NC, NPP again clash; House adjourned
Govt agrees to bring bill on Delimitation Commission

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Jan 10: Succumbing to the pressure generated by National Panthers Party and BJP and within the coalition by some Jammu based Congress MLAs, the Government today announced that it will bring a bill in current budget session of the Assembly to set up Delimitation Commission.

The Government announcement was made by Health and Medical Education Minister Mangat Ram Sharma after massive protests in the Assembly for second consecutive day by NPP, BJP and Independent MLAs and a virtual clash with National Conference members forcing Speaker Tara Chand to adjourn the House for half an hour.

After yesterday’s heated exchanges between NPP MLAs led by Harshdev Singh and Leader of Opposition Abdul Rahim Rather, both sides again traded slogans and charges in the Assembly today before the Speaker adjourned the House.

After the House resumed, Mr Sharma said he has talked to PDP Legislature Party leader and Agriculture Minister Abdul Aziz Zargar and the coalition Government will bring a bill on constitution of Delimitation Commission in this session.

"Coalition partners are committed to Common Minimum Programme (CMP). Delimitation Commission is part of the CMP. We will introduce the bill in this session itself", the veteran Congress leader said cooling down the tempers which had run high on Opposition benches.

Asserting that the coalition Government was in favour of Delimitation Commission, Mr Sharma pointed out that it (the Commission) can be set up through a Constitution amendment only (which required two-third majority in the House). "Congress can’t do it on its own till PDP and Opposition (National Conference) agree to clear the bill. Even Congress and NPP can’t get the bill through", he observed.

"After setting up of eight new districts, the Government too wanted delimitation of constituencies and changing their territorial boundaries as there were some segments which were spread in two to three districts. We wanted boundaries of one constituency confined to one district. Similarly, seats reserved for Scheduled Castes too had to be rotated and more seats reserved for SCs as per their population", Mr Sharma said.

It may be recalled that the Cabinet had last year approved 25 per cent proportionate increase in Assembly seats of all three regions of the State which would have taken Assembly seats in Jammu from 37 to 46, in Kashmir from 46 to 58 and in Ladakh from 4 to 5. (Total seats from 87 to 109). The NPP and BJP had disapproved the Government decision saying proportionate increase will widen gap of Assembly seats between Jammu and Kashmir from present 9 to 12.

Trouble erupted in the Assembly when all NC MLAs were protesting in the House shouting slogans demanding that Kundal Committee report on Forest scams be tabled in Assembly during Question Hour. NPP leader and former Minister Harshdev Singh was quick to point out that NC leader Abdul Rahim Rather has yesterday charged the NPP with wasting time of the House. "What they are doing now. When the Speaker has deferred the question, there is no fun of their protests. They too were wasting time of the House", Mr Singh remarked.

Shortly, Mr Singh and all other NPP MLAs including Balwant Singh Mankotia, Yashpal Kundal and Faqir Nath, BJP member Jugal Kishore and Independent MLA Ashwani Sharma trooped into well of the House shouting "Delimitation Commission Lagoo Karo", "Delimitation Commission Ke Dushmanon Ko Nanga Karo", "Choron Ko Nanga Karo", "Sare Bhai Chor Chor", "Refugeon Ka Masla Hal Karo" and "Berozgaron Ko Rozgar Do".

While NC MLAs kept on shouting slogans in favour of tabling Kundal report, the NPP, BJP and Independent MLAs from Jammu shouted in favour of Delimitation Commission. The NPP, BJP and Independent MLAs were in well of the House while NC legislators were protesting from the front row bringing both sides face to face.

As Speaker’s repeated attempts to restore order in the House failed to have any impact on the two sides, Tara Chand announced adjournment of the House for half an hour at 10.22 am with just one question taken up in the Question Hour, which too had been deferred.

