Category: Union Territory

Coverage in conflict regions like Kashmir tend to oscillate between two extremes–stereotypical mass media coverage that presents an over-wrought, untrue picture of what the realities on the ground really are, or a refreshingly honest portrayal of local voices on local matters. And now, an 18-year-old boy, Umar Nisar from a small hamlet of South Kashmir’s Tral, has joined the fray by initiating a youth-based Digital-Media network “Mashq-Talks” a Kashmir based Talk show Digital media Network.

The Mashq podcast series is an episodic series of digital audio or video files which a user listen on Spotify, Google Music, SoundCloud, iTunes, Youtube, Facebook, Youtube and other Digital Platforms.

“The main motive of podcast is to connect young Kashmir to the world” Said Umar.

In 2014, when cloudburst and floods devastated the Valley, 18-year-old Umar Nisar started in Kashmir. Hailing from military hotbeds of Tral-Awantipora area of South Kashmir, And from the same boiling point Tral Umar Nisar like guy has emerged who’s keeping the title “First” to himself in Kashmir.

At a very young age, Umar Nisar has stood on the stage where king khan of Bollywood too stood. King khan was the first Bollywood actor to speak at ted talks and Umar Nisar the first Kashmiri teenager to speak at ted talks.

Eyeing on the Bollywood, Nisar is currently working on many projects but, right now, Mashq-Talks is his main focus.

“I majorly aspire to become a Film-Maker, but, I also want to continue radio as my career,” concluded Umar.

SRINAGAR, APR 25: Terming the prevailing volatile situation in Jammu and Kashmir as an utter failure and defeat of Indian military might to eradicate the freedom sentiments of the people of Kashmir, All Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Geelani in a press release said that the Indian rulers have allegedly started a character assignation campaign against the pro-freedom leadership of Jammu and Kashmir through its agencies like NIA and ED.

Strongly condemning the issuance of series of notices against the joint resistance leadership including Mohammad Yasin Malik, Dr. Umar Farooq, Shabir Ahmad Shah’s daughter Seema Shabir, his sons Dr. Naeem Geelani, Dr. Naseem Geelani, and grandson Anees-ul-Islam in addition to the already incarcerated leaders and businessmen in Tihar jail, Hurriyat chairman said that it is irony of the fate that the Indian political leadership especially the politico-religious extremists are hell bent to use every barbaric, inhuman and immoral tactics against the pro-freedom leadership by putting them behind bars on fabricated cases is nothing but to pressurize them to subjugation which is never going to happen.

He said that Shabir Ahmad Shah and Altaf Ahmad Shah have spent most of their life in Indian jails and today also they lodged in the Tihar jail for the last 2 years. They are in their custody to answer any question and issuing notices to their children is not only undemocratic, immoral but shameful as well.

Terming these brazen tactics as a clear sign of political bankruptcy of Indian rulers who are mistaken to muzzle the freedom slogans raised in the nook and corner of the state, pro-freedom leader said that people of Kashmir are proud of their moral victory over the Indian military might, who are using Kashmir as an election stunt to woo their voters.

Castigating the barbaric attitude of Indian rulers to change the jails into interrogation centers for the Kashmiri prisoners who have been deprived of the basic amenities, poor medical facilities, unhygienic food and increasing lock up period have rendered the prisoners as the victims of hypertension, and psychiatric problems and deteriorating health conditions.

Hurriyat leader also condemned the callous approach meted out to the prisoners of conscience who have been served the life-imprisonment. These lifers have been lodged in the jails, for away from their homes, which in their own legal system is absolutely illegal and illogical.

Hurriyat chairman while condemning the human rights violations meted out to the prisoners in various jails in and outside the state, appealed the UN Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and International Red Cross to pay early visit to the jails and take stock of the situation regarding the detenues of Jammu and Kashmir.

Corporators are the eyes of every ward in the Srinagar

Srinagar, April 25: Deputy Mayor Srinagar, Sheikh Mohammad Imran on Thursday he is not against any contractors but is against the corruption and mull practices.

Imran said there will be zero tolerance against the corruption and no such thing will be entertained in the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).

He said Corporators are the eyes of every ward in the Srinagar and without their permission there can be no development.

Addressing the media, Imran said that he had come to serve people and not doing politics. We have come from open agenda to help our people in the developing the Srinagar city,” he said.

He said to end corruption at ground level they have trying their level best to eradicate this menace. Srinagar Mayor is openly supporting the contractors who charged 1.40 cr for renovation of our offices.

“There seems doubt in estimation of the work by the engineers and contractors involved in the scam should be put behind the bars,” Imran said.

In the statement Deputy Mayor said these mafias should be ended and their journey will always be against the corruption.

Imran said he is not against any contractors but is against the corruption and mull practices. Commissioner SMC and Additional Commissioner are verifying the details but contractors have even locked offices in the SMC.

“There are dozens of scams in the SMC done by these contractors and public money is being looted on the name of development,” he said.

“I have full proof evidence of their meetings and they violated the model code of conduct during elections. People know each and everything but everyone should provide bit by bit details of their work. Mull practices will not be entertained anymore,” Imran said.

“Kashmiris money will allow these contractors to grasp public money and contractors have details of bit by bit information,” he said.

Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Thursday accused the Indian government of engaging in a “witch-hunt” and putting pressure on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him.

In a statement issued here, Naik, who fled India in 2016, said he was aware of the “pressure the Indian government was applying on the Interpol” to issue a red corner notice against him.

