Blast averted in J&K; black day observed
SRINAGAR, Dec 6 — Three persons, including two militants, were killed and nine others wounded as militants engaged security forces in armed clashes, exploded a grenade and bombed a vital road link in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

J&K Ministry reshuffle by Wednesday
SRINAGAR, Dec 6 — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has said he will prune his 30-member council of ministers by dropping some senior ministers latest by Wednesday.

Anjuman for bar on talks with Pak
JAMMU, Dec 6 — The Anjuman Minhaj-e-Rasool, a social organi-sation at the national level, has called for a Parliamentary resolution barring talks with Pakistan on Kashmir.

Stir begins at secretariat
JAMMU, Dec 6 — Work was paralysed in the Civil Secretariat today, the first day of the three-day strike called by the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Joint Action Committee to press for the release of arrears of Fifth Pay Commission and the dearness allowance instalment.

Blast averted in J&K; black day observed

SRINAGAR, Dec 6 (PTI) — Three persons, including two militants, were killed and nine others wounded as militants engaged security forces in armed clashes, exploded a grenade and bombed a vital road link in Jammu and Kashmir since last evening.

Security forces averted a possible tragedy with timely detection of a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) near a bus stand and arrested two Pakistani intruders in an encounter in the state during the period, an official spokesman said here today.

Meanwhile, normal life was disrupted in Srinagar and some other parts of the valley following a black day call given by the Dukhtaran-e-Milat, a women’s organisation, in protest against the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on this day seven years ago.

Shops and business establishments in most parts of the city, including Lal Chowk, remained closed today. However, skeletal transport was plying on all routes, official sources said.

Supporters of Dukhtaran-e-Milat indulged in stone pelting on policemen at Maisuma here early today. However, they were chased away by the police personnel who were deployed in full strength in the area.

Reports of a partial strike was also reported from Baramula and Pulwama districts, the sources said.

Panic gripped the Maharaj Bazaar area of Srinagar this afternoon when militants exploded a grenade in the area which left six civilians and three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel wounded, the spokesman said.

The grenade was aimed at a moving BSF vehicle, but it missed the intended target and exploded on the road at around 12.40 p.m. The injured were hospitalised.

Minutes after the incident, gunmen struck at the Dana Mazar locality of Safakadal in downtown Srinagar at around 1 p.m. and shot dead a scooterist, Mohammad Ramzan Wani from point-blank range, he said. The motive behind the killing was not known immediately.

A militant of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen, identified as Zahoor Ahmad Parray, was killed in an encounter with the army during a day-long operation in Bohtu forest in the Ahamsharief area, 6 km north-east of Bandipora in Baramula district yesterday.

An AK assault rifle, four magazines with 30 rounds, five RPG rockets, three hand grenades and 3 kg of explosives were recovered from the killed militant.

Security forces also gunned down a suspected militant at Watalbagh in the Ganderbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar today, the spokesman said.

J&K Ministry reshuffle by Wednesday

SRINAGAR, Dec 6 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has said he will prune his 30-member council of ministers by dropping some senior ministers latest by Wednesday.

"I have finally decided to make necessary changes in the council of ministers and the same would take place latest by Wednesday," Dr Abdullah said participating in a programme broadcast by Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, last night.

Mr Abdullah made it clear that he would be pruning his 30-member strong council of ministers, making it smaller in size than going for an expansion.

Some ministers, including those holding senior positions, would be dropped while few others would be promoted, he said.

Cong men seek Ansari’s sack
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 6 — Congress workers led by Mr Raman Bhalla, Secretary, Pradesh Congress Committee, held a demonstration in front of the Raj Bhavan here today demanding the dismissal of the Farooq Abdullah-led government.

The demonstrators appealed to the Governor, Mr G.C. Saxena, that without waiting for the recommendations of the Chief Minister he (Saxena) should use his constitutional powers to dismiss the Housing Minister Maulvi Iftikar Hussain Ansari. The state government had issued a detailed press note accusing the Maulvi of having accepted kick backs from a private firm.

The state unit of the Congress got a handle to strike against the Maulvi who had defied the Congress high command directive to quit the Cabinet after the rift between the National Conference and the Congress widened two years ago. The Maulvi was also accused by the Congress of having supported the National Conference candidates in Srinagar and Baramula constituencies during the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. This had resulted in the expulsion of the Maulvi from the Congress for a period of six years.

The moment a section within the state administration dished out stories regarding the Maulvi's involvement in the Jammu Development Authority scam, of which he is the Chairman, the Congress started gunning for him.

The Chief Minister has so far maintained silence over the issue while talking to reporters in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the charges would be looked into. However, when Maulvi Ansari was told by the Chief Minister to submit his resignation the Housing Minister is reported to have informed Dr Abdullah that Rs 60 lakh secured from Infrastructure Projects Private Ltd was a loan and not kick backs. The amount had been received through cheques, the minister added. He is reported to have told the Chief Minister that he should first secure resignations from ministers who had indulged in corrupt practices. He told the Chief Minister that "I swear by God, I shall hang my boots immediately after some corrupt ministers were removed."

Mr Ansari has threatened to expose several ministers and senior bureaucrats who had hatched a conspiracy to malign his image. He has said that the inquiry conducted by a senior police officer was one-sided and neither he nor his family members were asked to give their version.

He said in case the Chief Minister wanted him to resign he was ready, but he would not do so by the "intrigues" of bureaucrats.

Anjuman for bar on talks with Pak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 6 — The Anjuman Minhaj-e-Rasool, a social organi-sation at the national level, has called for a Parliamentary resolution barring talks with Pakistan on Kashmir.

"When the Government of India did not keep its doors open for talks with China or Sri Lanka on resolving disturbances in the North-East and Tamil Nadu, why should it favour talks with Pakistan on Kashmir?" asked the Chairman of the Anjuman, Maulana Syed Athar Dehlvi. He was speaking to newsmen here today.

He said the resolution should prohibit all Central Ministers, including the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers from making any statement on Kashmir as it was an integral part of India.

Maulana Dehlvi said Pakistan continued to push into Jammu and Kashmir foreign mercenaries for destabilising peace and added that if the government did not adopt strict measures against the insurgents Kashmir could become another Afghanistan or Palestine". He alleged that the U.S.A. was behind terrorism in Kashmir.

He did not favour any safe passage for militants and said that holding talks with militants would be suicidal for India. He advocated the policy of elimination of militants.

The Maulana urged the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to set up a joint intelligence organisation comprising functionaries of the IB and RAW and state agencies, so that there was no intelligence failure of monitoring movement and plans of militants.

He also urged the Centre not to grant greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir as Article 370, which provides for special status to the State, was enough. He wanted strict measures against the Jamait-e-Islami-run schools and Madrasas where Pakistan school syllabi was being taught. He said 40,000 such schools and Madrasas were being run in Jammu and Kashmir which could become the breeding place for communal and anti-Indian forces.

Stir begins at secretariat

JAMMU, Dec 6 (UNI) — Work was paralysed in the Civil Secretariat today, the first day of the three-day strike called by the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Joint Action Committee to press for the release of arrears of Fifth Pay Commission and the dearness allowance instalment.

Only secretary-level officers were present in the office and ministers attended work.

According to the sources, the government was not in a position to release the arrears and DA instalment because of the paucity of funds. The Chief Minister himself had said the other day that the Fifth Pay Commission has spoiled the state's economy.