As the House resumed at 11.12 am after a meeting of the leaders of all political parties in Speaker’s chamber, Leader of Opposition Abdul Rahim Rather tried to clarify that the NC was not opposed to Delimitation Commission as an impression was being created in the House but this was not possible till the Constitution was amended as addition of Assembly seats has been frozen by the House till 2026.

Harshdev Singh and Balwant Singh Mankotia were again on their feet. While Mr Singh charged Mr Rather with getting an "anti-national" bill No. 9 (Resettlement Act) passed in the Assembly. "Yeh Jammu Ke Dushman Hain (they are enemies of Jammu)", Mr Mankotia shouted.

Mr Rather again clarified that he was not opposing the Delimitation Commission but was just explaining the Constitutional problem in setting up the Commission.

For next few minutes, it became Opposition vs Opposition in the House. Mr Rather countered the NPP charges saying "Yeh Asli Dushman Hain Jammu Ke Jo Logon Ko Gumrah Karte Hain (they are the real enemies of Jammu who mislead the people)".

"Jammu Ki Sabse Badi Dushman NC Hai. Inhoon Ne 6 Saal Tak Jammu Ka Lahoo Piya Hai (the biggest enemy of Jammu is NC. They sucked blood of the people for six years)", Mr Mankotia shouted.

"Inko Kya Wakalat Nama Diya Hai Congress Ne (whether they have been asked by the NC to plead their case)", asked Mr Singh.

Congress MLA from Akhnoor, Sham Sharma too reminded the Government that setting up of Delimitation Commission was an electoral plank of the Congress as well as part of Common Minimum Programme (CMP). He demanded that a bill to set up Delimitation Commission should be introduced in the House and wanted Mangat Ram Sharma to react to his demand.

As leaders of all main parties were allowed to speak after resumption of the House, Harshdev Singh said the CMP of coalition partners, which was drafted in 2002 by a committee headed by Dr Manmohan Singh, who is today Prime Minister of the country, had expressed commitment to setting up of Delimitation Commission.

Asserting that many Constitutional amendment bills have been brought in the House without consulting Opposition, he said the Government should bring the bill which, he observed, was main issue of Panthers Party for which "we had joined the coalition Government and came out of it".

Mr Singh told the NC members that they had passed autonomy report in the Assembly even though the laws mentioned in the report can be repealed only by the Parliament and not the Assembly. He also charged the NC with passing (Bill No. 9) to bring Pakistanis here which was nothing but an "anti-national act".

In support of Delimitation Commission, he said Gurez Assembly constituency in Kashmir had just 15,000 votes while Jammu West has 1.75 lakh votes "which speaks volumes of discrimination with Jammu". He pointed out that Justice Kuldeep Singh Commission on delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies (excepting J&K) had even recommended uniform Lok Sabha seats based on equal area and equal votes. The Commission was being opposed under a conspiracy against Jammu, he charged.

CPM MLA Mohd Yusuf Tarigami questioned the Government’s intention on setting up Delimitation Commission saying the Government was itself divided on the issue and even those in Cabinet were not unanimous on what to do.

He recalled that a committee on Delimitation Commission headed by Mangat Ram Sharma was set up last year and even its members didn’t turn up to give their view point.

"The Delimitation Commission was a concern of all parties and members though they have their own view point", Mr Tarigami said and advised the Government to first debate the bill in Cabinet and only then bring it in the House, which will decide its fate.

PDP-NC clash on Farooq's tears

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 10: Arch rivals PDP and National Conference MLAs today repeatedly clash when PDP leader Sartaj Madni launched a frontal attack on the NC virtually blaming them for militancy in the State and tried to drive home the point that the present coalition has changed the situation for better.

Participating in debate on Governor’s Address, Mr Madni, referring to NC leader Dr Mustafa Kamal’s demanding for setting up a Commission to probe reasons behind militancy, said "Militancy 1987 Ki Paidawar Hai (militancy was result of 1987)".

