Bill on council
seats tabled
SRINAGAR, Aug 18 — A Bill seeking an increase in the number of seats in the Upper House of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature was tabled along with the report of the select committee in the state assembly here today.

Bill on council seats tabled
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 18 — A Bill seeking an increase in the number of seats in the Upper House of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature was tabled along with the report of the select committee in the state assembly here today.

The report of the 12-member select committee was presented by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Pyare Lal Handoo. Following objections by Sheikh Abdul Rehman (BSP), who sought time to study the report, the Bill could not be considered today.

The discussion on the committee's report on the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir (Twentysixth Amendment) Bill, 1998, will now be held on Thursday. The House was later adjourned.

The amendment in the Constitution for an increase in the number of seats in the 36-member Legislative Council had become necessary following the implementation of the Delimitation Commission which raised the number of seats in the assembly from 76 to 87.

The Bill was introduced in the assembly on April 22 last and was followed by the Motion for Reference of the Bill to the Select Committee by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Pyare Lal Handoo, on April 23.

The committee considered the Bill on July 16 and June 17 and adopted the report. The committee recommended that the Bill as recommended be passed. The then Speaker, Mr Ali Mohammad Naik, nominated a 12-member committee on June 1.

The Bill seeks the election of 14 Legislative Council members by the MLAs from amongst those who are residents of the Kashmir province and are not members of the Legislative Assembly. One member each will be from Leh and Kargil districts of the Ladakh region. The Bill also seeks the election of 14 members from the Jammu province. This will include one member each from Doda and Poonch districts.

With this the Bill seeks to increase the number of the existing 36 seats in the Upper House to 44.

The Secretary, Mr M. Iqbal Ganai, also informed the House about the nine Bills passed by both Houses of the Legislature during March-April session for which the Governor had given his assent.

The Transport Minister, Mr B.A. Kitchloo, tabled the copies of the annual report of the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation for 1994-95 and 1995-96.

Earlier, during question hour, opposition members expressed concern about the hike in the admission fee in colleges and the university. The Education Minister, Mr Abdul Qayoom, while replying to the question tabled by Mr M.M. Tarigami of the CPM, informed the House that there was no need to review the decision.

Intervening in the question of Mr Abdul Gani Malik on the vacancies of principal and lecturer in the higher secondary schools, the Chief Minister said that efforts were being made to fill the vacancies. He said that many schools had been closed due to insufficient staff and added that appointments to such schools were being made from other areas in case of non-availability of suitable persons in the particular area. The House was informed that 56 such posts were vacant.

Militants blow up BSF vehicle
Tribune News Service and agencies

JAMMU, Aug 18 — Two BSF jawans were killed and two others wounded when the vehicle they were travelling in was blown up by an IED explosion at Faiz Mor in the Kandi area of Rajouri today. Two jawans died on the spot and additional security forces were rushed to the area to launch a manhunt for those militants who had planted the IED.

Meanwhile, Pakistani agencies are said to have pressed into service mules and ponies for smuggling into Poonch area weapons and ammunition from across the border.

Intelligence reports said that transborder smugglers had been engaged in carrying arms and ammunition on the back of the mules and ponies. According to these reports, Pakistani agencies had been using unconventional routes for sending these mules with weapons and explosives. Large quantity of arms and ammunition have been already smuggled into Poonch and Rajouri areas. The most frequented border route has from the Mandhar area of Poonch.

Reports said that mules would cross from Tarkundi, Balakot, Balnoi Betal Nallah, Mandhar, Pir Badeshwar. As a result of use of mules Pakistan agencies have been able to smuggle even heavy and sophisticated weapons and large bags of RDX explosive. The idea of pressing into service mules was conceived with the sole purpose of ensuring safety of militants as their chances of getting killed could be a great loss to Pakistan.

Once the mules loaded with weapons cross into the Poonch sector it is followed by a wireless message across the border and the militants operating in Mandhar and its adjoining areas inform Pakistan agencies that the infiltration route was safe.

The Army and the BSF recovered huge quantities of weapons and explosives including 31 kg of IED, 2600 rounds of ammunition, 18 handgrenades, 540 rounds of ammunition of sniper rifles from the forest belts of Poonch and Rajouri. This is said to be fraction of the weapons and explosives smuggled into these two border districts. It is believed that such a large quantity of arms and ammunition could have been smuggled into Poonch and Rajouri only on the backs of mules.

Army authorities have been suggested to plug the infiltration routes failing which the situation may take an ugly turn in the border areas of Jammu.

A latest plan by Pakistan-sponsored militants to use "schoolbag bombs" for large-scale violence in Jammu region has been unearthed following recovery of such bags fitted with improvised explosive device (IED) from the Rajouri district, official sources said today.

