10 killed in J&K firing; PM calls another meet

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Violence escalated in the Kashmir region on Tuesday as 10 people were killed in firing by security forces during protests. For the first time in 13 years, curfew has been clamped in the entire valley.

In Kishtwar, the army was called out after two persons were killed and over 20 others injured in clashes, police firing and a grenade blast, officials said. Earlier, the police lobbed teargas shells to disperse groups belonging to two communities which pelted each other with stones at Kishtwar's Hidyal Chowk.

Security forces opened fire in several areas in the Valley killing three persons each in Aribal in Bandipora district and Lasjan in outskirts of Srinagar, and one protester each in Rainawari, Baghemahtab and Zoonmar, all in Srinagar area, and in Nagabal in Ganderbal region, official sources said.

The Lasjan incident occurred after the service weapon of a personal security guard of PDP leader Javid Mustafa Mir went off “accidentally” injuring seven police personnel including IPS officer Mahesh Kumar, posted in the Saddar area, they said.

All the ten people were killed during protests against Monday’s police firing in which six people, including senior Hurriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz, had lost their lives. The protesters had on Monday tried to march towards Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of a call given by separatists and others to end the "economic blockade" of the Valley in the wake of the Amarnath land stir in Jammu region.

As the situation in the Valley deteriorated, the authorities extended curfew to all the districts of the Kashmir Valley for the first time in 13 years, police sources said. Curfew had been imposed in Srinagar district and along a 40-kilometre stretch from Sheeri to Uri town in Baramulla district on Monday.

PM calls for second all-party meeting

NEW DELHI: With violence spiralling out of control in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for a second all-party meeting on Wednesday to try to hammer out a viable consensus formula that could be acceptable to both Jammu and the Kashmir Valley.

An all-party delegation headed by Home Minister Shivraj Patil that carried an on-the-spot assessment after visiting both Jammu and Srinagar over the weekend failed to arrive at an agreement on finding a compromise solution to the crisis.

The meeting was attended by NC leader Farooq Abdullah, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and SP leader Amar Singh among others.

"The leaders met again Tuesday but could not arrive at a workable formula or solution that would appease the people," said a senior government functionary.

In the last meeting on August 5, the prime minister appealed for calm and decided to send a delegation to the troubled state.

During its trip, the delegation held talks with the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, which has been spearheading the agitation in Jammu to press for restoration of the land transfer to the Amarnath shrine board - a demand fiercely opposed by the Kashmir leaders - besides holding parleys with the leaders of the valley.


Source : Times Of India