Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • Pulwama Encounter : Four Army Men critically Injured, Search on

    Pulwama, February 18 : Four army men have been critically injured in the nocturnal encounter between militants and government forces in Pinglan area of South Kashmir on Monday.

    The operation, according to officials, is going on. Reports reaching KNO said that four army men are critically injured and have been evacuated to hospital. .

    Official told KNO that there was a brief exchange of fire at around 1 am and from then no new contact have been established. Whole area is under cordon and search operation is going on.

    Earlier, joint team of army’s 55RR,CRPF 182 BN, 183BN and SOG Pulwama launched cordon and search operation in Pinglan area after having credible input about presence of some militants in the area.

    As the joint team of forces approached the suspected spot the hiding militants fired upon government forces triggering an encounter. (KNO)

  • Revenge in Kashmir will create more militants: Markandey Katju

    KOCHI: Attempt by the armed forces to avenge the death of 40 jawans in the Pulwama attack will lead to more bloodshed and trigger a new cycle of militancy, warned retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju. “Lot of jingoism is going on in the name of Pulwama attack. I condemn the attack. But any attempt to avenge the massacre will end up in the slaughter of unarmed Kashmiri civilians. Kashmiri s are bitterly hostile to India. The suicide bomber has died and the perpetrators who helped him have vanished.

    The army may go to a village, catch hold of a few unarmed civilians and kill them. This will only help to aggravate the situation. The relatives of dead will take to militancy and you will be converting non-militants into militants. If wisdom doesn’t dawn, you will have more body bags arriving,” he said `at a press conference in Kochi on Saturday.

    Almost the entire Kashmir population has been alienated from India due to the stupidity of our political leaders for decades, he said.“As a Kashmiri I know the mood in the valley. The militants may be only a few hundred. But most of the Kashmiris sympathise with them. After conducting an attack, the militants melt away among the population and the people there give them shelter, food and intelligence information. Any attempt to avenge the death will lead to a Vietnam-like situation. The only solution is reunification of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh under a secular government,” Katju said.

    ‘Courts should not intervene in matters of faith’

    Katju said courts should not intervene in matters of faith as it will lead to chaos and communal riots.
    “Religion is not a matter of reason. I am an atheist and I believe that all religions are false and superstitious. But most people are religious and we should respect them. The Ayyappa devotees believe that Ayyappa is a naishthik brahmachari and he does not like menstruating women visiting the temple. It is a matter of faith and you cannot question it. The judges who delivered the verdict have no knowledge about the realities of this country. It is not proper for the courts to interfere in matters of faith,” he said. According to him, the correct judgement is that of Indu Malhotra.

  • Terrorising Kashmiris outside J&K will alienate them further: Omar

    Srinagar: Former Jamu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah Sunday said that attacking and terrorising people of Kashmiri origin outside J&K will lead to their further alienation of the people of the state from India.

    In a series of tweets, Omar also called for the safety of Kashmiris living or studying outside the state.

    “Our enemies and those who back terrorism in J&K have been trying to drive this wedge so please please let’s not do their job for them. Kashmir isn’t just a piece of land it’s the people that inhabit it.

    “Those hotheads that make up the mobs doing this damage need to ask themselves (if they have the mental bandwidth) whose purpose is served by ostracising Kashmiris.

    “By attacking them, terrorising them and forcing them to find shelter they are being told there is no place for them outside the valley & no future in the mainland.”

  • Article 370 should be removed in J&K, BJP leader urged PM

    SRINAGAR: BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha demanded that the Article 370 should be removed in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to connect with the people of J&K with mainstream of India; so that the people of Kashmir do not feel themselves separate and disconnected from India. Lodha has written a letter in connection with this issue to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

    The union government should announce a special package for Jammu and Kashmir so that the youth of J&K would get new opportunities in their own state, senior BJP MLA urged to PM.

    According to Lodha, it is the need of the hour for Jammu and Kashmir. He wrote, “You are in favour of taking many strong decisions and this has been proved by your many past decisions. Therefore, I demand the removal of the Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. A special package should be announced for trade and industrial development in the state in order to people of Kashmir be remained connected with the nation.”

