• No decision yet to extend truce: Fernandes

• ‘Pak changing stance to please USA’

Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Abdul Gani Lone shake hands shortly before the commencement of the Executive meeting of the party in Srinagar on Sunday. — Photo by Amin War

Postal strike partially off
2 unions agree with Paswan, 3rd to continue stir
NEW DELHI, Dec 17 — Two of the striking postal employees’ unions tonight called off their 13-day countrywide stir with immediate effect following a settlement with the government on their demands for a wage revision while a third union representing the National Federation of Postal Employees announced that it would continue the stir.

Duty on Chinese goods to be hiked
NEW DELHI, Dec 17 — Expressing concern over the flooding of the Indian market with cheap Chinese goods, the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said government was making efforts to prevent these products from capturing the market by hiking import duties.

RDX used in Dec 3 blast, say experts
BATALA, Dec 17 — The forensic experts have belied the Punjab police claim of no use of RDX in the blast on December 3 apparently on state Minister Nirmal Singh Kahlon’s cavalcade at Mallewal village by confirming the use of the deadly explosive in the explosion.

Vidya Stokes elected PCC chief
Virbhadra, 15 MLAs keep away
SHIMLA, Dec 17 — Mrs Vidya Stokes, a former Speaker, was unanimously elected President of the Pradesh Congress Committee, even as Mr Virbhadra Singh, Congress Legislative Party Leader, and his supporters abstained from the meeting held at the party office here today.

• Election widens rift

• Himachal page: Stokes to launch anti-BJP drive
  
  

‘‘No early assembly poll in Punjab’’
CHANDIGARH, Dec 17 — There is no move to hold early assembly elections to the Punjab Assembly. This was stated here today by Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, the newly appointed general secretary of the SAD.

Memo seeks amendment to Art. 25 Wants word ‘Sikh’ deleted AMRITSAR, Dec 17 — Activists of Akal Purkh Ki Fauj led by Mr Jaswinder Singh Advocate, member of the SGPC, today presented a memorandum to Justice M.N. Venkatachalliah, former Chief Justice and Chairman, National Commission to Review Constitution, during his visit to the Golden Temple here, urging him to delete the word “Sikh” from Article 25 which equates the Sikhs with Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.