Shopian April 22: Government forces on Monday morning launched Cordon and search operation in Ayend Rawalpora area of South Kashmir’s shopian district.
Official sources told KNO that on specific inputs about the presence of militants joint team of forces including 34 RR, Crpf and sog launched search operation in the area.
Local sources said that huge contingents of forces have been deployed in the area and door to door search operation is on in the area.(KNO)
NEW DELHI: Lt Gen DS Hooda (retd) under whose charge the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes in September 2016, on Sunday said Pakistan’s behaviour will not change with one surgical strike or an airstrike.
He predicted a challenge India faces with the rise of China and suggested demarcating the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — the de facto 3488 km boundary between the two nations.
On Pakistan he said, “One odd surgical strike or air strike can’t change Pakistan’s behaviour.”
General Hooda was speaking on the salient features of “Beyond Politics: Debating a new Security Manifesto” — a report which he made for the Congress party.
The discussion was organised by think-tank Observer Research Organisation (ORF) in the national capital.
Former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who was present at the discussion, said, “War is not an option. We build armies to not win a war but avoid a war. We must find a way to normalise relations with Pakistan. If we need to change behaviour of Pakistan we need to change our behaviour towards them.”
If we both demonise each other we can never put an end to these killings or infiltrations, he said.
“How is your policy a success if in 2018 there has been highest number of killings of military personnel and civilians,” he questioned.
Briefing about the report, General Hooda said we have not ruled out the military option with Pakistan and we have not ruled out dialogue but that needs to have visible results.
This is not a perfect document, General Hooda said, adding our hope was to start a debate and thanked the Congress party for initiating this.
The document has spoken about how to manage ties with US, Russia and China.
“Our biggest challenge is the rise of China. There is going to be long-term strategic engagement between the two.”
Growing trade cannot alone sort out matters and suggested that we need to convey to China about sanctity of our borders and our strategic interests in the Indian Ocean.
“Demarcating the LAC is one option,” he said.
There is a weakness as our infrastructure along LAC is poor, Hooda said.
Talking about the core points of the report, he said it refers to the following, “Assuming our rightful place in global affairs; achieving a secure neighbourhood; peaceful resolution of internal conflicts; protecting our people and the need to strengthen our capabilities.”
The report suggests integration of the Ministry of Defence. The budget has to be based on a capability development plan, climatic change, demographic pressures and economic security and energy security.
“India should look for role in international decision making structures,” the report said.
Speaking about Jammu and Kashmir, General Hooda said we need to tackle internal and external dimension.
“Have empathic approach, have a clearly defined political objective and well created information campaign,” Hooda said, who was the Northern Army Commander.
Chidambaram said if the Congress party is voted to power it will implement it.
Srinagar: Independent candidate for Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag constituency , Dr Ridwana termed the election Boycott call by all party Hurriyat conference Chairmain Ali Shah Geelani as “misleading and self defeative” for people of south Kashmir in choosing a representative of their choice.
Dr Ridwana in a statement said that ” people of South Kashmir has a chance to choose a representative who will represent their aspirations and the need in the Parliament house and the election boycott will only help the people who have always deceived the people of Kashmir,,
She added that the people of south kashmir should rationally think who benefits from the election boycott,and the recent concluded ULB Election is an example , every citizen has a duty to come forward to ruin their plans and end the dynastic rule in state as well as South Kashmir so Kashmiri,s are
not pushed towards despair by the wrong representatives.
She further added that these election are only for good governance and have nothing with the Kashmir dispute and neither are not going to affect the overall political problem regarding the final solution to the future dispensation of Kashmir,,
Dr Ridwana said that participation in electoral process is never a betrayal with the blood of martyrs nor with those who have lost their eyesight but is chance to through away those guilty who created the atmosphere of choas, fear and hostility in “paradise on earth”and are committed to change the demography of our state, erode the special status of state of Jammu and Kashmir”
Pertinently, the separatists leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani urged the people of South Kashmir for complete Election boycott in South Kashmir on Sunday ,where Election is going to be held on 23 of April.
Srinagar, Apr 21: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti Sunday asked the authorities not to harass the family members of the militants.
“Authorities have to stop harassing helpless family members of militants. Mudasir & Aijaz Ahmad of Noorabad have been arrested & their house vandalized only because their brother was a militant. Such policies will certainly make Kashmiris more resentful vis a vis India,” Mehbooba tweeted.
