Category: Union Territory

Srinagar Oct 25: Mohammad Ashraf’s son started smoking with his friends when he was in school. When he reached higher secondary, he started taking Charas.

“Had I managed to stop him from smoking at school level, he would not have become a drug addict. I am now worried about his future as he is not able to leave drugs,” he told news agency KINS.

According to government figures, over 26 percent of men in the age group of 15-49 smoke cigarettes in Kashmir.

Experts say the use of tobacco is a serious public health issue in the valley as smoking is often associated with cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Dr Bashir Ahmad, a physician said cigarette smoking in childhood and adolescence leads to short and long-term health problems, besides increasing the risk for drug addiction.

“Those who are drug addicts have started cigarette smoking at an early age. At the same instance for students whose parents smoke it is easier to start smoking. If an adolescent’s parent smokes, the adolescent himself also may become a smoker,” he added.

A senior government official said they have banned smoking at public places and also near educational institutions.

“Besides, directions have been issued to all the Medical Superintendents and District Health Officers of Kashmir division for conducting regular enforcement drives for implementation of COTPA-2003. Regular enforcement drives for implementation of COTPA-2003 are being conducted by the State Tobacco Control Cell in Kashmir division,” the official added.

Experts say that teenagers that face problems in their social or family life are more likely to initiate smoking. (KINS)

 

Srinagar Oct 25: Mohammad Subhan, who resides in South Kashmir, struggles to help his lone son to overcome heroin addiction. His son, who is 27-year-old started taking drugs at the age of 17. He wanted his son to become an advocate. However, all his dreams have almost vanished now.

“He initially started smoking along with his friends when he was in school. When he reached high secondary, he started taking Charas and later on consumed heroin. I came to know that he was introduced to a drug peddler by one of his friends in our village. Firstly, he was given drugs free of cost and then he started selling things at home like TV, bikes for the drugs,” Subhan told news agency KINS.

Like Subhan, there are thousands of parents are concerned whose children are consuming drugs. “Drug addict does not impact himself but destroy his whole family. For the last three years, I have been taking my son to various rehabilitation centres and doctors despite that he is not leaving drugs,” said Mohammad Amin, a parent.

A survey conducted by Government’s Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, (DHSK) says that 52,000 persons are taking intravenous (IV) heroin while 70,000 are involved in substance use across Kashmir.

“Once one becomes a drug addict, it destroys his entire family. Everyone gets affected. The number of drug addicts is on rise in Kashmir and has become a cause of concern,” a senior police official said.

In 2016, the Oral Substitution Therapy (OST) Centre at the Government Medical College in Srinagar reported only 489 drug addict cases, which went to 3000 in 2017. In 2019, the number jumped to 7,000 and crossed the 10,000 mark in 2021 with an overall 2,000% spike in the last five years.

Srinagar, October 25: Separatist Leader and Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Independent Movement Bilal Gani Lone is likely to switch to mainstream politics, sources said.
Bilal Gani Lone is the son of veteran separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone who was killed at Eidgah in Srinagar. People aware of the matter said that Lone will formally join active electoral politics in the coming days.
“His father was a three-time MLA before joining the separatist ranks. So, if he is joining the mainstream politics he will reclaim that legacy and can make a bigger and visible impact, especially at the time when elections are about to happen,” a political analyst observed.
The reports suggested that Lone will soon part ways with Hurriyat Conference as he has firmly decided to fight the upcoming Assembly Elections from his ancestral “strongly held” North Kashmir.
“Bilal Lone’s joining of mainstream politics will be a colossal development as it will be the second major exodus of any Hurriyat leader after his brother Sajad Lone bid farewell to the separatist politics,” political analysts on the basis of anonymity expressed to a local media house in the Union territory.
This political development gives insight into a huge change in the political dynamics of Kashmir valley where Hurriyat and separatist politics are becoming obsolete and irrelevant with every passing day.
With Bilal Lone’s decision to join mainstream politics, many leaders will also revisit their political affiliation with separatism which shall force them to think about the relevance and ultimate need for shunning the old political factions and integrating with popular politics. (Agencies)

Srinagar, Oct 24: Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday claimed to have arrested a rape accused after multiple raids in Srinagar and said that the accused will be produced in court tomorrow.