Without referring to 1987 Assembly elections, which were widely believed to have been rigged, he asked: "Who made Salahuddin (Hizbul Mujahideen supreme) a militant? Who made Yasin Malik a militant commander?"

Mr Madni said NC leader Dr Farooq Abdullah wept while taking oath of Chief Ministership after assuming power in 1996 as he was surprised with the mandate. NC MLA Ali Mohd Sagar interrupted Mr Madni saying he was telling lie as Dr Abdullah had wept for the persons who were killed by former Governor Jagmohan, who was sent to the State by PDP patron (Mufti Mohd Sayeed).

"Woh Kispe Roye Usiko Maloom Hai (for whom he wept only he knows)", Deputy Speaker Mohd Akbar Lone, who was in the chair remarked.

"Agar Aapke Kapde Naheen Uttare To Mera Naam Ali Mohd Sagar Naheen (I will expose you)", an agitated Sagar remarked.

The Deputy Speaker advised Mr Madni to take Dr Abdullah’s name in a proper way as he was an international figure and patron of a party. NC MLA Mushtaq Bukhari, however, wanted that Farooq’s name shouldn’t be taken as he was not present in the House. However, his demand was rejected by the Chair.

Agriculture Minister Abdul Aziz Zargar said the NC MLAs daily name Mufti Sayeed even when he is not present in the House.

Mr Madni said when the PDP took over Government in 2002, the people were surrounded by guns of STF, Ikhwanis and para-military forces. Even a common man was seen as a militant. "We reversed the process", he claimed.

This time, the PDP MLA was interrupted by NC MLA from Kupwara, Saifullah Mir saying the process of torture was still on in his district and Mr Madni was welcome to see that himself.

Mr Madni said it was the Mufti whose initiate led to Indo-Pak talks and peace process on borders and elsewhere. Also it was the Mufti who said the Government was ready for talks with all groups. "Hurriyat’s visit to Pakistan, setting up of Working Groups, opening of Muzaffarabad road were all due to the initiative taken by us", he claimed and hoped that Kashmir will soon become a free trade zone between India and Pakistan.

Again Mr Madni’s speech was interrupted by Mr Rather when he said that Dr Farooq Abdullah had made a statement in Parliament saying Muzaffarabad bus will bring militants. Mr Rather charged Mr Madni with telling lie and misleading the House.

Mr Madni said the NC, which used to control Auqaf Trust till it was taken over by the PDP Government, had opened just one primary school in 50 years while "we have opened two Universities in couple of years". He also pointed out irregularities in sanction of loan by Auqaf Trust during NC tenure.

"Sheikh Abdullah’s dream of educated society couldn’t be fulfilled by his ‘waaris’ but we did that by bringing a revolution in education sector by opening hundreds of new schools and upgrading so many others besides opening 40 degree colleges", the PDP leader said.

Participating in debate, NC chief whip Mubarak Gul stressed for talks with Hurriyat Conference and safe passage to youths who want to come back from ‘Azad Kashmir’. "On the name of development sacrifices can’t be sidelined", he asserted.

He called for a rehabilitation policy for surrendered militants. He said when NC asked for opening of Pindi road and construction of Mughal road, it was not done citing security reasons. It was an attempt to weaken our party, he added but said the NC will emerge stronger.

"Kashmir wants peace, justice and political rights", Mr Gul said. He added that unemployment was increasing and prices of essential commodities were sky rocketing. He charged the Government with opening new colleges on political considerations.

Qazi under blistering attack over scams
Table Kundal report: NC

By Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Jan 10: For the first time during the ongoing budget session, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Minister Qazi Mohammad Afzal came under the blistering and direct attack from the entire National Conference (NC) in the Legislative Assembly with main Opposition party holding massive sloganeering against the Minister and demanding that Kundal Committee report, which unearthed 20 major scams in the Forest Department, be tabled in the House.

The arch rivals of PDP were so vociferous that they didn’t allow the proceedings of the House for about 15 minutes that too even after the deferring of the question pertaining to the Forest Department by the Speaker Tara Chand.