Srinagar: National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah Sunday said Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir are not allowed to take decisions on their own.
“When we were in an alliance with Congress, I noticed it myself that even for minor decisions they have to seek permission from party leadership in New Delhi, ” Omar told reporters on the sidelines of a party function in South Kashmir.
However, Omar said, NC candidates for Parliamentary Elections if elected will not have to take “dictation” from New Delhi.
“Not only New Delhi but even National Conference top leadership. Our Parliamentarians will just have to represent the voice of people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Omar said people should come out to vote as boycotting elections will only help the BJP and RSS.
He said it was unfortunate that Election Commision of India was ignoring repeated violations of Model Code of Conduct by Prime Minister Narendara Modi and top BJP leadership. (GNS)
Srinagar: Terming the suspension of Cross LoC trade a major jolt to peace efforts, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Qayoom Wani on Sunday said the move is aimed to hound the already perturbed traders and plunge Kashmir’s economy further into uncertainty.
In a statement issued here, Wani while demanding immediate restoration of the Cross LOC trade said that that the confrontational approach will further deteriorate the situation with peace building measures receiving a heaviest hit. Wani said that the people at the helm in New Delhi must revoke the order and allow the trade to continue sans any hinderance.
He termed the termination of trade along the LOC conspiracy to weaken Kashmir economy .Wani said that it unfortunate to stop trade facility without any justification which has put trade bodies in mental trauma .
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Bhopal parliamentary consituency in Madhya Pradesh Sadhvi Pragya Thakur said on Sunday that she takes pride in the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
“We do not regret but are proud of demolishing the Babri Masjid. We removed the waste from our Lord Ram’s temple,” she said in a TV interview.
“We will now build a grand Lord Ram temple there.”
NEW DELHI: JKLF chief Yasin Malik was on Saturday remanded to judicial custody, cutting short his custody granted earlier to NIA until April 22. Malik was admitted by NIA to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital around 3-4 days back after he complained of health problems.
Malik appeared before a magistrate who visited him at the hospital itself. He will now be lodged in Tihar jail after his discharge from the hospital, said sources.
TOI has learnt that Malik, who was arrested by NIA in the J&K terror funding case days after his organisation JKLF was banned as an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, has not cooperated much with NIA during his custodial interrogation over the past few days. Sources said he seems familiar with ways to dodge police questioning and had been trying to bring up a health situation to force a review of his police custody, granted to NIA for 12 days on April 10.
NIA, not wanting to take any chances, decided to shift him from its headquarters to RML hospital a few days back. It said the reduced period of his custodial interrogation may not make much of a difference to the probe since he has not been cooperating anyway.
Incidentally, while Malik was kept in an air-conditioned facility at NIA, he will have no such comforts at Tihar. Sources said he may not get a solitary cell either. Meanwhile, his family back in Srinagar and his lawyer alleged that Malik was “very ill” as he had not been eating to protest against the callous approach of NIA.
Reported Times Of India
Srinagar, April 06: Two militants have been killed in a brief shootout with goverment forces in Padguchi area of Imam Sahib in South Kashmir Shopian district on Saturday.
Reports reaching GNS said that a joint of army’s 44RR and SOG launched a cordon and search operation in an orchard at Padguchi area of Imam Sahib.
A senior Police officer told GNS that the cordon was launched following credible input about the presence of some militants in the area.
The officer said that soon after the joint team of forces arrived in the area, the militant opened indiscriminate fire which was retaliated leading to a brief shootout.
During the gunfight two militants have been killed and there identities and affiliation is being ascertained, the officer said.
The officer said that search operation in the area is still going on.(GNS)
Decries highway traffic ban, calls it collective punishment
Srinagar, Apr 03 : Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) Wednesday said that banning traffic on Baramula-Banihal National Highway to facilitate convoy movement is one of the most bizarre decisions taken by State Government in recent times.
Calling the traffic ban as atrocious, the spokesperson said that importing Israel-type policies will turn Kashmir into Palestine and will further alienate the local population.
“How will the patients travel? What about students? Are government offices going to be closed on Wednesdays also? What about emergencies? The convoy movement order is completely ill- conceived,” he said.
“The government could move convoys early morning, or use additional trains between Banihal and Baramula to avoid inconvenience to civilian population,” spokesperson said.
There is an urgent need to revoke the order, the statement added.