New Delhi, Mar 14 These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.15 pm

New Delhi, Mar 14 These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.15 pm Attari DEL23 CORRIDOR-LD MEET Attari/New Delhi: In the shadow of escalating tension in their ties, India and Pakistan Thursday held in a "cordial environment" their first meeting to finalise the modalities for a corridor linking Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistani town of Kartarpur with Gurdaspur district in Punjab. ATTARI DEL34 PB-CORRIDOR-VISA Attari (Punjab): India Thursday sought visa-free access from Pakistan for 5,000 pilgrims per day to the historic Sikh shrine in Kartarpur.

CHANDIGARH DES11 PB-POLL-SIDHU Chandigarh: Known for his trademark witty one-liners, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu will be one of the star campaigners for the Congress in the Lok Sabha poll hustings, a senior party leader said. PANCHKULA LGD24 HR-COURT-SAMJHAUTA Panchkula: An anti-terror court here trying the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case Thursday adjourned its hearing to March 18 due to an ongoing strike by local lawyers.

ALIGARH NRG8 UP-AMU-SUSPENSION Aligarh (UP): The Aligarh Muslim University has suspended a research scholar for allegedly misbehaving with a girl student during a seminar recently, an official notification said. LUCKNOW DES14 UP-LD MAYAWATI Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati Thursday gave final touches to the list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and discussed other important electoral issues at a party meeting here. DEHRADUN DES5 UKD-POLL-KOSHIYARI Dehradun: BJP veteran and Nainital MP Bhagat Singh Koshiyari Thursday said he will not contest the Lok Sabha elections this time.

SHIMLA DES6 POLLS-HP-AIRLIFTING Shimla: The airlifting of people from snow-bound tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh could become an poll issue as the Congress has written to the state chief electoral officer, alleging that BJP leaders were interfering in the process to influence voters. KINNAUR DES3 HP-AVALANCHE Kinnaur (HP): The bodies of two more Army jawans missing since last month following an avalanche in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district were recovered on Thursday, an official said.

JAIPUR DES9 RJ-SHEKHAWAT-FARMERS Jaipur: Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday accused the Congress-led Rajasthan government of not providing requisite information about farmers eligible for the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna. SRINAGAR DES7 JK-EC-NC Srinagar; The National Conference (NC) has decided not to meet the Election Commission (EC) delegation arriving in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, saying the party has nothing more to add to its demand of having simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state. PTI ASH ASH.