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Jammu, May 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee arrived amid tight security here Tuesday for a three-day visit to the state. The visit assumes significance as tensions with Pakistan have escalated during the recent months. Vajpayee arrived in the evening on board an Indian Air Force Boeing 737 at a military airport. This is Vajpayee's third visit in past three years. Earlier, he visited the valley during the 1999 Kargil conflict, in which more than 1000 soldiers died on both the sides. He returned in August 2000 following the massacre of Amarnath pilgrims by Islamic militants. Security forces flooded the streets of the valley ahead of Vajpayee's visit as troops on both sides continued to rain shells on each other not far away. (ANI) Surjeet meets PM
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to top New Delhi, May 21 (ANI): Senior CPI (M) leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee here Tuesday. At the meeting Vajpayee is said to have discussed with Surjeet various options that the BJP-led coalition government could take to curb cross-border terrorism by Pakistan. After the meeting, the comrade told reporters, "I told him that war is not the solution to resolve Kashmir crisis. But if somebody attacks us then we will have to take steps to safeguard our country". He said the U.S. should mount pressure on Pakistan to stop cross- border terrorism in Kashmir and help ease tensions between the two countries. Surjeet also lashed out at the U.S. for adopting "double standards" in dealing with the current situation and failing to prevail upon Pakistan to control infiltrations into India. Tensions between India and Pakistan were stoked last week by a gruesome attack on an Army camp in Jammu, which killed as many as 35 people. (ANI)
Marriage solemnied Go to top Ahmedabad, May 21 (ANI): As normalcy returns in Gujarat after more than two month's of worst ever violence, marriages are taking place peacefully inside refuge camps. Inmates of Dariyakhan Ghummat camp, one of the worst affected by violence and later by disease and heat, took time off from their daily travails and celebrated Ziauddin Ali's marriage on Tuesday. This was the third such marriage solemnised here during past few days. The bridegroom's family admitted that it was not the best of the places to organise a wedding, but there was no other option before them. Baddruddin Ali, father of the groom, said, "though the atmosphere is rather sad out here in the camp, but we are happy that we are at least able to get our son married". Camp officials said they have been organising the weddings in a bid to reassure poor riot victims and usher in normalcy. Inamul Haq, one of the convenors of the camp, said, "although all the marriages which we have organised here are not accompanied by fanfare, but they were solemnised peacefully. The people here do not have enough to wear let alone have money to get married". All the arrangements were done by convenors of the camp. "We gave seven pairs of clothes, some jewellery and money for the newly wed couple. We are trying to hold such marriage ceremonies despite all these tensions as a step toward normalcy", Haq added. Convenor of the relief camp said the newly wed couple was also given some money to rent a house and start life anew. The constraints of a relief camp in no way hindered observance of the customs of an Indian Muslim marriage. The gifts for bride - sarees and jewellery, even if they were less in number, were laid out. The wedding ceremony culminated with a moderate feast. (ANI)
Youths on drugs in Punjab border villages
Go to top Nawanshahr (Punjab), May 21(ANI): Drugs are easily available in Punjab as close geographical proximity to Pakistan makes it the first stop for smuggled contrabands like opium, heroine and smack. As a result, a considerable number of youths have taken to drugs. The districts in Doaba region - Jalandhar, Nawanshahar, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala - is flush with money as at least one member from nearly every family is settled abroad and sends large amounts of money to relatives backhome. Hardip Singh, a 19-year-old former sportsman, used money sent by his paternal uncle to buy expensive drugs until he ended up at a private drug de-addiction centre in Nawanshahr. "Earlier I was a sportsman but gradually turned towards drugs because of peer pressure. Now I will have to start exercising all over again. Though if one becomes used to drugs, it is very difficult to leave the habit. But I am determined to get rid of it here at the centre". The drug menace is becoming a major social problem and mainly affecting the youth in a region where, studies have revealed, at least 50 percent of drug addicts admitted in de-addiction centres fall in the age group of 16-25 years. To fight drug addiction many Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) have also pitched-in with their resources. The Centre in the Guru Nanak Mission Hospital here was started in 1994 by a Canada-based NRI. Doctors say drug addicts here are given the latest treatment. Satwinder Kaur, drug de-addiction project director at Guru Nanak Mission Hospital, said, "we advise the patients to reduce their daily intake of drugs. And after they reduce it to almost half, we admit them at the Centre for 15 days. Then we completely stop them from taking drugs. If they complain of fever or stomach ache we treat them accordingly. We dicharge them after 15 days but continue follow up treatment". Social activists feel it is not just affluence, but unemployment and poor state of agriculture