5 militants, jawan killed in valley
SRINAGAR, Oct 17 — Five militants and a BSF jawan were killed and 26 persons, including a Captain and four other securitymen, were injured in militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

• Woman dies in Pak shelling

Child burnt alive in village fire
SRINAGAR, Oct 17 — A three-year-old boy was burnt alive as a major blaze devastated a village, about 150 km from here, in north Kashmir, a Fire Brigade official said today.

JKDF for solving Kashmir problem
NEW DELHI, Oct 17 — The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Forum today called for talks between the Centre and the Hurriyat leadership to solve the long-pending Kashmir problem.

Jammu-Mumbai flight in November
JAMMU, Oct 17 — Airports in Jammu and Kashmir would be modernised and upgraded and a direct flight between Jammu and Mumbai would be launched next month, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Chaman Lal Gupta has said.

• Inventory of J & K heritage buildings
• Second phase of nivas opened

5 militants, jawan killed in valley

SRINAGAR, Oct 17 (PTI) — Five militants and a bsf jawan were killed and 26 persons, including a Captain and four other securitymen, were injured in militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

The security forces rescued a former special police officer from the captivity of militants, arrested 13 youths, including a Pakistani intruder, and smashed three militant hideouts in the state during the period, an official spokesman said today.

Two Al-Badr militants, including an Afghan national, were killed and a former spo was rescued by the bsf in an encounter at Fiaz-ul-Haq Colony in Hazratbal on the outskirts of Srinagar today, Deputy Inspector-General of bsf b. n. kabu said.

Terming the encounter as a "chance operation", DIG Kabu said a bsf patrol party got suspicious about a house in Hazratbal and tried to search it. The militants hiding in the house opened fire and tried to escape.

The bsf men returned the fire and in the ensuing encounter two militants — local Mushtaq Ahmad Hurrah and Bashir Ahmad of Afghanistan — were killed, DIG Kabu said, adding that former spo ghulam Nabi who had been kidnapped by the ultras from Batpora last night and kept in the house, was also rescued in the operation.

An ak assault rifle, seven magazines with 177 rounds, three improvised explosive devices, two wireless sets and three rockets boosters were seized from the house, he said.

The bsf officer said the militants wanted the kidnapped former spo nabi to work for them but an official spokesman later said he had been taken in custody for "questioning".

The spokesman said two militants of the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba outfit identified as Khalid Mehmood, alias Abu Ilia, and Hameed Bhai were killed and Captain a p singh seriously injured in an encounter at Bari Bahak in Udhampur district in Jammu last night.

The encounter took place when the troops led by Captain A.P. Singh raided a militant hideout, he said adding that two ak assault rifles, 109 rounds, five radio antennas, three grenades, 198 rounds of Pika gun and 36 rounds of sniper rifle were seized from the encounter site.

Army troops shot dead a foreign mercenary identified as Abu Jehadi in an encounter in the Ganderbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar today.

A bsf jawan was killed in an ambush by militants during search operations at Guri-Hajan forest in the Bandipora area of Baramula district last evening, the spokesman said.

He said 19 civilians and two policemen were injured when militants exploded a powerful grenade at Tral bus stand in Pulwama district today.

Militants also attacked a security picket with a grenade at Zaldagar in downtown Srinagar last evening, injuring four persons, including two bsf jawans.

The official spokesman said the Jammu and Kashmir police assisted by the Army arrested a Pakistani intruder identified as Shakeel Hussain of the Sunjwan area at r. s. pora sector in Jammu last night.

The security forces apprehended a militant and seized two remote control devices and 10 detonators from him at Akhal Chak in Srinagar last evening.

The spokesman said the security forces smashed three militant hideouts — two in Baramula and another in Kupwara district of north Kashmir — during a search operation yesterday.

