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Friday 01 April 201603 NEWS

Reports about presence of PLA troops in PaK groundless: ChinaBEIJING: China’s military on Thursday dismissed as “groundless” the reports of presence of its troops at a forward post in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PaK) as India and China prepared for defence minister Manohar Parrikar’s first visit to Beijing to enhance defence ties.

“Chinese position on Kashmir is con-sistent and (the) reports you mentioned are groundless,” Chinese defence spokesman Col. Yang Yujun told a media briefing here in a brief reply to a question on reports of presence of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops at a forward post opposite Nowgam sector in PaK.

He did not react to a question wheth-er any of its personnel were present in connection with the USD 46-billion Chi-na-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connecting Xinjiang province with Pakistan’s Gwadar port which is being laid through the PaK.

This is the first time China’s military reacted to the reports of presence of its troops in PaK.

Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Ministry parried questions on the reports, saying that Kashmir is an issue between India and Pakistan left over from history and should be properly handled by the two sides through dialogue and consultation.

India had earlier protested to China over the CPEC. About reports of Parri-kar’s visit, Yang said the two countries are coordinating but declined to give the dates.

Officials on both sides were tight-lipped about the visit which was expected to take place in the third week of April. During the visit, both sides will exchange ideas includ-ing bilateral military cooperation, Yang said.

After that, several high-level military officials have exchanged visits in a cali-brated move to improve relations between the two major militaries. Both the sides have established Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to discuss the issue of incursions and aggressive border patrols by PLA troops along the 3,488-km long disputed border.

—PTI

Militant arrested in Handwara, police claimsMUSHTAQ AHMAD < HANDWARA

Police said it, along with the army’s 21 RR, arrested Tasadok Ahmad Peer of Shalpora, Langate, during a search opera-tion at Langate.

“The militant was active in the area for a long time,” superintendent of police, Handwara, Gulam Jeelani Wani, told reporters here.

Awareness programme held at BijbeharaREADER CORRESPONDENT < ANANTNAG

Health department on Thursday organ-ised a program, titled ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’, at Girls Higher Secondary School Bijbehara here to create awareness in the society about the importance of girl education.

People from different walks of life, including students and teachers, partici-pated in the event. Principal of the school, medical superintendent at SDH Bijbe-hara, and many among the students and organisers spoke on the occasion.

They stressed on the need to sensitise the parents about the importance of girl education.

The event concluded with prize dis-tribution among the girl students of the school for their performances.

Pakistan JIT records statements of witnessesPATHANKOT ATTACK

NEW DELHI: Pakistani team probing the Pathankot strike on Thursday completed recording statements of the witnesses and were also handed over some more documents which included DNA report of the four militants killed in the 80-hour gun battle with government forces.

The Joint Investigating Team (JIT) of Pakistan headed by additional inspector general of police, Counter Terrorism Department, Muhammad Tahir Rai, and also including ISI’s Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, began their day by recording the statements of witnesses in the case, NIA sources said.

They questioned 16 witnesses in all, including a superintendent of police-rank officer of Punjab Salwinder Singh, his jeweller

friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal.

The three were kidnapped by the Pathankot attack perpetra-tors belonging to the banned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Moham-med on the intervening night of December 31 and January one.

The militants had allegedly dumped Verma after slitting his throat and continued their jour-ney with Singh and Gopal before jettisoning them a few kilometres away from the strategic air base at Pathankot.

The militants entered into the air base and mounted the brazen assault on the intervening night of January one and two. In the fierce encounter that ensued, seven forces personnel besides four militants were killed.

The Pakistani JIT had asked

NIA to hand over swabs of four militants identified as Nasir Hus-sain (Punjab province), Abu Ba-kar, (Gujranwala), Umar Farooq and Abdul Qayum (both from Sindh). However, the Indian anti-terror probe agency handed over to the visitors the DNA report of the militants and asked them to match those with their family members, NIA sources said.

“Talks are at a conclusive stage and hopefully by tomorrow afternoon everything will be over,” Director General of NIA Sharad Kumar said here.

Besides recording the state-ment of the three, the JIT also spoke to the caretaker of a shrine visited by Singh before he was kidnapped, policemen and mem-bers of the public who spotted the abandoned hijacked vehicle.

Statements of a couple of doctors who conducted the post-mortem were also recorded.

The NIA has already handed over a list of 300 questions besides seeking voice samples of Jaish Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf and Khayyam Baber (mother of slain Nasir). Nasir was claimed to have spoken to his mother during the attack.