which are driving youngsters to drugs. Budh Singh Dhahan, a anti-drugs social activist, said, "there are two main reasons. Firstly, it is the farmers in the state who are not ready to do anything else other than farming. But, since there is no land, where would the youths go? Secondly, there is no industry in Punjab. It has been moved to the south (of India). So the youths don't see a bright future. Therefore they get demoralised and resort to drugs". He said with parents spending their time abroad, children often get neglected and the activities of youngsters often go unchecked. Dhahan said that even drug stores were aiding the drug menace by giving life saving drugs that have an addictive effect, without prescription. Living standard in Punjab is one of the highest in India with a per capita income nearly twice the all-India average. The mainstay of Punjab's economy and the source of its affluence is agriculture. Nearly 84 percent of the total geographical area of the state is under cultivation. (ANI)
ARD leaders refuse to meet Musharraf
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top Lahore, May 21 (ANI): In a significant development here Tuesday the 15-party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) announced that it would boycott meetings called by military ruler General Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday. ARD leader Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan said the Alliance leaders would meet Musharraf only if the President agreed to discuss formation of an interim government to replace his military administration. Musharraf has reportedly called separate meetings with each party to discuss how to respond to heightened border tensions with India. Khan said, "there is a national consensus that there should be an interim government and the armed forces should only defend the country's frontiers". (ANI)
Pak Rangers, para-military forces despatched to border
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top Karachi, May 21 (ANI): Rangers and para-military forces have been sent to borders for strengthening the defence of the country, and all agencies have been put on high alert, Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said while addressing the Central Police Office. Haider also asked the police force to chalk out an effective strategy for elimination of terrorism. Referring to the introduction of the police reforms, he said that these were aimed at enhancing the performance of the police and ensure elimination of the difficulties the people faced in the past. He directed that particular attention be paid to the training, transportation, communication, equipment, health, education of the police personnel and action initiated against the "black sheep" in the department. Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Sindh, Syed Kamal Shah, while briefing the minister about the police performance, hoped that the case of bomb blast outside the Sheraton Hotel would be solved soon. He said that police are making every police efforts for locating the three suspects in this case whose sketches have already been released. The IGP maintained that there has been an encouraging progress in this case. He also apprised the minister of the progress in connection with the Daniel Pearl case and also the details of the arrested accused and those who are absconding.(ANI)
Sardar Qayyum calls for consensus to deal with India
Islamabad, May 21 (ANI): Chairman of the National Kashmir Committee, Sardar Abdul Qayum Khan, said President Pervez Musharraf should convene a meeting of all political parties, irrespective of their relationship with the government , to consult them and reach a national consensus to handle the volatile situation in regard to India. At a press conference at Parliament on Monday, Sardar Qayum, with reference to the concept of a limited war, said India was likely to attack vulnerable places in PoK and capture them in the garb of wiping out the so-called jehadi camps. He warned that if a war broke out, it would not remain "limited" unless foreign powers intervened to contain it, reports Dawn. He declared that there were neither any jihadi camps nor was there any official patronage to infiltration across the Line of Control. He added that since 800,000 Indian troops were deployed alongside the LoC to block any infiltration, it meant that no such activity was taking place. Pakistan, he maintained, did not organize any infiltration. Khan added that the Kashmir committee has decided to send its delegations to various countries, including India, to try and settle the Kashmir issue once the situation eased.(ANI)
Firing on Jacobabad air base: 10 suspects held
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to top Isalamabad, May 21 (ANI): At least 10 suspects have been arrested by the Jacobabad police for their alleged involvement in firing a rocket near Jacobabad air base where US personnel are stationed. Investigations were under way to find a clue to the "terrorists" who fired the rocket in an area close to the highly sensitive military and civilian installations in Jacobabad on Sunday. The rocket exploded at Qadri Darbar, an area within six km from Jacobabad airport and about 10 km from Shahbaz airbase where PAF and US military personnel are stationed with aircraft and other military hardware. The ensuing search operation resulted in a haul of five SPG-9 mortar shells. Among those rounded up are Khan Mohammad, Muddassar Soomro and Allah Rakhio Bandhani, according to Dawn. Names of other suspects have been kept secret for security reason. (ANI)
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