    In his letter, he further said that in this hour of grief, the entire the country is with the Prime Minister. This has been evident in last two days after the attack. It has also been proved that the country is very capable under your leadership and it can take up any kind of challenges. He also urged the PM that this decision would be in the interest of the people of the country, especially people of J&K, who would get justice.

  • Separatists should be pushed out of Valley says Sushil Pandit

    New Delhi: Asserting that revoking the security cover of Separatists in not enough, Kashmiri activist Sushil Pandit on Sunday said that these “dons” should be pushed out of Kashmir.

    “The fact that these five separatists had security for last five years is in itself a matter of shame. Good, you have withdrawn their security now, but why have you left the kingpins like Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Shah Geelani,” Pandit told ANI.

  • Security Withdrawal not an issue for us

    Mirwaiz has repeatedly said from the pulpit of Jamia Masjid that the Government can withdraw it .

    Srinagar: APHC spokesman said that the Government and its propagandist anti Kashmir media had repeatedly been raking up the issue of police personnel provided to resistance Leadership to politicise , knowing fully well it has no bearing nor can it in any way change the reality of the lingering Kashmir dispute or the situation on ground or our principled stand and outlook regarding its resolution. With or without these police personnel at Hurriyat residence all remains the same . Spokesman said whenever the issue has been made centre stage Mirwaiz has repeatedly said from the pulpit of Jamia Masjid that the Government can withdraw it .
    Spokesman said that the Hurriyat leaders had never asked for it . Infact , it was the government that insisted on keeping the personnel based on what they said was their assessment of threat perception. APHC said It was the Government decision at that time to to keep it , today it’s their decision to remove it. It’s not an issue for us

  • Pulwama attack: J&K admn withdraws Hurriyat leaders’ security cover

    SRINAGAR: J&K administration announced on Sunday it was withdrawing security cover of five Hurriyat leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.Administration officials have said that it would “under no circumstances” provide security cover to separatists.
    Earlier Top Sources from Home ministry confirmed News agency Press Trust of Kashmir that the government has instructed separatists living in the valley to remove the security given by the government. These instructions have come from the Ministry of Defense. The directive states that the security of the Hurriyat leaders living in Kashmir and Jammu should be removed.

    Sources added “Let us say that there are many such separatist Hurriyat leaders in Kashmir who are living in India and still openly protest against India. They poison the minds of young people in the valleys. Surprisingly, many of these facilities are given to the separatists by the government.

    On Friday evening, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the safety given to the people funded by Pakistan and its spy agency ISI should be reviewed. After this statement, speculation started that the government was considering the removal of separatist security. At the same time, sources have rightly speculated these speculations and have said that the government has issued instructions for this. (PTK)

  • Lethpora attack: Aprox 100 Kgs of RDX, ammonium nitrate used by Jaish to inflict maximum damage

    CRPF officials say probe on to find out where vehicle was fitted with huge quantity of explosives

    Srinagar, February 16: Initial probe into the deadly Lethpora , Pulwama attack that left more than 40 CRPF men dead and dozens injured seriously has revealed that apart from the RDX, ammonium nitrate was used by the Jaish-e-Muhammad suicide bomber Adil Dar with an aim “to inflict as much as possible damage.”

    Top officials of CRPF visited the spot on Saturday to assess the situation that include Director General of CRPF R K Bhatnagar. Sources in the CRPF said that preliminary probe has revealed that at least 100 kgs of RDX and a huge quantity of ammonium nitrate was used by the suicide bomber to target CRPF convoy.

    “The suicide bomber came closer to the CRPF bus, fifth in the row, on the left side and detonated the car,” a top CRPF officer told KNO, wishing not to be named.

    He said that initial probe has revealed that the suicide attacker of Jaish-e-Muhammad was travelling in a SUV laden with explosives that include ammonium nitrate a potential damage causing liquid, besides the RDX.

    Talking to reporters at the spot, DG CRPF said that it was not fully clear what kind of explosives was used as investigations are on. “It will take some time to come up with the exact report about the vehicle used and the nature of explosives as well,” he said.

    Pertinently, the convoy from Jammu has plied only thrice in the last fortnight, as snow blocked road and CRPF jawans were stranded in Jammu since February 4. “16 vehicles dropped out at Qazigund on reaching destination but 16 ‘mobile bunkers’ joined convoy to deal with militant ambushes which increase beyond Qazigund. The convoy left Qazigund at 2:38 pm,” a source in the CRPF told KNO.