As per a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a police spokesman said that Police station sadder received a complaint from a lady that her minor daughter has been raped by one accused namely Shahid Ahmad, son of Shabir Ahmad Bhat of Galwanpora Hyderpora.

“To this effect, a case under FIR number 103/22 under sections 3/4 of POCSO act and 363, 376, 506 of IPC was registered in Saddar Police station and investigation was set into motion. After hectic efforts and multiple raids the accused was arrested within one hour by a special team led by SHO Sadar, Inspector Mudassir Nazar under supervision of SP south Lakshya Sharma,” police said.

“Further investigation in the case is underway. The accused will be produced in court for further police remand tomorrow,” the statement said—(KNO)

Ganderbal, Oct 21: Jammu and Kashmir Police said to have arrested accused driver involved Hit-and-Run case, wherein girl child died within two hours in Lar area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.

Police spokesman said that today in evening hours an accident occurred at NHW near Naitang Lar Ganderbal, in which a Scooty bearing Registration No JK05J 0306 driven by Firdous Ahmad Magray son of Ghulam Mohammad resident of Lar was hit by an
unknown vehicle, which escaped from the spot.

The scooty rider and his 04-year-old daughter identified as Zahira Firdous got injured and were immediately rushed to the DH Ganderbal where doctors declared the said girl brought dead and her father was referred to SKIMS Soura Srinagar for advanced treatment.

Ganderbal Police swiftly started an hot pursuit of the unknown driver and vehicle. Within an span of two hours, the vehicle and the driver involved in the incident namely Mushtaq Ahmad Quraishi son of Mohammad Yousuf resident of Chanthan Gulabpora Lar was arrested by Lar Police, the spokesman said.

The vehicle bearing registration no JK04E 7377 has been seized and the investigation has been intimated in case FIR No.63 of P/s Lar Ganderbal. The prompt and swift response by Ganderbal Police was praised by one and all, the spokesman added.

It was shifted to Parimpora for vested interests

Srinagar, Oct 22: Prominent youth leader and BJP’s Media in-charge Manzoor Bhat on Saturday said that the historic bus terminal will be shifted back to Batamalloo and urged LG Manoj Sinha to look into the issue.

In a statement issued here, Bhat said the party leadership is in consistent touch with Batamaloo traders who were massively hit by the shifting of bus terminal in the year 2017.

He said the delegation of Batamaloo traders and transporters has already met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and UT’s Party President Ravinder Raina.

The party leadership has assured them justice will be delivered to the people who have suffered due to the wrong decisions of the previous regimes, he said.

Bhat said thousands of people including transporters, shopkeepers, and vendors lost their livelihood due to the wrong policies of some persons, who did it for their vested interests.

“Considering the aspirations of people, the bus terminal should be shifted back to Batamalloo, so that they will not face further financial loss,” he said.

The youth leader said both traders and shopkeepers were assured to be rehabilitated but things have remained restricted to papers only.

“People were forced to sell their vehicles and shops as they faced financial losses due to shifting of the terminal to Parimpora from Batamaloo,” he said.

Bhat appealed to LG Manoj Sinha to into the issue, so that people associated with business and trade will have a sigh of relief.

Anantnag, Oct 22: A family on Saturday staged a protest in Achabal area of Anantnag district in South Kashmir against the alleged murder of their daughter by her in-laws.

The family and relatives of the woman assembled at Achabal and shouted slogans in support of their demanded for “immediate action against the in-laws for alleged murder of her” at Kehribal Mattan Anantnag.

“The height is such that her in-laws left the hospital after she died instead of taking her body for last rites,” they said.

Meanwhile, the family demanded strict action against the in-laws and urged authorities to act swiftly so that the “culprits are brought to book immediately.” A police team later reached the spot and pacified the protesters, mainly women, with the assurances of action as warranted under laws. Later traffic through the area was restored.

When contacted, a police official told GNS that proceedings have been launched into the incident. (GNS)

Says militants managed to escape taking advantage of darkness

Srinagar, Oct 19: Jammu & Kashmir police on Wednesday said the hybrid militant who was arrested by it was killed in firing of another militant after contact was established with militants in Shopian district of south Kashmir.

Kashmir Zone Police in a tweet as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that Imran Bashir Ganie, who was arrested by it for killing of two non- locals, was killed by another militant after security forces established contact with them.