The NIA sought access to Azhar and Rauf and told the visit-ing team that till the time India’s request was pending with authori-ties in Islamabad, it would like the Pakistani JIT to question them about their role in the attack on the air base and hand over their statement to the Indian agency.

Kumar said the Pakistani side informed the NIA team that

one of the Jaish handlers Kashif Jaan, who is believed to have accompanied the militants up to the border was missing ever since his name surfaced and assured that Pakistani police was looking for him.

NIA also identified another Jaish militant Shahid Latif as one of the handlers of the Pathankot perpetrators and sought his thorough interrogation, Kumar said, adding details about ‘Al Rehmat Trust’ run by JeM were also sought from them.

Details of two websites, which carried a message of Abdul Rauf after the strike, were also shared with them and they were asked to provide details for the same, he said. Both the websites have gone off the Internet.

—PTI

SC posts plea on SARFAESI Act for final

disposal on April 27AQIB AHMAD < NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court of India has post-ed the special leave petition against J&K High Court’s landmark ruling—that last year said the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial As-sets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act cannot be enforced in J&K as it will undermine state’s special status—for ‘final dis-posal’ on April 27.

“Post the matters for final disposal on 27 April 2016 on top of the list, sub-ject to overnight part heard,” Justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton Fali Nari-man said.

Hearing the SLP filed by the State Bank of India, the apex court also granted liberty to J&K government for filing counter affidavit.

In a 76-page detailed judgment, the High Court had said the Act, which was enacted by the Indian parliament in 2002, modifies the State Transfer of

Property Act, State Civil Procedure Code, Civil Courts Act, and State Limi-tation Act.

“It also affects the rights of state sub-ject/citizens recognised by the constitu-tion of India and constitution of state of J&K,” the bench said, ruling that the Parliament lacks competence to make laws affecting immoveable property rights of the state subjects.

The court further noted that only J&K, by virtue of the section 5 of the state constitution, has the absolute sovereign power to legislate laws touching the rights of its state sub-jects or citizens regarding their im-moveable properties.

“The state legislature, in terms of section 140 of Transfer of Property Act, 1882, has authorised for mortgage of property in favour of the institutions mentioned therein. The sale of immove-able property in pursuance to a Civil Court Decree obtained by the bank/financial institution in respect of the

mortgaged property cannot be made in favour of the non-state subjects,” the judgment said.

Referring to Article 35(A) of the con-stitution of India, the High Court said it clarifies constitutional relationship between people of rest of India with the people of J&K.

“It is in essence an information to the citizens of rest of country that on constitutional and legal plank they in all respects do not constitute a class with citizens of state of Jammu and Kashmir,” the court had said, and held that the citizens of J&K have their own constitution, and their sovereign char-acter which cannot be challenged, al-tered or abridged.

“The power of Parliament to make laws in respect of J&K is circumscribed and it can make laws for it only where permitted by state and not otherwise, and that too in accordance with mecha-nism prescribed by Article 370 of consti-tution of India,” the court had said.

TRAL KILLINGHameeda’s family

left headless

BILAL HABIB < AWANTIPORA

The family of 50-year-old Ha-meeda Begum, who was killed in south Kashmir’s Noorpora vil-lage on Wednesday, has no clue about the killers, even as it has lost its surviving head.

Ghulam Rasool, brother of the victim, told Kashmir Reader that they had no idea who the killers were.

“For the whole day (on Wednesday), she was busy at-tending to the orchard along with her son, Danish Ahmad. In the evening, she was shot dead when Danish had gone to pray. He rushed back after hearing gunshots,” Rasool said, adding that Danish saw his mother in a pool of blood.

“Her two sons are most unfor-tunate because they lost their sur-viving caretaker,” Rasool said.

Hameeda’s husband had died when a wooden pole fell on his head, he said.

“Now they lost their mother in another tragic incident.”

The deceased was killed af-

ter unidentified gunmen barged into her house.

Her funeral was performed late Wednesday night, with hun-dreds of people participating in her Namaz-e-Janazah.

Meanwhile, police has regis-tered an FIR in the case.

JKLF remembers Dr GuruBlood-donation camp organised in Srinagar

READER CORRESPONDENT < SRINAGAR

Jammu and Kashmir Lib-eration Front (JKLF) paid tribute to Dr Abdul Ahad Guru on Thursday, even as it organised a blood-donation camp in summer capital of the state in his memory.