As many as 115 grenades of various types, nine remote control devices, a combat dress, a sleeping bag and a large quantity of ammunition were seized during search of the hideouts at Wadarbala forest-Nagardnar and Sangrama in Baramula and Nehri Bbehak, Hangikoot forest in Kupwara, he added.

Meanwhile, 11 youths suspected of having links with militants were arrested by the security forces during search operations in Jhelum Valley College and Nundreshi Colony areas of Bemina in Srinagar today, officials said.

Woman dies in Pak shelling

SRINAGAR, Oct 17 (PTI) — Pakistani troops fired shells on Indian positions in Karnah sector of Kupwara in north Kashmir, killing a woman, an official spokesman said today.

The unprovoked shelling started early today from across the border resulting in the killing of a woman, Zulaikha, who was hit outside her house in a village in Karnah, the spokesman said.

Indian troops retaliated. Intermittent shelling from both sides was continuing when report last came in.

Most of the Pakistani shells landed in the Karnah periphery causing no damage. However, residents of over three dozen villages fled to safer places.

The reports said Indian troops had intensified patrolling to scuttle any attempt by Pakistan to push armed militants into the valley under the cover of the shelling.

Entertainment industry a shambles

SRINAGAR, Oct 17 (PTI) — The entertainment industry in Kashmir, which was revived with the opening of cinema houses, video parlours and cable networks last year after a decade of militancy, is now a shambles as militant outfits have renewed their ban on the business on grounds of implementing the Islamic code of conduct.

Cinema houses and video parlours closed from January 1, 1990, following a drive by the militants who considered these as "un-Islamic" and sources of cultural perversion.

It was after the state government intervened last year that broadway cinema in the cantonment area here was reopened which paved the way for the revival of the entertainment business in the state.

After the reopening of cinema houses, investment in video parlours and cable TV networks increased in Kashmir as the public response to this business was tremendous.

Militant outfits, which had imposed a ban on cinema houses, extended it to cable networks following the boom in the business. After the intervention of the Hurriyat Conference, cable operators continued their operations but the situation is far from satisfactory.

"Our leadership intervened keeping in view the livelihood of many involved and on conditions that local sentiments will be taken note of and obscene channels and programmes not allowed," says a Hurriyat spokesman.

The response of people to cable networks led to the revival of more cinema houses in the city — Neelam and Regal — and the state government lent support by providing loans and security to the cinema houses.

"In a bid to promote the business, the state government provided interest-free loans besides security to the owners of cinema houses," says a state government official.

Militants struck on the very first day of the opening of Regal cinema in the heart of the city on Septemeber 24 by hurling a grenade inside the premises which left one person dead and a dozen injured.

"The attack on Regal paralysed the business as moviegoers preferred to stay away as they were scared about another such incident," admits the manager of a cinema.

A militant outfit claiming responsiblity for the attack asked cinema owners to close down the business to further create panic among the managements and the public, it attacked a cable network operating in the old city and Civil Lines areas damaging equipment and injuring operators.

The management of Regal cinema ordered a shutdown and the attack had an adverse impact on the business of Broadway and Neelam cinema houses though they remained open under heavy security.

The militants, after the attack on the cinema house and cable operators in the city, issued diktats to operators to stop their operations.

Reports of a truce between the militants and cable operators were put to question when hardline pro-Pakistan militant outfits like the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen refuted a statement of the operators’ association stating that militant organisations had allowed them to restart their business on certain conditions.

The association had said in a statement the operators would desist from showing some channels considered by the militants as "unethical and immoral".

Harkat-ul-Mujahideen warned cable operators to stop their operations and asked the Hurriyat Conference to "remain aloof."

"Society has undergone deterioration due to cable operations. We are fighting for the implementation of the Islamic code of conduct and the question of livelihood of a few operators is not that important," a statement of the outfit said.

The cable operators have been urging the militant outfits to review their ban, claiming the livelihood of over 2000 operators depended on the business.

"We had taken loans from banks on 18 per cent interest to set up business and if the ban continues, in all hopes of repaying the debts will be shattered," says a operator, who started the business last year.

