5 securitymen kidnapped, killed in J&K
SRINAGAR, Feb 27 — Militants kidnapped five security personnel from a police post and shot them dead in Kupwara district of Kashmir valley, officials said today.

Plan holiday partisan: CM
JAMMU, Feb 27 — The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has expressed surprise over the Centre's announcement of a 10-year tax holiday for the people of North East while excluding Jammu and Kashmir from the package although the security environment and the level of backwardness of this state were similar to those in the North East.

Plan for J&K forests' demarcation soon
JAMMU, Feb 27 — The Forest and Revenue Departments of the Jammu and Kashmir Government are working on evolving a joint strategy for the demarcation of forest areas which will help in combating the menace of encroachments, besides helping in knowing the exact areas under forest cover in the state.

Involve Kashmiris in negotiations, says Hurriyat
JAMMU, Feb 27 — The All-Party Hurriyat Conference does not attach any significance to the recent talks between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan.

J&K bags first prize at flower show
JAMMU, Feb 27 — The state of Jammu and Kashmir has bagged the first prize at the All-India Flower Show at Pragati Maidan recently.

5 securitymen kidnapped, killed in J&K

SRINAGAR, Feb 27 (PTI) — Militants kidnapped five security personnel from a police post and shot them dead in Kupwara district of Kashmir valley, officials said today.

Posing as security personnel, the militants entered a newly set up police post in Choogal Handwara last evening, kidnapped four special police officials and a state police constable, and later shot them dead. The bodies of the five securitymen were found in the Kulangam-Hanjinar area this morning.

Elsewhere in the valley, five militants were killed in separate encounters with securitymen while one person was shot dead by the militants since last evening.

Four militants, including two foreigners, were killed in two encounters at Kanu-Gandoh in Doda district and Gaggar-Ktte in Poonch, the official sources said.

While Riyaz Ahmed Baba, alias Gulzar, of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed during a raid in the city's Zainakadal area, the militants shot dead one person at Shrakwari-Pattan in Baramula district.

The militants attacked a search party in Inderbugh in Kupwara district, injuring five securitymen and also critically wounding a police constable in the city here.

The police raided three militant hideouts in Rajouri and Jammu and seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition.

Meanwhile, a shutdown was observed in parts of Srinagar in protest against denial of permission to Awami Action Committee chairman Mirwaiz Maulvi Umer Farooq and his mother for Haj pilgrimage.

Sonia visits killings site
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Feb 27 — Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, today visited Reasi in Udhampur and Bal Jaralan village in Rajouri where 20 people had been killed a week ago by the militants in three separate incidents.

Wearing a light cream saree Ms Sonia Gandhi flew in a helicopter to the affected areas and consoled the bereaved families. She was moved by the sight of seven sisters wailing for their lone brother gunned down by militants in Bal Jaralan village in Rajouri district.

The Congress President was accompanied by the party general secretary, Mr Ahmed Patel. At Bal Jaralan she was briefed by Congress MLA Ashok Sharma and a junior engineer, Mr Ramesh Sharma who had fired 50 pounds from his gun to scare away the militants on that fateful night. Ramesh Sharma informed her that militants had established bases and hideouts in hilly areas between Rajouri and Udhampur. They were still active in Reasi, Rajouri and Gool.

He informed the Congress President that there were no security pickets in large parts of the two districts enabling the militants to move freely. He sought her intervention for deploying additional troops so that vulnerable and sensitive areas could be secured.

Later Ms Gandhi told newsmen that the state Government should take firm steps to curb the activities of militants, so that such killings were never repeated.

To complaints of local Congress leaders that the state government had failed and their demand for dismissal of the state government, she was silent.

A large crowd, predominantly female, had turned out at both the places to greet the Congress President and explain their woes. She gave a patient hearing to the people but preferred to hear more and speak less.

Ms Gandhi had arrived in Jammu by a special aircraft and she flew in a helicopter to the hilly belt of Reasi and Rajouri.

Plan holiday partisan: CM
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Feb 27 — The Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has expressed surprise over the Centre's announcement of a 10-year tax holiday for the people of North East while excluding Jammu and Kashmir from the package although the security environment and the level of backwardness of this state were similar to those in the North East.

Replying to the motion of thanks on the Governor's address in the Assembly here today the Chief Minister said that central financial assistance was needed for Jammu and Kashmir as the 10-year long insurgency had damaged vital public and private infrastructure.

He said that the state faced an acute cash crunch and despite the efforts of the state Government to raise additional resources, could not keep pace with its requirement.

Dr Abdullah said that his government was committed to securing greater autonomy for the state and to grant regional autonomy to the three regions. In this context the reports of the state autonomy committee and the regional autonomy committee were being given final touches and the two reports would be tabled in the state legislature shortly. He said seminars would be held on issues relating to greater autonomy and regional autonomy in order to gather the views of intellectuals and political leaders. After that the reports would be adopted and sent to the Centre.

He said that since 1947 attempts were being made to divide the people in the name of region and religion, but his government was committed to regional harmony. Referring to the Leh Development Council he said that the council was an autonomous unit and had been given adequate funds. What was shocking though was the way council members tried to make a political issue of the transfer of a Deputy Commissioner for leaving station on Republic Day despite a general alert having been sounded all over the state.

Referring to the power sector he said that the state faced a power crisis. Two have no money to boy power from the Northern grid. "We are already in arrears as far as power tariff is concerned," said central assistance was needed "to install new power projects which could allow us not only be self-sufficient but also export power."

