Three labourers buried alive
SRINAGAR, July 8 — At least three labourers were buried alive and five others seriously injured when a hanging rock gave in at a stone-pit in the Zewan Area of Panthachowk on the outskirts of Srinagar, official sources said today.

Harkat bans visits by US tourists
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, July 8 — The Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, one of the formidable and radical militant groups, has imposed a ban on the visits of US tourists and ambassadors to Kashmir.

"The visits of citizens of the USA to Kashmir, be it the tourists or the ambassadors, are henceforth banned by the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen", reads a statement of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, copies of which were circulated at the offices of the local dailies here today. The statement in Urdu on plain paper did not bear any signature of the issuing authority except the date of its issuance today.

The Harkat--ul-Mujahideen along with the Hizbul Mujahideen and Al-Badre are the three main groups of militants, having reportedly intruded in the Dras-Kargil-Batalik sectors, where a heavy fight is going on between them and the Indian Army for the past two months now. The three militant organisations are the constituents of the 14-member Jehad Council (Council of Holy War) based in Pakistan. The chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Syed Slahauddin, now in Pakistan, heads the Jehad Council.

This statement banning the tourists and US officials to the Kashmir valley came close on the heels of the Clinton-Sharif talks that led to the joint statement from Washington for Pak withdrawal of troops and intruders and restoration of status quo ante on the LoC. "We do not know any Nawaz Sharif nor any Clinton Satan. We have a right on our own decisions," the statement added.

The US State Department had last year banned the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen among 30 other similar radical groups in the world as terrorist organisations. This was because of the foreign hostage crisis in Kashmir. Four foreign tourists, including one American, Donald Hutchings, two British and a German, are still untraced even after a lapse of four years on July 4. Another American held hostage by them, John Childs, escaped and was rescued after four days of their abduction.

While Al-Faran, an unknown militant group till then, had owned responsibility for the abduction the police and civil administration here then believed that Al-Faran was part of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen having its base in Pakistan. But the Harkat had denied any links with Al-Faran, the abductors of the foreign trekkers from Pahalgam in south Kashmir.

The statement decried the claims made by the Indian Army of reoccupying certain positions along the LoC in Kargil. It added that the "Mujahideen" continued to hold the positions and that the Indian Army had suffered heavy casualties.

2 NC leaders among 7 killed in valley

SRINAGAR, July 8 (UNI) — Two ruling National Conference (NC) leaders and four militants were among seven persons killed while the security forces arrested four militants in the Kashmir valley during the past 24 hours.

An official spokesman said unidentified militants shot dead a National Conference leader Haji Mohammad Abdullah Margary near the holy Pakerpora shrine in Badgam district last evening. The deceased was also Chairman of the Sub Aquaf Committee Pakerpora.

Another NC leader K.M Bhat was shot dead near his Sopore house in Baramula district last evening.

With these killings, more than 100 National Conference leaders and workers were killed by militants across the valley during the past two years.

The security forces gunned down three militants at Trehgam while another foreign militant was killed at Helmatpora forest in the frontier district of Kupwara last evening. Three AK rifles, one pistol, 17 magazines, 49 grenades, 15 kg of explosives and one disposable rocket launcher were seized from the slain militants.

The security forces also captured four militants, including a self-styled chief organiser, and seized three pistols, seven magazines, two rockets and eight remote control devices during the past 24 hours across the valley.

One body was recovered from Baramula today.

J&K plan to develop 'Nilnag'
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, July 8 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to develop the historic "Nilnag" in Budgam district of the Kashmir valley as a tourist destination.

Announcing this at a public meeting in Srinagar yesterday, the Minister for Rural Development, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, said infrastructural facilities, improving road communication, demarcation and fencing of the lake area, plantation, and augmenting the drinking water and irrigation facilities would be part of the overall development plan of ‘Nilnag’.

He said the beautification and development of the lake area would not only add to the scenic beauty of the region but would also generate employment opportunities for the local people and would help strengthen the economy.

For the protection of the lake and checking soil erosion, a pilot project involving Rs 5 lakh would be launched soon, he said, adding that massive afforestation, particularly the fast growing species would be taken up on a large scale. Besides, a rest house would also be constructed by the Forest Department for tourists.

State BJP seeks probe into J & K massacres
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, July 8 — The state unit of the BJP has asked the state government to order an inquiry into the two recent massacres in Surankote and Ari villages in Poonch district.

Addressing a press conference here this morning, Mr Daya Krishana Kotwal, president of the BJP state unit, alleged that a local MLA who is also a minister in the ruling National Conference government has links anti-national elements and the two massacres were executed with the help of the local police.

Mr Vaid Vishnu Dutt, BJP MP, who was also present at the press conference, said there were certain anti-national elements in the state government itself which were responsible for these massacres.

Mr Kotwal, who recently visited Poonch and Rajouri districts along with Vaid Vishnu Dutt, also alleged that the police force was committing atrocities on the innocent people. He urged the government to strengthen the existing village defence committee in the border districts by providing them sophisticated automatic weapons and proper training to use these.

The BJP leaders also demanded immediate re-establishment of the security pickets which had been withdrawn from certain pockets in the border villages.

Referring to the situation in Poonch and Rajouri districts, Mr Kotwal said the villagers were not frightened and the state government should take advantage of this and win the trust of these people to counter militancy in the region.

Three labourers buried alive

SRINAGAR, July 8 (PTI) — At least three labourers were buried alive and five others seriously injured when a hanging rock gave in at a stone-pit in the Zewan Area of Panthachowk on the outskirts of Srinagar, official sources said today.

The sources said the mishap took place last evening when a group of labourers was busy excavating stones in the quarry.

The hanging rock suddenly collapsed and buried alive three persons and seriously wounded five others. Two parked trucks were also damaged, the sources said.

The mutilated bodies of all three victims identified as Mohammad Ibrahim of Kokernag-Anantnag, Ghulam Hassan Illahi of Zewan and Mushtaq Ahmad Lone of Kupwara were recovered from the debris today, the sources said.