The chief ministers of three Congress (I)-ruled states were sworn in and party leaders chosen in two other states. In Orissa, J B Patnaik was sworn in for the second consecutive term while Harideo Joshi and Vasantrao Patil took oath as chief ministers of Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Arjun Singh and N D Tiwari were chosen as leaders at legislature party meetings in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Siachen Stand-off

The situation along the Siachen glacier at the northern frontier of Ladakh, where Pakistani troops and commandos launched three major incursions last year, remains unchanged, with both sides confronting each other without any let-up. “It is an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation, and often bullets fly past our jawans guarding this highest point in our northern defence perimeter,” a defence ministry source said.

Pak Constitution

The Pakistani President, Gen Zia-ul-Haq, used his martial law powers on Sunday to revive the nation’s constitution, except for portions dealing with fundamental rights, among other things. “Today is a historic day,” said Zia. He did not detail the parts that remain dropped but said they would be revived in stages. Martial law will be abolished when the process is completed, he said.