Two Amarnath pilgrims dead
JAMMU, Aug 21 — The death toll in the ongoing month-long Amarnath yatra has gone up to 15 with the death of two more pilgrims due to heart attack yesterday, officials said here today.

2 ultras among 4 killed

SRINAGAR, Aug 21 (PTI) — Two militants and a security personnel were among four persons killed as militants stepped up attacks on police and security positions in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening, an official spokesperson said today.

Two suspected militants were also arrested while a terrorist hideout was smashed during the period, he said.

Two ultras — one of them a Pakistani national — were killed in two separate encounters with the security forces at Shat Muqam and Rangat Gali in frontier district of Kupwara yesterday, the spokesperson said.

He said the deceased militants were identified as Abdul Wahid of Rawalpindi owing allegiance to Al-Burq militant outfit and Abdul Qayoom of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

One AK rifle, a rocket launcher, a rocket projectile gun and some ammunition rounds were seized from them, the spokesperson said.
He said the security personnel who was injured in a shooting incident at Maisuma in Srinagar yesterday later succumbed to his injuries.

Body of Bashir Ahmed Dar, alias Jahangeer, was recovered from Markpora-Sopore village in North Kashmir district of Baramula last evening, the spokesperson said.

He said a security personnel was injured in a gun-fight with militants at the Dhara Jarian sector of Thanamandi in the Rajouri area of Jammu yesterday.

Militants entered the house of Mohammad Aziz at Mehrote in Darhal in Rajouri and shot at her wife who was hospitalised later, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said militants hurdled a grenade at a police division in Srinagar today, but the device missed the target and went off in front of the police division. No harm was caused to anybody.

Militants also attacked police station Bijbehara in Anantnag district with a grenade but no damage was caused as the device missed the intended target, the spokesperson said.

He said militants also attacked a CRPF picket at Sharna and Village Defence Committee post at Thuba in Doda district. The securitymen returned the fire but no loss of life was reported.

Militants also targeted ex-servicemen guards posted at the Chhappar, Ramnagar and Latti area of Chenani tehsil in Udhampur district of the Jammu region last night. The fire was returned but no loss of life was reported, the spokesperson said.

He said two suspected militants, one each from Srinagar and Pulwama, were arrested by the security forces, along with a remote control device, and 10 live rounds yesterday.

The security forces seized two grenades, two grenade launchers and a silencer from a militant hide-out at the Khablan area of Rajouri yesterday, the spokesperson said.

JAMMU: The Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged firing at some places along the Line of Control (LoC) while Pakistan shelled the Turtuk area of Leh district and the Sunderbani sector in Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir last night, official reports said today.

No loss of life or damage was reported in the shelling and the exchange of fire, they said.

Pakistani troops fired several shells on the Turtuk area following which the Indian troops retaliated, reports said.

Mortar firing was also reported from across the border in the Sunderbani sector.

Intermittent exchange of small arms fire between Pakistani Rangers and Border Security Force took place at some places along the border since last evening, reports said.

10 in poll fray for Srinagar seat
Tribune News Service and UNI

SRINAGAR, Aug 21 — Notifications for holding elections to Baramula and Anantnag Parliamentary constituencies in Kashmir, going to the polls in the third phase on September 18, were issued by the respective Returning Officers today.

The National Conference candidate, Mr Ali Mohammad Naik, Revenue Minister in the Farooq Abdullah government, filed his nomination papers for Anantnag constituency, soon after the issuance of the notification today.

The nomination papers for both the constituencies can be filed up to August 28 and the scrutiny of the papers would be conducted on August 30. The nomination papers can be withdrawn up to September 1.

Meanwhile, Mr Omar Farooq, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Ms Mehbooba Mufti, daughter of former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed are among 10 candidates left in the fray for the Srinagar parliamentary seat.

There are now eight candidates left in the fray for the Ladakh parliamentary seat after Ahmad Uallah Azad (Ind) withdrew, according to the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr S.V. Bhave.

