PAGD urges Kashmiri pandit employees not to leave valley

EAM: Modi said he was different from predecessors, will neither overlook nor tolerate terrorism

SRINAGAR: The Gupkar alliance of major Jammu and Kashmir parties on Sunday urged Kashmiri pandit employees not to leave the valley as it was their home and it would be “painful for all”, after the community demanded their relocation following the killing of a member by terrorists.

The appeal by the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) came after a delegation led by its president Farooq Abdullah met Jammu and Kashmiri Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar.

Further, Sinha ordered an inquiry into the use of force against Kashmiri Pandit employees during a protest against the killing of Rahul Bhat. He also directed the J&K police to ensure foolproof security for the PM package employees working across the valley.

Civilian killed

A civilian was killed during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists in Pulwama district on Sunday, police said. Terrorists fired upon a joint patrol team of the CRPF and the police near a bridge connecting Litter Pulwama with Turkwangam in Shopian. During the exchange of fire, a civilian, Shoib Ah Ganie of Turkwangam, was injured. The civilian was referred to the District Hospital in Pulwama where he succumbed. The terrorists, “after a brief chance encounter”, managed to slip into nearby orchards.

Rusted mortar shell found

A rusted mortar shell was recovered from a garbage dump on the outskirts of Jammu on Sunday. The shell was noticed by passersby on the roadside garbage dump adjacent to a scrap shop in Kunjwani area on the Jammu-Pathankot highway. A police party rushed to the scene. The shell was later taken away by the bomb disposal squad after inspection. The shell was not carrying any explosive and was completely rusted, officials said.

P

M Modi has been “crystal clear” that he will never allow terrorism, especially of the crossborder nature, to be normalised, and this determination has shaped India's policy towards Pakistan since 2014, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has said.

Writing in the book ‘Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery’, Jaishankar recalled Modi’s parting instructions for him when he was set for his ‘SAARC Yatra’ in 2015 after becoming foreign minister.

“The PM told me that he had great confidence in my experience and judgement, but there is one thing I should keep in mind when I arrive at Islamabad. He was different from his predecessors and would neither overlook nor tolerate terrorism. There should never be any ambiguity on this score,” he said.