The schoolbag IEDs and other explosives like telephone and letter box bombs recovered yesterday from the Keri area were meant to be triggered at populous areas, schools and government offices to kill a large number of people in the region, the sources told PTI here.

Earlier also, militants have triggered explosions through IEDS fitted in telephones and letter boxes in Rajouri and Bhudal areas of the division in which hospitals, police stations and army vehicles were damaged, the sources said.

The latest consignment was recovered when acting on specific information, Army troops launched a search operation in Nariala terrain near the Keri forest area, the sources said, adding a large quantity of explosive material was recovered.

The deceased BSF jawans have been identified as constable Jeet Singh and constable S.K. Jah while the injured are head constable Surinder, who was the driver of the vehicle, and constable Harnam, the spokesman added.

Army today gunned down a Pakistan-trained militant and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition in two separate operations in the border district of Kupwara in north Kashmir.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said a Pakistan-trained militant hiding in Pandudas forest in Kupwara was shot dead by an Army search party early today.

The militant was killed after he ignored warnings to surrender and instead opened fire, he said.

One AK assault rifle, 60 grenades, five 60-mm bombs, 15 rocket-propelled grenades with boosters, 44 detonators, 30 remote control devices, 15 timer switches, plastic tubes filled with two kg of explosive, a wireless set and some ammunition and magazines were recovered from the killed ultra, he said.

A Defence Ministry spokesman told UNI that the troops guarding northern sector foiled an attempt to send explosive materials and bombs into Kashmir valley from across the border through Kupwara.

He said 112 kg of explosive material, five 107 mm bombs, 720 rounds of ammunition and one remote control device were recovered near the Line of Actual Control.

However, the couriers escaped into Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

SRINAGAR: An official spokesman said two children died when a live shell they were fiddling with exploded at Dani Saidan in Uri last evening.

Militants entered the house of one Mohammad Ramzan Sofi at Baki Hakar in the frontier district of Kupwara and shot dead his son Ghulam Nabi Sofi last evening.

J&K Cong slams Farooq govt
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 18 — The State unit of the Congress has blamed the National Conference Government led by Dr Farooq Abdullah for the deterioration in the law and order situation in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Describing the situation in the two districts as "highly explosive", PCC president Mohd Aslam told reporters here today that the recent militancy-related incidents in Poonch and its adjoining areas could assume dangerous proportions if the situation was not handled properly.

He criticised the state government for its failure to deliver the goods and alleged that corruption was rampant.

He said that senior government functionaries, including ruling National Conference leaders, were indulging in corrupt practices even in the recruitment of youths to government departments.

Mr Aslam said that the Congress had decided to launch a statewide campaign to force the government to change its style of functioning. Asked whether the Congress would topple the NC Government, the PCC chief said that "we have no such plan" and people would bring down the government themselves.

In reply to a question he said that the reconstitution of the PCC would take some time. The Congress leaders would visit Ladakh and other areas to seek party workers' opinion in this regard.

Pandits to intensify struggle
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 18 — Dr Agnishekhar, president of Panun Kashmir, said that the only alternative left for Kashmiri refugees was to intensify their struggle to secure ‘constitutional, institutional and administrative safeguards against attempts at eliminating them for the state scene.’

In a statement issued here today after week long tour of Ladakh Dr Agnishekhar said that even after nine years of their living in exile in penury neither the state nor the central government has bothered to formulate a long term plan of rehabilitation for about seven lakh pandit refugees.

He alleged that in the Ladakh and Jammu regions the Kashmiri Pandits continued to get a raw deal. Which spoke volumes about the regional and religious discrimination being encouraged by the government.

The Panun Kashmir chief said that he would visit different states in India and muster public support for the demand for carving out a separate homeland for Hindu refugees within the valley.

Bali J&K Legislative Council Chairman
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Aug 18 — The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council here today unanimously elected Mr H.S. Bali as its Chairman.

The post fell vacant following the death of chairman, Hakim Habibullah.

The name of Mr Bali was proposed by Mr Mohammad Aslam and seconded by Mr Abdul Rashid, both NC members. His was the only nomination.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah hailed the unanimous election of Mr Bali who was the Deputy Chairman of the council before his elevation. Dr Abdullah expressed the hope that the members of the Upper House would continue to cooperate with the Chair in maintaining the decorum of the council.

Later, several other members including Mr Dhan Raj Bargotra (JD), Mr A.R. Tukroo (CPI), Mr D.N. Kotwal, and Maj-Gen G.S. Jamwal (retd), also spoke.

In his brief address before the adjournment of the House till tomorrow, the chairman exhorted members to work for the progress and development of the state as well as the country.