“It’s part of an elaborate witch-hunt. But having verified with a few member countries, I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date,” he claimed.

“One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government which, as a matter of fact, have been going on for over two years now,” he said.

Naik said the Interpol had already cancelled a red corner notice against him once.

“And it’s been one-and-a-half years since the government submitted a charge sheet and started applying pressure on the Interpol. But as things stand, I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure,” he said.

Naik, said to be in Malaysia at present, has been under investigation since 2016, when the Centre banned his Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for five years.

He is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on several charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The preacher, declared a proclaimed offender by a special NIA court here in June 2017, is accused of inciting youth to take up terror activities, giving hate speeches and promoting enmity between communities.

The NIA filed a charge sheet against Naik and others before a Mumbai court in October 2017.

Participate in election rally in Pulwama

SRINAGAR, APR 25 (PTK): Violating Model Code of Conduct, two government employees and close relatives of former PDP legislator from Pulwama, Khalil Bandh, participated in the election rally in Pulwama town which was led by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.

Pictures circulated by PDP workers and Youth president of PDP, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra, show that Shafi Bandh and Mansoor Bandh, both nephews of Khalil Bandh, participating in the PDP poll rally in Pulwama which was organised on Wednesday.

Shafi Bandh is working in Government Animal Husbandry department and Mansoor Bandh is a government teacher posted in Banderpora village of Pulwama.

Both the employees are seen in the rally behind former PDP legislators.

Earlier, reports mentioned that many JK Bank employees and SPOs, who were appointed by PDP during its three years rule without merit, also participated in the election rally of the PDP.

It was the first road rally of PDP in Pulwama town amid campaigning for the Anantnag Parliament seat whose first phase was held on April 23, and the remaining two phases will be conducted on April 29 in Kulgam and May 6 in Pulwama. (PTK)

Anantnag, April 25: Two militants killed in Bijbehara have been identified as Dr Burhan from Sk colony Bijbehara and Safdar Amin alias Luqman from Zirpora Bijbehara.

According to KNO correspondent Burhan Ahmad Gandi Son of Mohammad Sadiq Ganie resident of S.K Colony Anantnag was a physiotherapist.

Burhan had joined militant ranks in June 2018 while as Safdar was active from last two years.

Both the killed militants were associated with hizb ul mujahideen and were were killed in an encounter at Bangandar Mohalla of Bijbehara town on Thursday early morning.(KNO)

SRINAGAR — The 19-year-old daughter of incarcerated Hurriyat Conference leader Shabir Shah has been summoned twice by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case of 2005.

Sama Shabir, who is studying law in Manchester in the United Kingdom, was issued summons at her home in Srinagar. The first date for her to appear before the agency was on April 18 and the second on Wednesday.

Shah was arrested on July 25, 2017 in the 2005 case related to money laundering and alleged financing of militant groups.

The ED had registered a case in 2007 based on the investigation by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in the August 2005 case, wherein the police had arrested Mohammed Aslam Wani, an alleged hawala dealer, who had claimed that he passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah.

Sama’s mother, 48-year-old Bilquies Shah, a doctor by profession, has been moving from pillar to post informing the Enforcement Directorate units here, Jammu as well as its headquarters in New Delhi that her daughter is pursuing her studies in the UK and should be exempted from personal appearance.

Bilquies had to prepare a reply to the summon issued by the ED for Wednesday.

“My daughter Sama Shabir is pursuing her education at the University of Manchester in the UK and it has (been) communicated to your good self through a speed post letter dated 15-04-2019,” she said in her reply to the Assistant Director (PMLA) of the ED.

Sama Shabir was in news last year after she topped the CBSE class 12 exam by scoring 97.8 per cent marks
“Well, while I am completing all legal formalities, I wonder what does she have to do with a case of 2005 when she had just turned five years. How can this happen? It is really a pure case of harassment and the real purpose is known to the authorities only,” Bilquies told PTI.

“I am now preparing to receive a summon for my younger daughter Seher, who was three at the time when this case happened,” she said.

The mother said the house attached by the ED was built on a land that she had inherited from her father in 1999.

“I took a loan of Rs 20 lakh from Jammu and Kashmir Bank and built the house and the same has been attached now. Is this not an irony. I received an attachment notice and so did my two daughters who were not even born at that time,” she said.

The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Aslam Wani. (PTI)

Srinagar, April 24: Several JK Bank and government employees besides SPOs working with police department were spotted at a gathering by PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti at Town Hall Pulwama in the southern district on Wednesday.

Official sources told GNS that several JK Bank employees posted at Shajimarg JK bank and at Zonal Office Pulwama attended the gathering by Mehbooba Mufti. Many SPOs and other employees of government departments, according to sources also attended the gathering.

Mehbooba also led a protest march of party activists in the southern Kashmir district against the suspension of cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade and ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).

The protest march was taken out from Town Hall Pulwama to deputy commissioner’s office and Mehbooba demanded the rescinding of the order to suspend the cross-LoC trade. She also sought immediate release of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik from custody.

“Malik is not in good health. I want to tell the Government of India that if God forbid, his health worsens, then the situation here will deteriorate further which will be very difficult to control. Our fight is against militants, but you should not harass their families,” she told reporters.

She also sought revocation of ban on JeI and an end to the ban on movement of civilian traffic for two days a week on Jammu-Srinagar Highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir Valley. (GNS)