NEW DELHI : Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit today said that Kashmir was the core issue between India and Pakistan which had to be resolved.

Mr Basit expressed the hope that the new Government in India and the Pakistan Government were committed to peace and would give priority to resolve the issue.

The High Commissioner was speaking while welcoming invitees to an Iftar party thrown up by him.

The party was also attended by some Kashmiri leaders. His remarks on Kashmir came while making a special mention of their presence in the party.

Mr Basit said that he was confident that the relations between the two countries would improve in the coming days as there was will on both sides for that.

A large number of distinguished guests, including religious leaders, journalists and academics, attended the party. (AGENCIES)

JAMMU : Asserting that the school in Bangalore where a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped was “equally guilty by trying to hide the crime”, senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad today said Karnataka Government has assured him of strict action against the institute.

“I have been told by the Home Minister of Karnataka that he and the Chief Minister have already had a discussion and they are going to take a very strong action against the management (of the school),” Azad told reporters here today.

Azad, who along with Congress in-charge of J&K Ambika Soni and JKPCC chief Saif-Uddin-Soz, took part in a two-day party conference here, said, “I spoke to the Home Minister of Karnataka last night about the incident because of my long association with the State. I was concerned about the situation.”

Azad said arresting the accused, however, will not be enough.

“I told that it won’t be enough because the school management was equally guilty by hiding the crime. He has assured me that the CM has already directed him (Home Minister) for taking action in this matter,” Azad said.

Stressing on the need for a change in the society to stop such crimes, Azad said, “The society as a whole needs to rise to the occasion and needs a great transformation.”

“It is most unfortunate that it is not a particular incident, but such types of incidents are reported from everywhere and may be there are more such cases which don’t come before the media,” he said.

“It shows that something has gone wrong in our society. The society as a whole has to fight against it,” he added.

“It was least expected that such a thing would happen in southern states. Something has gone wrong in our society,” he added. (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR : A day after protests rocked Baltal, base camp of holy Amarnath cave shrine, following clashes between tent and community workers, Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen Subrata Saha today visited Baltal, Domel and Pahalgam to review the security situation pertaining to yatra.

After accessing the situation on ground, Lt Gen Saha expressed confidence on the security arrangements in place and hoped that such an incident would not get repeated. He further said that the Army is committed to provide environmental security to people and pilgrims during the Amarnath yatra.

A Defence Ministry spokesperson said Lt Gen Saha was briefed by the Sector Commanders, Brigadier Kular and Brigadier Sood in charge of both the routes, on the security environment.

Consequent to the violent altercation between Bhandara wallas, tent and pony owners yesterday, locals and innocent Yatri’s approached the Army, who were deployed in close vicinity for assistance, he said.

The spokesperson said the Army responded immediately on humanitarian grounds and moved the stranded people to its camps.

In Domel approximately 1,500 and in Sonamarg 250 yatri’s were accommodated and provided shelter, food and other essential administrative needs, he said, adding, their safety and comfort was ensured. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI :
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today issued direction for preparation of a holistic road-map on key internal security issues, including Left Wing Extremism, Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast, in a time-bound manner.

At a high-level meeting, attended by top officers of the security establishment and intelligence agencies, Singh reviewed the entire gamut of the internal security scenario, activities of terrorist organisations, cross-border terrorism besides others.

Official sources said violence perpetrated by Maoists, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeastern region have also come under intense discussions.

Singh directed the security officials to prepare a road-map on all these key issues in a time-bound manner and suggest ways to deal with them.

Singh was briefed about the problems along the international border like infiltration and how to resolve them.

The Home Minister took stock of the Left Wing Extremism, which is now considered the biggest security challenge for the country, and the areas where the menace is serious and how to tackle it.

Functioning of paramilitary organisations also came up for discussion and officials told him that eight lakh personnel of the paramilitary organisations are currently deployed for various internal security duties. (AGENCIES)

AHMEDABAD:  A team of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) today detained a Jammu and Kashmir-based man who was allegedly carrying 15 kg charas, estimated to be worth around Rs 90 lakh in the international market.
“We seized 15 kg charas from a J & K-based person, Farooq Qureshi, at Sabarmati Railway station here this morning,” NCB Zonal Director in Gujarat Hariom Gandhi said.
Acting on a specific tip-off, the NCB team zeroed in on Qureshi when he arrived here by Delhi-Ahmedabad Ashram Express with the drug consignment, the officer said.
The cannabis was brought from Jammu and Kashmir for distribution in Ahmedabad’s old city area. The estimated value of the seized contraband drug in the international market is Rs 80 to 90 lakh, Gandhi said.
Qureshi had been earlier arrested for drug trafficking and he has served almost ten years in jail, the NCB Director said.
“After his release from prison, he again got involved in drug trade but had managed to avoid getting apprehended. But this time we caught him,” Gandhi added.
NCB has initiated a probe to find out who all were associated with Qureshi in the drug smuggling, he said.
“He (Qureshi) is a distributor. We are investigating who were to buy the charas from him and find out others who may be part of his network,” Gandhi added. (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR:  A youth was today killed in alleged CRPF firing in Kulgam district of Kashmir during protests against Israeli aggression in Gaza Strip.
“One youth was killed while another was injured in a firing incident in Qaimoh area of Kulgam,” an official at district Police Control Room said.
The deceased youth has been identified as Suhail Ahmad Mir, a resident of Mishripora in Kulgam.
He said the situation in the area was tense as the incident has led to more protests which have spread to some adjoining areas.
Police said a group of youth were protesting against the latest Israeli ground offensive in Gaza at Qaimoh.
The protests turned violent when CRPF personnel used batons to chase away the protesters. The youth started pelting stones after which CRPF personnel allegedly opened firing, resulting in death of one person and injuries to another, the police said. (AGENCIES)