Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 30: Mount-ainous areas of Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu region today experienced unseasonal snowfall triggering further cold wave conditions.
There was snowfall in areas of Kansar, Malani, Katyara, Puneja, Nalthi, Bamlakhi, Thannala, Nagni Mata, Subar, Dhar, Mathala, Sharakhi and Bheja in Bhaderwah belt of mountainous Doda and Kishtwar districts early this morning, officials said.
Mountain-locked Bhaderwah, popularly known as “Chhota Kashmir”, also experienced unseasonal snowfall in the town early this morning, the officials said.
Due to the unseasonal snowfall, horticulture, sericulture and agriculture sectors have been hit as it is the flowering season of fruit-bearing trees and other agricultural and sericultural produce, they said.
The cold wave conditions are also sweeping in the plains of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Samba and other areas as daily evening rains have become a constant weather feature during the past one week. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 30: A team of four doctors attending upon Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi today ruled out any heart problem to him saying he was suffering only from lung infection.
The doctors framed their opinion after examining reports of the investigations conducted upon Dr Abdullah including ECHO and Fluid tests on second day of his admission. They described condition of Dr Abdullah as “fine and comfortable”.
The doctors said the lung infection appeared to have been developed during eights days of pneumonic and chest infection to Dr Farooq for which he had remained admitted in the AIIMS earlier.
“Farooq is stable and fine. He had normal meals and comfortable sleep. He is under investigation for further treatment. However, reports of his all tests were alright”, the doctors said.
Dr Abdullah was admitted in Cardio-Neuro Centre of the AIIMS yesterday with Pleural Effusion of Lungs and mild pericardial effusion.

LONDON, Apr 30:
Britain today asked Pakistan to take action against militant groups in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and sought an end to “all external support” for violence in Jammu and Kashmir.
In its annual report on the issue of human rights, titled ‘Human Rights and Democracy’, the Foreign Office said levels of reported violence in Jammu and Kashmir had been declining since 2008, but noted that Indian authorities reported continued infiltration across the Line of Control.
The report, released by Foreign Secretary William Hague, said: “We called for an end to all external support for violence in Kashmir. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to take action against the presence and activities of militant groups in Pakistan-administered Kashmir”.
“Levels of reported militant violence in Indian-administered Kashmir have been declining since 2008, but Indian authorities report continued infiltration across the Line of Control,” it added.
Officials in the British High Commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad regularly discussed the situation with the Indian and Pakistani Governments, “and with our contacts in Indian and Pakistan-administered Kashmir”.
“We continue to encourage India and Pakistan to seek a lasting resolution that takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people”, the report said.
During 2011, the report said that the British High Commission funded an innovative information and communications technology project with the aim of improving coordination and communication between those agencies dealing with the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of women and children who are victims of trafficking.
“The project has been directly responsible for the rescue of a number of trafficking victims, and the new system is being used by various Indian authorities and civil society,” the report added. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 30:
The Supreme Court will pronounce on Tuesday its verdict on whether Army personnel allegedly involved in the killing of 7 persons in an alleged staged shootout at Pathribal in J&K 12 years ago could be prosecuted without prior sanction from the Government.
A bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar will pronounce the verdict at 10.30 am which was reserved by it on April 23.
While concluding their arguments, Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval and senior counsel Ashok Bhan, appearing for CBI, had reiterated that Army personnel in the alleged fake encounter have no immunity from prosecution.
CBI earlier had told the special bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar that it was a case of “cold-blooded murder and the accused officials deserve to be meted out exemplary punishment.”
CBI had contended no prior sanction was required for prosecuting the Army officials and the need to ensure “public confidence in the rule of law and dispensation of justice” warranted their prosecution.
“Our investigations have revealed it was a fake encounter and cold-blooded murders. If public confidence in the rule of law and dispensation of justices is to be sustained, the accused officers deserve to be meted out exemplary punishment,” Bhan had told the bench.
Bhan’s submission was contrary to the stand taken by Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, who, appearing for the Army officers, said prior sanction was mandatory for prosecuting the officials who otherwise are innocent.
The Defence Ministry and CBI have differed on the immunity enjoyed by the Army under the controversial AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) and other regular laws in encounter killings.
CBI had maintained the expression used in Section 6 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives immunity to Army personnel for encounters killings, is not available to the accused officers in the present case.
Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, on behalf of the Centre, had denied the allegations of fake encounter and argued they enjoyed protection in discharge of their official functions.
CBI had earlier moved an application for vacating the stay granted by the apex court on the trial relating to the killings of 7 persons by the Army allegedly in retaliation to the killing of 36 civilians by militants at Chattisingpora in 2000.
According to CBI, though the right to immunity under 197 CrPC was available to the officers, in the present case it has not been sought by the accused but by senior Defence Ministry officers, which was contrary to the law. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 30:
India and Pakistan have agreed to hold meaningful and result-oriented discussion to demilitarise Siachen glacier region where 26 soldiers died during deployment last year, Government told the Lok Sabha today.
In a written reply, Defence Minister A K Antony said, “The number of casualties in Siachen in last one year is 26.”
On diplomatic measures for demilitarisation of Siachen glacier region, he said, “12th round of Defence Secretary- level talks were held between India and Pakistan on May 30-31, 2011… It was agreed to continue the discussions in a meaningful and result-oriented manner.”
Both sides welcomed the ongoing dialogue process which is contributing to an enhanced understanding of each other’s position, Antony said.
On enrolment of NCC cadets, he said, “Government has accorded sanction for increase in NCC cadet strength by 2 lakh from 13 to 15 lakh by raising five Group Headquarters and 60 Units in a phased manner over a period of five years.
“During 2010-11, one NCC Group Headquarter and 12 NCC Units were raised to induct 40,000 cadets,” he said.
In 2011, the cadet strength of NCC stood at 12,36,338 with enrollment of 50 per cent new cadets, he said.
Referring to use of performance enhancement drugs by youth during recruitment rallies, Antony said, “No candidate has been detected using performance enhancing drugs during the Army recruitment drive.”
However, National Anti-Doping Agency has been requested to deploy suitable teams to conduct random tests at the recruitment rally sites so as to deter aspirants from using performance enhancing drugs, he said. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 30:
Former BJP president Bangaru Laxman, who has been sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment in a fake arms deal sting case, today resigned from the party’s National Executive membership.
“Bangaru Laxman served his resignation to party president Nitin Gadkari this morning. His resignation from the National Executive has been accepted by the party president,” BJP national media convenor Shrikant Sharma said.
A special CBI court had on Friday convicted Mr Laxman for accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from Tehelka journalists conducting a sting operation related to a fake arms deal.
He was also fined Rs 1 lakh.
The BJP has distanced itself from Laxman after the court’s verdict saying he acted in his individual capacity and the party was not related to the case.
The CBI had filed a charge sheet against Mr Laxman in 2006 under section 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.
He was secretly video recorded in a sting operation conducted by representative of the Tehelka web portal while accepting bribe purportedly meant for pushing the case of procurement of Hand Held Thermal Imagers for the Indian Army.
The representative of the web portal was posing as a dealer of the said equipment, as part of the sting operation.  (UNI)