The Chief Minister said that he had in the past conveyed to the centre what were "our requirements" and it would not be proper for "us to visit Delhi repeatedly with a begging bowl."

He gave a detailed accounts of the steps the government planned to take to improve facilities and work in educational institutions and hospitals.

The Chief Minister lauded efforts for normalising Indo-Pak relations. He, however, cautioned political leaders on both sides of the border to remain vigilant against the machinations of those trying to thwart their moves.

He said militancy-related violence was part of the plan of vested interests to widen the distance between Delhi and Islamabad.

Regarding corruption the Chief Minister said that his Government had taken several steps to check it. But the war against corruption was a continuous affair. About Kashmiri migrants, Mr Abdullah said that they would not be sent to the valley forcibly. And once the migrants decided to return they would get a central package for their rehabilitation.

He said he was proud of being a Muslim but as Chief Minister he would see to it that people belonging to different communities received justice. He appealed to the people to cooperate with the Government in building a new Kashmir free of terrorism and gun culture.

Members of different parties wanted the government to check the activities of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference who, during their visits to Jammu, were trying to incite people.

The matter was raised in the Assembly during the zero hour by Mr Hans Raj Dogra of the BJP who made a mention of the "provocative" speech delivered by the chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani at yesterday's congregation in a Mosque in Jammu. He quoted newspaper cuttings in support of his contention that Mr Geelani had tried to incite youth by urging them to campaign for "azadi".

There was a furore when Mr Dogra referred to the newspaper reports in which it had been alleged that the Transport Minister, Mr Bashir Ahmed Kichloo, had a secret meeting with Mr Geelani. Mr Kichloo, who was in the lobby at that time, rushed into the House and, with the permission of the Speaker, said that since 1988 he had never met or seen Mr Geelani. He said he would move a privilege motion against the newspaper for publishing a false report.

Mr Farooq Mir expressed surprise at the way local newspaper had given detailed accounts of the speech delivered by Mr Geelani but had ignored the speech of the Imam of the mosque who had opposed Mr Geelani's insinuations. The Imam, Mr Mir said, had ridiculed the assertions of the Hurriyat leader and announced that he and his followers were Indian to the core. Mr Mir said only a handful of youths had raised pro-Azadi slogans.

Mr Mohammed Syed Akhoon of the National Conference wanted the Chief Minister to direct government agencies to keep watch on Hurriyat leaders. He said that if these Hurriyat leaders were allowed to preach sedition the law and order problem in Jammu could take an ugly turn.

The BJP, the BSP, and Panthers Party members staged a walkout from the House in protest against unsatisfactory replies to their questions. They were demanding equal and better facilities for the people living in the border areas of Kathua district.

Plan for J&K forests' demarcation soon
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 27 — The Forest and Revenue Departments of the Jammu and Kashmir Government are working on evolving a joint strategy for the demarcation of forest areas which will help in combating the menace of encroachments, besides helping in knowing the exact areas under forest cover in the state.

The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of senior officers of the Forest and Revenue Departments held here recently in which the Minister for Forests, Mr Mohammad Ramzan, and the Minister for Revenue, Mr Ali Mohammad Naik, participated.

It was decided that forest lands within demarcation and which had not been recorded in the ownership of the Forest Department, but as state land, would now be recorded as under the Forest Department. This would be done after fulfilling all required formalities.

Besides, the Forest and Revenue Departments would undertake a joint survey of the areas outside the demarcated forests. Such areas would be recorded to be in the possession of Forest Department.

During settlement operations by the Revenue Department, it was decided that officials of the Forest Department would also be associated wherever forest areas were involved. It was also decided to have greater coordination between these two departments and follow-up action would be taken by the respective departments.

The land which would be brought under forests, formal orders would be issued by the Revenue Department before the plantation was undertaken.

Involve Kashmiris in negotiations, says Hurriyat
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Feb 27 — The All-Party Hurriyat Conference does not attach any significance to the recent talks between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, which culminated with the Lahore Declaration on the plea that so long as representatives of the people of Kashmir were not included, the negotiations would be fruitless.

This stand of the Hurriyat was explained by its chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, at Friday congregation in a mosque in Jammu yesterday. He said the Kashmir issue could not be solved till the wishes of the people were honoured.

He said that during the past 50 years series of talks were held between India and Pakistan at different levels but these talks did not bear fruit because the people of the valley were not involved in the negotiations.

Mr Geelani, said that the only feasible solution to the problem was to allow the people of Kashmir to exercise their right of self-determination as provided in the UN resolutions on Kashmir. He said India should not ignore the people of Kashmir when the dispute was about the area inhabited by them.

He urged the youth to come forward and strengthen the hands of those who were campaigning for securing for the people of Kashmir the right to decide their future through plebiscite.

He said that the 'Lahore Declaration' would meet the fate which including the Tashkent and the Shimla agreements met.

J&K bags first prize at flower show
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 27 — The state of Jammu and Kashmir has bagged the first prize at the All-India Flower Show at Pragati Maidan recently. The two-day show was organised by Young Women Christian Association (YMCA) from February 20.

The award, "The Prime Minister Indira Gandhi Challenge Cup" was presented by the Ambassador of Japan to India to the three-member team of garden officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Garden, Parks and Floriculture Department.

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Ms Sheila Dixit, during her visit to the flower show, showed keen interest in the flowers from Jammu and Kashmir.

Besides various states and public sector undertakings, embassies of some foreign countries also participated in the show.