Chairman JKLF, Muham-mad Yasin Malik, said Kash-miris are “indebted to mar-tyrs like Shaheed-e-Hikmat Dr Abdul Ahad Guru, who laid down their lives for the free-dom of Jammu and Kashmir”.

In a statement issued here, Malik, termed Dr Guru a “legend who will always be remembered for his struggle, humanity, excellence in the field of medical profession, social work, philanthropy, and sacrifice”.

“Dr Guru’s struggle and sacrifices holds a unique place in the history of Kashmir. People like him are crown of nations and symbol of glory,” he said.

“Kashmir’s freedom strug-gle was started and nourished with the blood of great intel-lectuals, scholars, social lead-ers, teachers, and lawyers. Dr Guru was the first Kash-miri Muslim who perfumed an open-heart surgery in

Kashmir, writing a new chap-ter in the medical history of this nation,” he said.

“His efforts for making SKIMS a well-established healthcare centre cannot be forgotten. He was a selfless and noble soul,” Malik said.

The party organised a blood-donation camp at Ha-meed Blood Bank, Abi Guzar.

As homage to Dr Guru, several of its leaders and ac-tivists donated their blood, which will be used “for the welfare of humanity”.

PDD daily-wagers protest to demand

regularisation

India involved in terror activities in Pak: Hurriyat (G)

READER CORRESPONDENT < SRINAGAR

Commenting on the arrest of Indian navy officer in Pakistan and his confession of planning “subversive activities” in the country, Hurriyat Conference (G) on Thursday said the develop-ment clearly revealed that India is bent upon “destabilising” its neighbouring country.

A spokesman of the amal-gam, in a statement issued here, said the incident made it clear that India “is not only bent upon destabilising Pakistan but is also involved in terrorist activities in

that country and Kashmir”.“India’s external affairs policy

is based on fraud and deception and it is playing a double game with its neighbour. On one hand, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi misleads the world through his surprise visit to Lahore, and on other side, is involved in weak-ening the Pakistan,” he said.

He appealed Pakistan govern-ment to take the matter seriously with international community.

Skylight school Pampore holds plantation drive

Hurriyat (M) condemns READER CORRESPONDENT < SRINAGAR

Hurriyat Conference (M) on Thursday condemned the kill-ing of 50-year-old Hameeda Begum at Noorpora, Tral.

She was killed by unidenti-fied gunmen on Wednesday evening.

A spokesman of the con-glomerate said the killing of “innocent and unarmed people is barbaric and con-demnable”.

“Hurriyat has always con-demned such acts of mind-less killing. The culprits in-volved in such acts should be brought to justice,” he said.

READER CORRESPONDENT < SRINAGAR

Sensitizing general public about the importance of safeguarding environment for future gen-erations, Sky Light Higher Secondary School Pampore on Wednesday held plantation drive at different places in Saffron town.

According to a statement, different species of trees were planted across the town while a num-ber of Deodar trees were planted in Tehsil office Pampore.

Tehsildar Pampore and senior police of-ficials also participated in the drive trees along with the students.

“A good number of people and officials of the revenue department hailed the enthusiastic ap-proach and concern regarding the preservation of our environment by planting of trees by the young students of the school,” the statement said.

While planting trees, the students appealed public at various places to ensure planting a tree by every person. Tehsildar Pampore Mo-

hammad Maqbool Ahangar on the occasion high-lighted the importance of trees in preservation of the environment.

He impressed upon the students as well as the local populace to plant trees in abundance where ever possible as trees sustain human life by ema-nating oxygen.

MUSHTAQ AHMAD < KUPWARA

The daily wage employees of power development de-partment (PDD) on Thursday staged a protest in border district Kupwara, demanding regularisation of their services.

A large number of daily wage and need based em-ployees of PDD assembled in front of the main gate of the PDD office on Thursday morning and raised slogans against the government. They also blocked the main gate of PDD office and didn’t allow the officials to go inside the office.

“We are 250 daily wage and need base employees working in the department from the last twenty years. But the department is yet to regularise our services,” Bilal Ahmad Shah, one of the protester said.

He said the governments in the past showed indiffer-ent attitude towards the workers of PDD by not regularis-ing their services despite made promises

Later, Tehsildar Kupwara along with executive en-gineer PDD and Kupwara police rushed to the spot and assured the protesting employees that their genuine demands will be addressed soon.