The cornering of Forest Minister Qazi Afzal started when his deputy Minister G M Saroori could not give reply to the specific question of National Conference MLA from Kishtwar Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo and went to the officers’ gallery where Chief Secretary B R Kundal was sitting.

"Let Mr Kundal come in the House and give reply to our queries", shouted Ali Mohammad Sagar, who immediately sought to know from Qazi Afzal whether the timber depots have been opened in Srinagar as was promised by the Minister during last budget session.

Though the Forest Minister admitted that there was a requirement of timber depots in Srinagar yet he said that depots could not be opened. "We have invited applications from the persons willing to open depots and whenever they come forward we will open the same", he added.

This infuriated National Conference members, who started shouting slogans "shame, shame...". Sajjad Kichloo also shouted "the Minister has not given reply to my specific question".

Sensing gravity of the situation, Speaker deferred the question of the Forest Department on the ground that Minister was not having adequate reply about the supplementaries of the Members. However, the intervention of the Chair could not help Qazi Afzal from escaping the wrath of the angry NC members.

All the Members of the main Opposition left their seats in protest and came on the front row amidst shouting "Kundal Report to Pesh Karo, Asli Report to Pesh Karo" (Table Kundal report, table real report). "The House must be informed about 20 scams committed in the Forest Department", they said.

While NC Members were taking the House by storm and demanding that Kundal Report should be tabled, the Forest Minister found himself isolated as neither his Party MLAs nor Ministers came to his rescue to counter the agitating rivals.

Later, Leader of the Opposition Abdul Rahim Rather said that 20 major scams have been detected in the Department by a committee headed by a person not less than Chief Secretary of the State and demanded that report of the Committee should be shared with the House.

"If you are clear about the issue you should table the report and make the entire House aware of Committee’s findings", he further said.

Mr Rather also expressed concern over Ministers coming unprepared in the House and stressed that Speaker should direct the Ministers to come in the House after proper home work to face the Members.

Expressing concern over the NC demonstration in the House, Minister for Health and Medical Education Mangat Ram Sharma said that since it was beyond his powers to make any commitment about the tabling of the Kundal report in the House, he will bring this demand of Opposition to the notice of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Later, while talking to the media-persons outside the House, Forest Minister Qazi Afzal said that he had given complete and satisfactory reply to the queries of the NC Members and they had intentionally launched blistering attack on him.

"During elections I defeated their party president and this is the main reason behind their tirade against me", he added.

Noisy scenes in Upper House on Hajis, colleges' issue

By Gopal Sharma

JAMMU, Jan 10: State Legislative Council witnesses noisy scenes on the issue of rough deal given to Hajis’ from Jammu region and state of affairs in the private B.Ed Colleges and criteria of allotment of colleges in various towns.

As the Upper House commenced its proceedings in the morning, National Conference members including M R Qureshi, Bashir Naz, Devinder Rana, Sakina Itoo and others stood up taking serious note of rough deal accorded to Hajis and excessive money of Rs 3000 charged for Hajis from Jammu region by the authorities at Srinagar. They said it was unfair and unjustified that despite paying so much of extra amount they were brought back in buses from Srinagar and not by air. Many of them remained stranded on the National Highway near Banihal. They also raised the issue regarding situation in Kupwara in view of heavy rain and snowfall and shortage of essentials in the area.

The noisy scenes continued despite intervention by Chairman of the Council. He asked them to move a notice if they were demanding a discussion over the issue.

The NC members grilled the Minister for Higher Education Gulchain Singh Charak and disrupted proceedings amidst noisy scenes for about 20 minutes as they were not satisfied by the minister’s reply regarding criteria adopted for the allotment of colleges to various towns. Even a PDP member, Murtaza Khan from Mendhar was tough against minister while seeking reply. Mr Khan from ‘Coalition’ indulged in heated arguments with the minister.