Today was the last date for the withdrawal of nominations and polling would be held on September 5 in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

A total of 11 candidates had filed their nomination papers for the Srinagar constituency while 12 candidates filed their papers for the Ladakh seat. However, nomination papers of State Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar were rejected as they were not found in order.

Azad faction triumphs
From M.L.Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 21 — AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, has established his supremacy over his rivals in the Congress by securing the party mandate for his favourites.

The AICC leadership had been facing a ticklish problem over selection of candidates for the Jammu, Udhampur, Baramula and Anantnag constituencies. Till yesterday it could announce the names of the Congress candidates only for Srinagar and Ladakh constituencies.

The problem arose because the list of aspirants for the party ticket for Jammu, Udhampur and Anantnag was long and there was a tussle between the faction led by the PCC Chief, Mr Mohammed Aslam, and that of Mr Azad. Senior Congress leaders including Mr Rajesh Pilot, Mr A.P. Shinde, Mr Madhav Rao Scindia and Mr Ahmed Patel had supported the candidates recommended by Mr Aslam.

Informed sources said that Mr Azad took advantage of the absence of Mr Pilot, Mr Scindia and others, who had gone out of Delhi for campaigning, and utilised his equation with party President, Sonia Gandhi, to clear names of Mr Madan Lal Sharma for Jammu, Mr Balbir Singh for Udhampur, Peerzada Mohammed Syed from Anantnag and made the Congress support Prof. Saifuddin Soz, who is contesting as an Independent candidate from Baramula. The decision was okayed late on Friday night.

Mr Azad had all along being projecting Mr Madan Lal Sharma for Jammu and Peerzada Mohammed Syed for Anantnag as they have been his supporters for the past several years. A decision on whether the Congress should field its candidates from Baramula or lend support to Prof Saifuddin Soz whose vote against the Vajpayee government's motion of confidence had led to the fall of the BJP-led government, was submitted to Ms Sonia Gandhi. Again Mr Azad is said to have intervened to scuttle the chances of Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, who had won the Baramula seat in 1996 elections, to get the Congress to support Prof Soz.

Informed sources said that Mr Azad had also roped in Dr Karan Singh, who had recently rejoined the Congress and had made his unwillingness to contest the poll clear.

Thus Dr Karan Singh also supported the names which had the blessings of Mr Azad. Mr Balbir Singh, MLA got the Congress ticket as a reward for his refusal to join the PDP headed by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. Mr Balbir Singh was an ardent supporter of the Mufti and when he floated the Peoples' Democratic Party after resigning from the Congress Mr Balbir Singh went underground to escape pressure from the Mufti to join the PDP.

Whatever may be the plus points of the selection of the candidates there are possibilities of internal sabotage with party men campaigning against the official candidates. Also, there are indications that some of the aggrieved Congress leaders and workers may either join the PDP or the National conference or remain mute spectators during the poll campaign.

UN resolutions relevant: Mirwaiz

SRINAGAR, Aug 21 (PTI) — The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Awami Action Committee Mirwaiz Maulvi Umer Farooq said yesterday that the U.N. resolutions on Kashmir are of "great historic significance and importance and will continue to be so till the Kashmir problem is resolved permanently.

He was reacting to Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee's remarks yesterday that these resolutions were outdated and irrelevant.

Addressing office bearers and workers of the party and the public at Jama Masjid here the former chairman of the Hurriyat Conference said the Prime Minister's statement was a "negation of historic events and facts and an attempt to mislead the public opinion."

Two Amarnath pilgrims dead

JAMMU, Aug 21 (PTI) — The death toll in the ongoing month-long Amarnath yatra has gone up to 15 with the death of two more pilgrims due to heart attack yesterday, officials said here today.

Saka Ram (65) of Mumbai and Hardue Sadhu (75) of Bihar breathed their last yesterday at Pahalgam and Sheshnag, respectively, officials said.

Meanwhile, another batch of 737 pilgrims left here for the pilgrimage to the cave shrine, they said.