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LeT militant killed in Sogam

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR SEPT. 15. The militants flexed their muscles again in the Sogam village where a solemn ceremony in memory of the Jammu and Kashmir Law Minister, Mushtaq Ahmed Lone — who was assassinated on Thursday — was on. They engaged the security forces in an hour-long encounter, which, however, ended before the Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, his son and Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Omar Abdullah, and the Works Minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar, arrived in a helicopter. A militant, suspected to be from the Lashkar-e-Taiba, was killed.

Dr. Abdullah ended speculation on Lone's successor to the Lolab Assembly segment to which election has been countermanded. Omar, National Conference president, said that Lone's adopted son, Qaisar Jamsheed, would be the party nominee from the constituency, which will go to the polls in the fourth phase. "He qualifies the age limit prescribed for contesting the elections,'' he added. (The NC allegedly fudged the date of birth of its candidate, who was reportedly under age, from Budgam).

The party had offered the ticket to Lone's wife, Posha Begum, but she suggested Jamsheed's name. Lone's two brothers, Mohiuddin and Nazir, had also been considered but "keeping in view the various factors, the party decided to go by the advice of the Minister's wife,'' Omar said. Paying glowing tributes to Lone, Omar told The Hindu that "the ongoing violence will not deter us from going ahead with the democratic process which the militants want to disrupt... our going there again today is enough to exhibit our determination.''

The militants had, on Thursday, tried to break the cordon laid to protect the Defence Minister George Fernandes, Dr. Abdullah, Omar and other Ministers who had come to the village to attend Lone's funeral.

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• LeT militant killed in Sogam
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