The problem erupted when Minister for Higher Education, Mr Charak was replying to the question of NC Member Mohd Yousuf Taing and subsequent supplementaries of Devinder Rana, T S Wazir, M R Qureshi, Sakina Itoo, Nizamudin Bhat, Arvinder Singh, Bashir Naz and R S Chib. Responding to the main question, Mr Charak said there were 144 private colleges of Education and two Government colleges functioning in the State. He said total number of candidates admitted in private colleges of Education from State are 11,845 and from outside, the number at 32396.

Replying another question, he said fee structure is governed by rule 10 of SRO 339 of 2005, dated 20-12-2005. It was fixed in June 2003. However, Government has constituted a committee for fixation/ review of fee structure. He disclosed that private colleges were charging Rs 22,000 and Rs 1500 fees from the candidates and he himself was associated with Dogra College of Education.

Members grilled the minister on alleged nexus of private college managements with Government agencies and Varsity and failure of Higher Education department to keep check on unfair practice being encouraged in the private colleges. They pointed out that students only get admission and do no attend classes and manage degrees only by paying extra money. The minister however, said that committee has been constituted to monitor the functioning of private colleges.

On another question of Bilal Ahmed Khan Lodhi regarding sanctioning of degree colleges to various areas and yardsticks/ criteria adopted by Government, the Minister for Higher Education Mr G S Charak virtually came under ‘fire’ from the Opposition. Loud noisy scenes were witnessed in the House for about 10 minutes and the NC members raised serious allegations against the Government for keeping no criteria for allotment of colleges. NC member Sakina Itoo from Noorabad appeared to be too tough on the Minister over the issue and alleged that only appeasement and political consideration was the criteria as her own town Noorabad which deserved college was ignored.

Basharat Bhukhari, Bilal Lodhi, Devinder Rana, Qureshi and Murtaza Khan were very specific on their reply regarding criteria issue. The Minister however, replied that all the criteria like population, distance from district headquarters, number of feeding higher secondary schools around the town, representations of legislators and MPs etc, threat perception were taken care of while sanctioning colleges. Not satisfied by the reply of Minister, all the NC members stood up and started shouting slogans. The uproar in the House continued for some time and the efforts of Chairman failed to restore order in the House for some time.

26 killed in Pak suicide attack

LAHORE, Jan 10: At least 22 Pakistani riot policemen and four civilians were killed and over 65 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up near the Lahore High Court ahead of a planned protest by lawyers today.

"It was a suicide attack," said Malik Iqbal, police chief of Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province of Pakistan.

He said the attacker was on foot and detonated his explosives at 11.45 am (local time) near a picket set up by policemen at the General Post Office Chowk close to the Lahore High Court ahead of the lawyers’ protest march to press for reinstatement of judges sacked during last year’s emergency.

A red alert was sounded in Pakistan’s four provinces in the wake of the blast and security was stepped up around key Government buildings and vital installations in the federal capital of Islamabad and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi.

Four passers-by and 22 policemen died in the blast, which occurred two weeks after former Premier Benazir Bhutto was killed in a gun and suicide attack in Rawalpindi.

The condition of 15 of over 65 injured in today’s blast was described as critical. Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said the policemen were the target of the suicide bomber.

Around 100 riot policemen had been deployed at the square as lawyers were planning to organise a protest march seeking reinstatement of deposed Judges.

The lawyers were holding a meeting inside the Lahore High Court building at the time of the blast and were safe, witnesses said. The protest was put off following the blast.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Pakistan Government has blamed a string of suicide attacks against the security forces on pro-Taliban militants from the country’s restive northwestern tribal areas.

A Geo News correspondent, who was at the site to cover the protest by the lawyers, reported witnessing a massive blast and huge ball of flame.

He said he had seen the severed head and legs of the suspected suicide bomber. The head was found almost 200 metres from the site of the blast.

Police boots and riot gear lay amidst pool of blood at the spot, and a policeman broke down and wept bitterly as his injured and dead colleagues were taken away by ambulances.