“Based on disclosure of arrested hybrid #terrorist & in continuous raids by Police & security forces, another contact has been established between terrorists & SFs at Nowgam #Shopian, in which hybrid terrorist namely Imran Bashir Ganaie killed by firing of another terrorist.” Kashmir Police Zone tweeted.

“Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition has been recovered from the hideout/site of contact. Search is still going on. Further details shall follow.” Police tweeted.

Notably, police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested Imran Bashir Ganaie of Harmain, who according to it, lobbed a grenade in which two labourers from UP were killed.

Meanwhile, police in a statement to KNO said that post terror incident at Hermain Shopian in the intervening night of 17/18 October, in which two outside labourers were killed by terrorists, investigation into the terror crime was immediately started.

During the course of investigation, it was revealed that the grenade at the accommodation of the labourers was thrown by one hybrid militant linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT identified as Imran Bashir Ganie of Hermain Shopian, police said.

The said hybrid militant alongwith his accomplice was promptly arrested within hours of the terror crime, police said, adding that various joint raids along with SFs were launched on the basis of disclosures made by the accused about militants and their hideouts. “In one of the raids on a hideout at Dongri Nala near Landoora bridge, where contact was established with the hiding militants but they managed to escape from the spot after initial fire,” the spokesman said.

Following his disclosure another raid was conducted in Nowgam orchards of Shopian where he had earlier met with other militants responsible in his recruitment in terror ranks besides providing a grenade to him, a joint anti-terrorist operation was launched in the said area in the midnight after the accused agreed to show the exact place of hideout in the orchards, the police spokesperson said.

During the search operation, the hiding militant fired upon the joint search party, in which the arrested hybrid militant who was accompanying and leading the search party for identifying the place got injured. He was shifted to hospital where he was declared brought dead, police added further.

Taking advantage of the darkness, the militant managed to escape from the spot. Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition has been recovered from the spot, police said, adding that all the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation—(KNO)

Srinagar, Oct 19: Authorities in Srinagar are allegedly resorting to dilly dally tactics in issuing building permissions while authorities claim that all files with NOCs were cleared recently.

People from different areas of Srinagar living around Dal Lake told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that since the government launched online permission to ease the issues faced by people but there is no clue about their cases.

They said that the government introduced the online system to provide relief to people so that they can submit all necessary documents online but it has added to their suffering as they are forced to visit the offices to check the status of their files.

It is taking months together to get permission as authorities are resorting to dilly dally tactics due to unknown reasons, they added.

They said that for months they were waiting to get the permission so that they can carry out necessary construction work in good temperature but now winter has approached and people are still waiting for their permits.

They urged the higher authorities to direct the concerned to provide building permission on a fast-track basis so that people won’t suffer anymore.

Irfan Bahadur Collector and Secretary Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) Srinagar told KNO that there are several departments who have to provide no objection certificates (NOCs) for building permission and it takes time.

“We have a building permission authority headed by VC and there are many other departments and NOCs from these departments including revenue and town planning organization which sometimes takes time,” he said.

According to him, all files with proper NOCs and other documents were cleared during a board meeting two weeks ago.

“As few files come to our office, the board clears them within days,” he said—(KNO)

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, who is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar prison in a “terror funding case”, appeared virtually in a special court in Jammu on Wednesday after the Centre turned down his request to appear in person, Hindustan Times reported.

The court on September 20 issued Malik’s production warrants to the jail authorities after he sought to appear in person to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses in two cases related to the killing of four Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel and the abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of then Union home minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, in 1989

The Tihar prison authorities cited directions from the Union home ministry and told the court that Malik cannot be produced before it in person. The court will hear the matter related to IAF personnel on November 23.

Senior advocate SK Bhat, who appeared on behalf of the prosecution, said the Tihar jail superintendent informed the court that Malik’s travel to Jammu was not possible. He added the superintendent said an appeal related to Malik’s sentence in the terror funding case is pending before the high court and he has to remain lodged in Tihar jail.

Bhat said the abduction case will be taken up on Thursday. “She [Rubaiya Sayeed] has been summoned. She may appear. Malik will be virtually present in that case also.” He said Malik has been given a fair trial and that the court offered legal aid but he refused.

The special court in March 2020 framed charges against Malik and six others for their alleged involvement in the killing of four unarmed IAF personnel in January 1990 at Rawalpora in Srinagar.