Srinagar, Sept 6 (ANI): The Coordination committee of both the factions of Hurriyat Conference on Saturday called for a shutdown in the Kashmir Valley.

Residents said that the shutdown call has been given against the indecisiveness of the Jammu and Kashmir Government over the shrine land transfer controversy.

Shops, business establishments, educational institutions and banks remained closed in observance of the shutdown call.

"We are observing this shutdown so that our voice reaches the higher authorities, we want that attention should be paid towards us and that is why the coordination committee has called for a shutdown," said Fayaz Ahmed, a resident.

Others in Srinagar said that the authorities in the region are not being stern and are rolling back decisions frequently.

"The call has been given by the Hurriyat. What we want is that our problems should be addressed. The Government first gives the land, then it takes it away, and then again gives it, I don't know what is happening. We want freedom from all this," said Hameed Hassan, another resident.

The Government recently decided to let the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board make temporary use of 40-hectares of land during the annual pilgrimage.

The Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti (SASS), which spearheaded the agitation in the Jammu region for over two months, had called off its agitation following an agreement with the J-K Government panel on August 31.

But separatist leaders are deliberating with the State Government. (ANI)

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Washington, Sept 6 (ANI): US military officials have reportedly said that strikes in Pakistan's FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) will increase in the coming months as "such cross-border raids were necessary" to counter increasing violence in Afghanistan.

According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the cross-border US commando missions, like Wednesday's strike in Wana killing around 20 civilians, into Pakistan may grow in coming months despite doubts within the Pentagon over the efficacy of such raids.

Pentagon officials who spoke to Los Angeles Times said that some officials in the US Defence Department believed such commando raids were necessary to counter increasing violence in Afghanistan.

"The raids threatened to aggravate US-Pakistani tensions just before the country's presidential election on Saturday, in which attitudes towards the US are likely to be a key issue," reported the US-based English daily.

It quoted a senior Pentagon official as saying that the presence of so-called safe havens in FATA forced US officials to conduct Wednesday's raid that killed dozens of people in South Waziristan. "You can't allow a haven. You have to get to the areas that they rest, relax and train," said a military officer on the condition of anonymity.

Another US official suggested that the Wednesday's raid was conducted in response to border attacks, and that no high-ranking militant leader was captured or killed. "There are targets other than formally designated high-value targets," the official said.

The report also noted that the raid had fanned a long-standing debate within the Bush administration over how to deal with militants in Pakistan. Pressure has been building within the US military for more aggressive use of existing practices as US casualties have increased with the rising number of attacks carried out in Afghanistan by militants based in Pakistan, the report added.

A senior Pentagon official, conceded that pushing for more aggressive action by the new Pakistani government also carried risks. Any Pakistani politician perceived to favour more US latitude in Pakistan would suffer, the official said, and added: "If you want to lose. Just be the one that gets caught talking to Vice-President Dick Cheney about US incursions across your border." (ANI)

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Lahore, Sept 6 (ANI): People observing Ramazan fasts in Pakistan are facing an acute shortage of fruits and vegetables and inadequate supply of wheat flour. In Lahore it seems as if onions have been non-existent at the Ramazan bazaars, and potatoes and tomatoes being available at rates higher than those approved by the government.

While bananas are not available, grapes are available only at Rs 190 per kg, reported the Daily Times.

Wheat flour is available at the Shadman, Model Town and Islampura Ramazan bazaars, but people have to wait for several hours at the Shalimar, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Johar Town and Shahdra Ramazan bazaars to get their share.

The shopkeepers said that even the wholesalers were not selling the commodities at the government approved rates. They urged the government to pay attention to the wholesalers instead of the Ramazan bazaars, as they were not able to provide the commodities at cheaper rates due to the high wholesale rates.

They claimed that if they sold the commodities at the government approved rates than they would face heavy losses, as they also have to pay for transportation from the wholesale market to the Ramazan bazaars.

If the government did not start paying attention to the wholesale markets, than as the holy month progresses the shortage of necessary commodities would only rise, the paper quoted the shopkeepers as saying. (ANI)

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New York, Sept 6 (ANI): Indian Ambassador to the United Nations Nirupam Sen has said a determined action is needed to root out terrorist networks and deter regimes from encouraging and harbouring armed extremists.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Friday, Sen termed terrorism as a "pervasive and insidious" threat to global security and core values of the UN.

The Ambassador urged the world to act as one in denying terrorists, their ideologues and financiers access to arms, funds and means of transportation of their deadly goods and safe havens.

Regarding the measures taken by New Delhi, Sen said India has adhered to existing regulatory framework governing controls over weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. "It has strengthened these obligations by enacting Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery System (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act 2005, an "overarching and integrated legislation prohibiting unlawful activities relating to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems," he said.

During his address, Sen recommended to member countries for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention Against International Terrorism (CCIT) to reinvigorate multi-lateral and collective dimensions of counter-terrorism efforts.

Failure of member states to reach an agreement on the definition of the terrorism is holding up the Convention. Some had sought to exclude liberation movements from the definition.

Sen reiterated India's position that terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, irrespective of its motivation, is a "criminal and unjustifiable" act and "no cause, no matter how just, can excuse terrorism." (ANI)

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