    At Latoo mode of Awantipora in Pulwama, an explosive laden vehicle entered the Jammu-Srinagar highway from a left bylane. It overtook a bus, fifth in the row,” the source said. He said CRPF was probing where from the vehicle came and where it was fitted with such a huge quantity of explosive material.(KNO)

  • Kashmiris outside valley lauds Salman Nizami for help, action.

    SRINAGAR Feb 16: Kashmiri’s who faced harassment, attacks, abuses reported in many parts of India after Pulwama attack specially in Dehradun, Bihar, Punjab, Bangalore have thanked Congress Leader Salman Nizami for comming on forefront to support and ensure safety and security of the students and traders. Nizami was the first who contacted SSP Dehradun when reports of assault on Kashmiri students were covered by print media and later shared on social media. Salman Nizami wrote on Twitter ” Spoke to SSP Dehradun Nivedita Kukreti regarding assault on some Kashmiri students. I’ve been told that police has controlled the situation. And all students are safe. Request media/social media users not to share any inauthentic news to spread hate”. A student & activist from Kashmir, studying in Dehradun Nasir Khuehami said, many students were harassed by the right wing forces. They entered the college premises and raised slogans against us. Later, we approached Nizami and in a few minutes the local SSP called and assured full corporation and security to us. We were in panic, stress. Thanks to Nizami we are safe now. Salman Nizami also contacted Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh over attack on Kashmiri students in Ambala. Nizami wrote on Twitter ” Just spoke to CM office Punjab @capt_amarinder about Ambala situation. All students are safe, requested CMO to ensure safety & security of Kashmiri students across Punjab. Also req @JmuKmrPolice to take action against those who spread rumours & fake pics to create panic. Nizami also contacted RJD Leader & former Dy Chief Minister Bihar Tejashwi Prasad Yadav over the report’s of assault on Kashmiri shopkeepers. Salman Nizami was also in touch with people in Gujjar Nagar, Jammu where some anti- social element’s attacked the non- Muslims & broke their vehicles. Nizami wrote on Twitter “Spoke to our local leaders in Gujjar Nagar & Janipur, Jammu. All are safe. No casualty reported. My Hindu friends have personally visited the areas & ensured the safety & security of Muslims. Some anti-social elements are helbent to divide us, they wdn’t succeed.

  • Deputy Mayor Sheikh Imran demands compensation to drivers whose vehicles were targeted in Jammu

    Urges authorities to ensure safety and security of Kashmiris across India

    Srinagar, Feb 16: Deputy Mayor Srinagar, Shiekh Mohammad Imran on Saturday said that attacking Kashmiri’s across the country is unfortunate and highly condemnable.

    He said common Kashmiri’s have nothing to do with the recent Pulwama attack, if these things will continue it will alienate Kashmiris towards. Imran appealed people of Jammu to maintain peace and harmony at this crucial juncture.

    “Attacking particular community is not a solution for the problem both India and Pakistan should start a dialogue to end this bloodshed in Kashmir,” he said adding that communal elements are adding fuel to the situation.

    Imran condemned the attacks on Kashmiri families, drivers, and assaulting of students in Jammu. He said some sponsored people have been employed to add fuel to the ongoing situation.

    He also demanded compensation to Kashmiri drivers and employees whose vehicles were set on fire by the mob on Friday. Imran appealed Jammu police to nap the culprits as soon as possible.

    Imran while condemning the attacks on students unfortunate appealed concerned state authorities to ensure security and safety of Kashmiri students.

    Deputy Mayor has also written a letter to Governor Satya Pal Malik in which Imran has demanded immediately security and evacuation of Kasmiri’s in Jammu and across India.

    “I have personally received dozens of complaints of harassment across the country which needs immediate redressal, or we have no option to appeal and ensure every Kashmiri return back to the valley,” he said.

    “We have to clearly understand that we cannot afford to alienment on the basis of region and religion but unfortunately both cases are happening especially to Kashmiris,” he said.

    However, Imran also urged all DGP’s across the country that they should set up a helpline for especially for students, families, traders, and visitors immediately to secure the places or evacuate them to Kashmir with the help of Indian air force.