The suicide bomber’s explosive device was packed with metal pellets, which damaged numerous vehicles within a radius of about 200 metres and also killed a horse that was pulling a ‘tonga’.

Police constables standing in front of main gate of the Lahore High Court were blown to pieces when the suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the crossing that connects the court building with the General Post Office.

Policemen cordoned off the area as investigators scoured the blast site for forensic evidence. The busy Mall Road was closed to traffic for almost three hours after the explosion.

Fayyaz Ahmad Ranjah, the Medical Superintendent of Mayo Hospital, said six or seven police constables died on the spot while others succumbed on the way to hospital. Doctors performed emergency surgeries in the hospital’s six operation theatres to save others with critical injuries.

The Government of Punjab province declared an emergency in all the hospitals of Lahore.

Punjab’s Chief Secretary Salman Siddique said the head of suicide attacker had been recovered by police. He was hopeful the bomber would be identified "very soon" and "his linkages with other outlaws would be discovered".

President Pervez Musharraf and caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro strongly condemned the terrorist attack and expressed sorrow at the loss of lives.

In separate messages, they expressed the Government’s resolve to continue the fight against terrorism and extremism and not to be deterred by such attacks. They also directed law enforcement agencies to gear up their efforts to hunt down the perpetrators.

The blast, the second suicide attack this year, occurred as a team of British detectives was in Lahore in connection with its probe into the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto. The team, however, was not close to the site of the blast. (PTI)

20 SHOs shifted

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 10: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jammu Parminder Singh today ordered transfers and postings of 20 SHOs with immediate effect.

Inspector Shamsher Singh Sambyal has been transferred from District Police Lines (DPL) Jammu and posted as SHO Bari Brahmana Police Station. Inspector Diwakar Singh has been shifted from DPL and posted as SHO Channi Police Station.

Inspector Kulbir Handa has been transferred from Nawabad Police Station and posted as SHO Trikuta Nagar Police Station. Inspector Gian Chand Sharma has been shifted from Domana and posted as SHO Nawabad.

Inspector Arvind Kotwal has been shifted from Satwari Police Station and posted as SHO Domana Police Station. Inspector Bharat Sharma has been shifted from DPL and posted as SHO Satwari Police Station.

Inspector Subash Chander has been shifted from DPL and posted as SHO Kanachak Police Station, Inspector Zahid Wani has been shifted from Janipur Police Station to DPL Jammu.

Inspector Ashwani Sharma has been shifted from DPL and posted as SHO Janipur while Inspector Kewal Kishore has been posted as SHO Pacca Danga. Inspector Madan Mohan has been shifted from City Police Station and posted as SHO Bakshi Nagar.

Inspector Jatinder Singh has been shifted from DPL and posted as SHO City Police Station while Inspector Vinay Parihar has been shifted from Gharota Police Station to DPL.

Inspector Mohd Rafiq has been shifted from Channi Police Station and posted as SHO Nagrota Police Station while Inspector Sagar Singh has been posted as SHO Akhnoor Police Station. Inspector Paramvir Singh has been shifted from Gangyal Police Station and posted as SHO Jhajjar Kotli Police Station.

Sub-Inspector Ravinder Singh has been shifted from Kanachak Police Station to DPL while SI Mohd Shokat has been shifted from Peer Mitha Police Station to Gharota Police Station as SHO. SI Arvind Sambyal has been shifted from DPL and posted as SHO Peer Mitha Police Station.

DyAG shot at near Domana

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 10: A Deputy Advocate General (DyAG) was shot at and seriously injured near his house at Akalpur Main Road under the jurisdiction of Domana police station this afternoon. Two accused involved in the shoot-out, both brothers, escaped.

