Casino to be opened in Kashmir
SRINAGAR, Sept 16 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government, in a bid to promote tourism, has approved a proposal to set up a casino here which would also be the first in the country.

Jawan killed, 7 injured in blasts

SRINAGAR, Sept 16 (PTI) — A security jawan was killed and seven others, including a Commandant of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and a BSF Sub-Inspector, were wounded in two powerful explosions triggered by militants in Baramula district, an official spokesman said here today.

Elsewhere in the Kashmir valley, security forces shot dead a foreign mercenary and arrested two others, while timely detection of three powerful improvised explosive devices (IEDs) foiled militants’ plan to set off a series of explosions in Baramula parliamentary constituency going to the polls on September 18.

In stepped-up violence aimed to disrupt polling in the constituency, militants blasted an ITBP vehicle with an IED at Wusan-Karihama in the Tangmarg area last evening, wounding four of its occupants including the Commandant, the spokesman said.

The IED had been planted beneath a culvert and militants detonated the explosive as soon as the vehicle carrying the Commanding Officer of the fourth battalion of the ITBP, Hira Singh, and his two bodyguards and driver crossed the patch.

While Hira Singh sustained head injuries, the driver of the vehicle was also critically wounded. The condition of the two jawans was stated to be out of danger.

A BSF jawan was killed and three others including a Sub-Inspector were injured in a powerful IED blast at Lawdara village in the Bandipora area today, he said.

The BSF troops had gone to the village following detection of an IED on the Srinagar-Bandipora road. The IED was neutralised by the experts, the spokesman said.

Soon after another IED planted by militants in the same area exploded killing a BSF jawan and injuring three others, he said.

In adjacent Kupwara district, part of Baramula constituency, five houses at Dardpora-Lalpora village were damaged in a powerful explosion last night.

The blast, the cause of which was not known, took place in the house of Ghulam Mohammad Ganai, damaging it completely besides four other adjacent houses.

The spokesman said security forces detected and defused two IEDs on a track at Tanghdar in Kupwara last evening.

An unidentified militant, suspected to be a foreign mercenary, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Rangat Gali forest in Kupwara last night. A rifle and a wireless set were recovered from him.

One Ghulam Nabi Khan was seriously wounded in a cross-fire between militants and security forces at Gurhajin Behak in Bandipora area of Baramula last night, he said.

Two militants were caught with a telescope, an AK rifle silencer, a 51-mm mortar and four detonators during search operations at Khimber-Tailbal in Srinagar yesterday, he said.

He said a disposable rocket launcher was recovered by search parties in Kupwara yesterday.

Campaigning ends in Baramula
Security further tightened
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Sept 16 — Campaigning in the Baramula parliamentary constituency and the Langate Assembly constituency, which go to the polls in the third phase of elections on Saturday, came to an end this afternoon.

Baramula alone will go to the polls in Jammu and Kashmir in the third phase of elections as elections in Anantnag will now be held on October 4. The elections in the constituency were postponed due to the killing of the BJP candidate, Mr Ghulam Hyder Noorani, in a landmine explosion on September 7.

Security arrangements have been further tightened in the Baramula constituency comprising Baramula and Kupwara districts of north Kashmir. Militants have repeatedly struck during the two-week long election campaign in the constituency, particularly in Kupwara district.

Reports suggest that militants hiding in jungles in Lolab area of the district have issued a warning to the people against casting their vote in the ensuing elections.

There are 12 candidates in the fray in the Baramula constituency, including former Union Minister Saifuddin Soz, who is contesting as an Independent following his expulsion from the ruling NC in early April this year. He is pitted against Mr Abdul Rashid Shaheen of the National Conference and Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beigh of the People’s Democratic Party of former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.

In the last elections there was a tough fight between the NC candidate, Prof Saifuddin Soz and an Independent Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beigh. Mr Soz emerged victorious. He has been representing the constituency since 1977. There were no elections in Jammu and Kashmir in 1991 and the NC did not participate in the 1996 elections. The seat was then bagged by the Congress.

