed that the two Delhi Police personnel were running the business of fake stamp papers of Telgi.

In its case, the CBI has alleged that Singh and Agarwal conspired with Telgi for printing and selling counterfeit stamp causing huge wrongful monetary gain to themselves and corresponding wrongful losses to Government exchequer, the sources said.

CBI alleged that Singh and Aggarwal had got friendly with Telgi in 1999 after his name surfaced in a case registered at the Defence Colony. The agency alleged that Singh had taken care of Telgi’s business in the National Capital.

The duo also allegedly favoured another accused arrested in the same FIR by not filing chargesheet against him, the sources said adding the Police Inspector illegally checked the stocks of various companies without having sufficient materials by abusing his official position.

The CBI sources also informed that the policeman allegedly supplied counterfeit foreign bill stamp worth Rs 1.5 lakh to a renowned pharmaceutical company through a Delhi Consultant firm and the same were supplied to another foreign bank.

The accused inspector visited the bank, checked the foreign bill stamps and declared them stamps as fake. He gave instruction to the bank to keep the said stamp in safe custody and did not investigate the matter further, the sources said.

Both the officials allegedly did various illegal acts by preparing seizure memos, recording false statements and favoured Telgi to expand his racket of counterfeit stamps. The inspector allegedly accepted Rs 2.95 lakh from another accused by allowing him to withdraw an amount through four cheques while he was in police custody, sources said. (PTI)

Pak police releases 3 militant leaders

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: Pakistan’s security agencies have released three top leaders of banned militant outfits after interrogating them in connection with the recent suicide bomb attacks on President Pervez Musharraf.

The three include Muhammad Ilyas Kashmiri, the head of the banned Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, Abul Rauf, the younger brother of Jaish-e-Muhammad leader and Haji Abdul Jabbar, leader of the Jamat-ul-Faquan, a local daily reported.

There was, however, no official confirmation about their release.

The daily quoted leaders of the Muthahida Jihad Council (MJC), a conglomerate of militant groups as saying Kashmiri, the Harkat-ul leader was released yesterday after a month-long detention for suspected links with the suicide attackers, who made a vain bid to assassinate Musharraf on December 25 at Rawalpindi by ramming their vehicles into his convoy.

His release followed after MJC leader Syed Salahuddin met with Musharraf and other top officials, Daily Times newspaper said.

Also released were Rauf, one of the brothers of Azhar and Jabbar, who formed the rival organisation Jamat-ul-Furqan, the paper said.

Azhar’s outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad along with Harkat-ul was banned in 2002. Later Azhar formed Khuddamul which was banned last year along with Fuquan. (PTI)

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