Reports said DyAG Ajit Dogra was on way to his house at Akalpur Main Road in car when he was intercepted by two assailants, riding in a red color Alto car No. 1071 JK02AE, near a Cricket Academy at 5.30 pm. One of them fired three shots on Dogra with a licensed pistol and fled away from the spot in their car.

Police parties led by Additional SP Jammu Shakti Pathak rushed to the spot. Injured DyAG was shifted to Medical College hospital where he was operated upon tonight. His condition was stated to be critical.

Police have identified the accused Vishal Sharma alias Vishu and Vikas Sharma sons of Krishan Kumar of Akalpur.

Bar Association, Jammu has given a two days strike call in the courts from tomorrow in protest against the murderous attack on Advocate. The Association condemned the incident.

Police said Advocate and the accused had a dispute for past quite sometime over 40 kanals of land in Akalpur which had been sold to Subash Aggarwal group. Both parties had taken some payment. Aggarwal Group was pressurising the brothers to either return their advance or give them possession of land.

Police have registered a case against the accused at Domana police station and started investigations. A hunt was on to nab the accused. Police have detained Krishan Kumar and his brother for questioning.

Norwegian untraced; buried porters identified

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Jan 10: While one person died and three more sustained injuries due to electrocution in Kaksarai area in the capital city here today, none of the eight Army porters dead bodies have been recovered from the LoC in Uri sector where 14 persons, including 6 soldiers, had died in a massive snow avalanche yesterday. Meanwhile, a Norwegian female tourist, who is missing from her hotel in Gulmarg since January 8th, was reportedly still untraced.

Official sources said that with the beginning of Moharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar known for martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his associates in Karbala, some Shia Muslims were installing the black mourning banners in Kaksarai-Karan Nagar area in uptown this afternoon. Their metallic ladder touched a livewire by accident and four persons sustained critical injuries. They were identified as Qamar Ali Sofi S/o Ali Mohammed Sofi, Azhar Ali S/o Manzoor Ahmed, Muneer Ahmed Ganie S/o Ali Mohammad Ganie and Basharat Ali Sofi S/o Ghulam Mohammad Sofi, all residents of Chattabal.

All the four injured were quickly rushed to the nearby SMHS Hospital. Later, two of the injured, namely Qamar Ali Sofi and Basharat Ali Sofi, were referred to SKIMS, Soura. Sources said that Qamar Ali Sofi succumbed to injuries while under treatment at SKIMS. His relative Basharat Ali Sofi was still serious but responding to treatment.

Sources said that a Norwegian lady tourist, Francesca Rongne, could not be traced even two days after she went missing from her hotel, Green Heights, in Gulmarg. She is believed to have set off for a skiing expedition on the snow-clad alpine slopes on January 8th, within an hour of her checking in at Green Heights. Officials said that four different teams, including a ski patrol party of Kashmir Tourism Department, fanned out in different directions and continued their search for the third consecutive day today. According to officials, she had last year too disappeared alongwith two foreign tourists in the same area and had been rescued with her Israeli and Austrian friends after three days.

Possibility of snow avalanches and presence of leopards in Gulmarg have added to the Tourism Department's apprehension about the 38-year-old lonely woman.

Sources said that different teams of Army and Police were meanwhile trying to recover dead bodies of the soldiers and porters who had got killed under a snow avalanche near LoC in Bijhama area of Uri in Baramulla district yesterday. As already reported, six soldiers and eight civilian porters of Army had died in Bijhama and two more soldiers in another identical tragedy in Muthal Naar, Machhil. Sources said that dead bodies of two soldiers had been recovered yesterday in Muthan Naar and bodies of two more soldiers near Rajput Taikri in Bijhama. Efforts were underway to trace dead bodies of other soldiers and porters, believed buried under the avalanche. However, inclement weather hampered the operation on the second consecutive day today.