This time, the Congress has extended support to Prof Soz. It has not fielded any candidate.

The constituency has an electorate of 7,62,237 including 4,27,752 males and 3,34,485 female voters. In all, 1,143 polling stations have been set up. There are 15 assembly segments in the constituency, 10 of these in Baramula district and five in Kupwara district.

Elections will also be held in the Langate Assembly constituency on Saturday. The assembly seat in Kupwara district fell vacant following the killing of former MLA Abdul Ahad Kar by militants early in May. The ruling NC has fielded has son from the constituency.

Another assembly segment, Beijbehara in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, will go to the polls tomorrow. The seat fell vacant after the resignation of CLP leader Mehbooba Mufti who has contested as the PDP candidate from Srinagar against Mr Umar Abdullah of the NC.

BJP announces Anantnag nominee
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Sept 16 — The BJP today announced its candidate from Anantnag parliamentary constituency for the elections to be held on October 4. The elections in this constituency, which were to be held in the third phase of polling on September 18, were countermanded following the killing of the BJP candidate Gulam Hyder Noorani in a landmine explosion in Bijbehara a few days ago.

The BJP state unit president, Mr Daya Krishen Kotwal, today said the party had fielded Dr Abdul Rehman Sheikh as its candidate from the constituency. He also said that despite the fact that their candidate was killed in a landmine explosion, they received over 100 representations seeking the party ticket from this constituency. This showed that the party workers were determined to thwart the designs of the enemy despite the threat to their lives, he added.

Referring to the killing of Noorani, he alleged that the state police had prior information about the landmines on the road which was to be used by their candidate, but still they did not inform them about it. He called it was a deep-rooted conspiracy, with the involvement of big political leaders, to get the BJP candidate eliminated. Reiterating the demand for a CBI inquiry, he demanded fool-proof security for their candidates in Kashmir valley.

Mr Kotwal demanded a screening of the state police and administration to cleanse it of anti-national elements and militant sympathisers.

Alleging that Rs 11 crore, sent by the Centre for strengthening the village defence committees (VDCs), had been misused Mr Kotwal said the Chief Minister, Mr Farooq Abdullah had promised to provide 1000 rifles to the VDC members but instead only 150 have been provided. "The VDC members are ill-equipped, without salaries and empty stomachs and have been fighting the militants barefoot," he said.

He said surrendered militants should not be absorbed in either the state police, the CRPF, the BSF or any other force as they can prove to be dangerous for national security.

Mr Kuldeep Raj Gupta, BJP leader from Poonch-Rajouri, who was also present, said Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu, which were militancy-infested, had very less number of VDCs. He said that in Rajouri district there were only 60 VDCs for 377 villages. He urged the government to set up more VDCs in the area so that militancy could be curbed immediately.

Jawan injured in Pak firing

JAMMU, Sept 16 (PTI) — An Army jawan was injured when Pakistani troops resorted to firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in R.S. Pura sub-sector in the Jammu division since yesterday, official reports said here today.

The intermittent firing exchanges between the two sides continued till early today, reports said.

The jawan who received multiple injuries has been admitted to the Army hospital.

Meanwhile, reports from Rajouri district said that light arms firing and mortar shelling also took place between Indian and Pakistani troops along the LoC in the Bhawani and Laam sub-sectors last night.

Casino to be opened in Kashmir

SRINAGAR, Sept 16 (PTI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Government, in a bid to promote tourism, has approved a proposal to set up a casino here which would also be the first in the country.

"The opening up of the casino has been approved by the government which will give a fillip to the tourism industry in Kashmir", an official of the State Tourism Department told PTI.
"The casino will be opened up in Hotel Grand Palace here and will be the first such in the country and next after Kathmandu in the South Asian Region", he added.