The operators fear that banks and other financing agencies will seize their mortgaged property.

"If we fail to pay off the debts, the banks will seize our property and the fear has led to the loss of mental peace of operators," says a spokesman for the association.

The state administration has toughened its stand by assuring cinema and video parlour owners and cable operators of incentives and security to run their businesses.

Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has assured the operators and cinema owners that the necessary steps would be taken to ensure the smooth conduct of their businesses.

"I will ensure that cinema owners and cable operators are allowed to do their businesses smoothly. More troops will be deployed in and around the cinema houses and cable network centres," Dr Abdullah said.

However, most of the operators are still apprehensive and say the deployment of troops alone will prove futile in helping them run their business.

Child burnt alive in village fire

SRINAGAR, Oct 17 (PTI) — A three-year-old boy was burnt alive as a major blaze devastated a village, about 150 km from here, in north Kashmir, a Fire Brigade official said today.

Nearly 140 structures, including 88 double -storyed residential houses, a mosque, a dispensary and a school building and 28 cowsheds, were damaged while several heads of cattle perished in the 'accidental' fire, Fire Services Director G.M Bhat told PTI.

He said Ishtiyaq Ahmad Lone, aged 3, died in the fire which broke out in a house at Cherwan village, in the Gurez sector near the Line of Control, on Friday evening and soon engulfed the entire village. It was put out yesterday after fire tenders from Bandipora and Sopore reached the spot.

Minister of State for Home Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, who visited the village, announced free ration for six months and a relief of Rs 5,000 to each affected family.

Assistant Commissioner Abdul Jabbar Chakat attributed the blaze to the continued dry spell in the valley.

Residents alleged that fire tenders delayed arrival led to the fire engulfing the whole village.

JKDF for solving Kashmir problem
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 17 — The Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Forum (JKDF) today called for talks between the Centre and the Hurriyat leadership to solve the long-pending Kashmir problem.

The problem has been effecting our economy as the Centre has to spend crores of rupees on the security in the valley, JKDF president D. Bazaz, in a statement said here today.

History is witness that talks are the best way to solve any problem in the world, he said.

Mr Bazaz flayed the government for putting Hurriyat leaders behind bars.

"Putting them behind bars does not solve the Kashmir problem. Instead the state government should look for ways to bring the entire leadership to table for talks," he said.

At least 15 Hurriyat leaders, including its chairman, are lodged in jail following their arrests.

Jammu-Mumbai flight in November

JAMMU, Oct 17 (PTI) — Airports in Jammu and Kashmir would be modernised and upgraded and a direct flight between Jammu and Mumbai would be launched next month, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Chaman Lal Gupta has said.

"A direct flight between Mumbai and Jammu will be launched in November this year" and the Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports would be expanded and modernised, Mr Gupta told reporters here yesterday.

The minister, who represents the Udhampur constituency of Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha, said his thrust would be on expansion and modernisation of aviation infrastructure in the state.

Mr Gupta said Kargil airport would soon be ready to facilitate travelling in the area during winters when the road network is closed down due to heavy snowfall.

Special flights would be introduced in tourist areas like Katra, Rajouri and Doda, he said.

Inventory of J & K heritage buildings
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 17 — The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department has drawn up a plan to prepare an exhaustive inventory of all heritage buildings which are more than 100 year-old.

The department also envisages to make a selective inventory of buildings which will be 50 and 100-year-old.

It has sought the cooperation of photographers and researchers, both in the private and public sectors, for preparing this inventory.

Second phase of nivas opened
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 17 — The second phase of the Yatrika Nivas, Katra, constructed at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, was inaugurated by Mr D.N. Kotwal, member of the board, yesterday.

Consisting 50 air-conditioned rooms and four dormitories, the nivas will provide daily accommodation to nearly 200 pilgrims. Apart form this, the building has a common toilet facility on each floor and a catering outlet.