Eight civilian porters of Army, who are officially still "missing" but widely believed to be dead under snow in Bijhama, have been identified today as Balwant Singh S/o Ram Lal R/o Doda, Ghulam Mohammad Malik S/o Mohammad Dilawar Malik, Abdur Razaq Sheikh S/o Abdul Kareem Sheikh, Zubair Ahmed S/o Ghulam Qadir, Abdur Rasheed Mir S/o Abdur Raheem Mir, Abdur Rasheed Bhat S/o Abdul Jabbar Bhat, residents of Mayan Bijhama, Manzoor Ahmed Lone S/o Abdul Aziz Lone and Mohammad Ashraf Mir S/o Mohammad Abdullah Mir, residents of Lachhipora, Uri.

Sources said that a BSF party today conducted a raid on the office of People's Democratic Forum (PDF) leader, Mohammad Abdullah Wani, in Bandipore and recovered a hand grenade. Formerly a member of the ruling PDP, Wani has shifted to Hakeem Mohammad Yasin's PDF earlier in 2007. It was not immediately clear whether anybody had been picked up for questioning or not.

Sources said that Police in Sopore arrested three persons for their alleged connections to the militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba and recovered two hand grenades from them.

Troops of Rashtriya Rifles 55 Bn and 162 Infantry Battalion (TA) claimed to have apprehended three persons, namely Mohammad Yousuf Baba S/o Abdul Hazir Baba R/o Abhama, Arshad Ahmed Mir S/o Abdul Qadir Mir R/o Pakharpura and Muzaffar Ahmed Malik S/o Abdul Ganai Malik R/o Chrar-e-Sharief, Budgam. Officials called them as "terrorists" of Hizbul Mujahideen. They said that Mohammad Yousuf Baba had surrendered in 2005 as a terrorist of HuM but was currently working with Hizb. He had reportedly brought the other two individuals from Budgam for fresh recruit in Hizb, they said and claimed to have recovered two hand grenades, six rounds of AK ammunitions and 150 gms of explosive from them. They have been handed over to Police Station Pulwama.

Highway closed for 3rd day

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 10: Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the third consecutive day today due to major landslide at highly vulnerable spot of Panthyal.

Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police, National Highway, Danish Rana said that due to heavy rainfall on the intervening night of January 9 and 10, major landslides took place at Panthyal and interior roads in Doda district.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) officials tried their level best to clear the highway by removing the debris but sliding of rocks from mountain tops at Panthyal hampered the work, he disclosed and said that even minor portion of the highway at Panthyal could not be cleared during the day.

However, the BRO cleared the landslides at various roads connecting Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah with Jammu, Mr Rana said, adding after clearance of accumulated snow at Kud, Patnitop and Batote, the vehicular traffic to Doda was allowed from Jammu.

He disclosed that about 1000 trucks carrying essential commodities have been stranded at different places on the highway awaiting for the opening of the highway.

Heavy snowfall in Kargil, Drass

KARGIL, Jan 10: Drass-Kargil-Leh road was closed for traffic and all flights cancelled when the entire Ladakh region experienced first heavy snowfall of the season, today.

About 300 passengers, including 130 who were issued tickets for AN-32 Army plane, were stranded at Kargil since yesterday.

Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, experienced three feet of fresh snowfall during the past 24 hours, disrupting normal life, official sources said

About one feet of snow had accumulated at Kargil where it was snowing heavily, they said.

The Drass-Kargil and Kargil-Leh National Highway has also been closed for the traffic because of heavy snowfall.

Tiger and Tololing hills and other hilly areas also recorded five to six feet of snowfall, affecting normal movement of troops posted there. Despite snow and chilly winds, troops remained alert to guard the Line of Control in the difficult terrain, the sources added.

About 300 people were stranded at Kargil when AN-32 flight to Jammu and Srinagar was cancelled due to the heavy snowfall.

Authorities claimed that there was enough stock of essential commodities, including rice, atta, sugar, kerosene oil and gas available in different parts of Kargil district for the winter months.

People said that they were getting fresh vegetables through cooperatives on nominal prices since the introduction of AN-32 services. (UNI)