Category: Union Territory

SRINAGAR, FEB 13: Senior National conference leader and former member of legislative assembly (MLA) Mohammad Akbar Lone today said that “we are ready to die for article 35A”.

While Speaking to News agency Press Trust of Kashmir Akbar Lone said “Art. 35-A is a Constitutional guarantee for safety of people of Jammu and Kashmir”. He cautioned that no one should touch article 35A as doing so is against the overall national and state interests.

He further added that Art. 35A is important issue; National conference can do anything for the safeguard of art. 35A. If anything can happen with Art 35A the situation of Kashmir valley make turn new way.

Lone added, “We are ready to die for Art. 35A and New do our best to save it”. “Fiddling with Article 35-A will have serious repercussions and could add fuel to the fire as situation is already volatile in the state and particularly in Kashmir Valley”. Lone added.

Article 35A of the Indian Constitution is an article that empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state’s legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents. The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954 issued by the President of India on 14 May 1954, exercising the powers conferred by the clause (1) of the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, and with the concurrence of the Government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Following the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the Indian Union on 26 October 1947, The Maharaja ceded control over defence, external affairs and communications (the ‘ceded subjects’) to the Government of India.

The Article 370 of the Constitution of India and the concomitant Constitutional Order of 1950 formalised this relationship. Discussions for furthering the relationship between the State and the Union continued, culminating in the 1952 Delhi Agreement, whereby the governments of the State and the Union agreed that Indian citizenship would be extended to all the residents of the state but the state would be empowered to legislate over the rights and privileges of the state subjects, who would now be called permanent residents.

Article 35A provides permanent residents to people of Jammu and Kashmir “No person who is not a Permanent Resident of Jammu and Kashmir can own property in Jammu and Kashmir. No person who is not a Permanent Resident of Jammu and Kashmir can obtain job within Jammu and Kashmir Government. No person who is not a Permanent Resident of Jammu and Kashmir can join any professional college run by government of Jammu and Kashmir or get any form of government aid out of government funds. (PTK)

Srinagar: In a statement, Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) chairman Yasin Khan said the hearing on the case on the sensitive as 35A has heightened tensions in the trouble-torn region as the people are apprehensive of their fate.

A traders’ body in Kashmir on Wednesday said that fiddling with Article 35A will trigger a catastrophe not just in Kashmir but entire South Asia.
In a statement, Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) chairman Yasin Khan said the hearing on the case on the sensitive as 35A has heightened tensions in the trouble-torn region as the people are apprehensive of their fate.

Khan said any fiddling with the Article 35 A could trigger a catastrophe not just in Kashmir but in the entire south Asian region.
He said the revocation of Article 35 A will mean that people of all the three regions will lose their share of all resources in the state including jobs and land.
“People of this state will end up as being another Palestinians whose land will be taken away by outsiders. We will all lose our identity, collective and individual,” he said, in the statement.
“When New Delhi should have been serious to take measures to improve situation through initiation of efforts for final settlement Kashmir in accordance with the aspirations of the people of the state, some hidden forces are hell bent to keep Kashmir on the boil through such sinister petitions, while people are being pushed towards a decisive battle,” Khan who also heads the Kashmir Traders and Federation (KTMF) said.
He also questioned as to why all such petitions that aim to “weaken the special status of Kashmir or to bring demographic changes in the Muslim dominated state in accordance with the Hindutva agenda were taking place largely for the last four years.”
The timing of such cases, he said, looks equally conspiring. “Instead of saying when to have a hearing on such a sensitive case, we appeal the honorable Court to dismiss the petition so that the wild fears in the minds of already victimized people of Jammu and Kashmir come to an end once for all,” Khan said.
He maintained that the Kashmir Inc was not only speaking on behalf of the business community of the Valley alone but was making public the popular sentiment of the people of state in general. “Like other Kashmiris we have always scarified for the cause of Kashmir and we won’t mind to sacrifice everything if our existence is at stake,” he said.
He said it was faulty policies of the government which force the business community to speak on such issues when actually the businessmen should have been provided with a conducive environment to work.
The KEA chairman said that New Delhi should show maturity and initiate measures to resolve Kashmir and also reciprocate to Imran Khan’s offer of dialogue on the core issue so that sustainable peace and prosperity in restored.
Supporting the stand of the JRL and the Kashmir civil society on the issue, the Kashmir Inc said it was a collective responsibility of every sane individual to be extra cautious.

Says people of JK will forcefully resist every challenge by New Delhi to change the demography of State

Srinagar, Feb 12: Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik Tuesday said that people of Jammu and Kashmir will forcefully resist every challenge by New Delhi to change the demography of the State by rolling back hereditary state subject laws of 1927, being contested in the Supreme Court of India through their agents.

In a statement issued to GNS said, JRL said that the late announcement and ambiguity over the dates of hearing of 35A and 370 by Supreme Court on 13 or 14 of February is worrisome, and indicates of mischief. Leadership said that people and leadership are fully aware of the developments and are cautiously observing them and these tactics cannot deceive them or take them for a ride. It is an extremely critical issue of the our very existence as a people and of our disputed status. Leadership warned the authorities that if anything adverse to the interests of the people of J&K and its disputed status is announced through the courts a mass people’s agitation will be started instantly across the state and the responsibility of the consequences of that will be entirely on those forcing us to react, the statement said.

Leadership said people of Kashmir are facing tremendous repression tyranny and hardships by virtue of being under forcible control but it should be clear by now to those arrogant in power, that they cannot break our back and make us cow down before their might. Kashmiri’s have proved their mettle and resilience to India and the world over the last three decades by standing firm on their principled demand against a mighty military power, the statement said.

JRL said that to protest and resist this viscous move a complete strike will be observed on February 13 and 14 and if any adverse order is announced leadership will announce a mass agitation there on, the statement said.

Leadership said that they understand that frequent shutdowns add to the hardship already experienced by people as a result of occupation, but it is imperative to register our strong protest in the wake of such threatening measures by the Indian state, the statement said. (GNS)

Pulwama: Two unidentified militants has been killed while as two army men have got injured in an ongoing encounter in Ratnipora village of Pulwama District.

A police official told KNO that the two unidentified militants have been killed in ongoing encounter.

Three army men, two of them critical were also injured during encounter who have been shifted to hospital, he said. As per local sources to KNO that heavy clashes are also going on in the area.

Earlier encounter started after government forces including 50 RR cordoned off area on specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

On intensifying search operation, hiding militants fired upon forces which was retaliated by forces triggered encounter. (KNO)

Srinagar, February 11: Authorities imposed restrictions in Srinagar parts on Monday while rest of the Valley observed a complete shutdown on the 35th hanging anniversary of Muhammad Maqbool Bhat even as rallies and arrests of separatist leaders were also witnessed.

Bhat was hanged and buried in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on this day in the year 1984.

The shutdown call was given by the joint resistance leadership including Hurriyat (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani, Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Muhammad Yasin Malik.

In response to the shutdown call, all the shops, businesses establishments remained closed in Srinagar and other major towns of Kashmir.

Public transport also remained affected but private vehicles were seen plying on most of the roads. The strike also affected work in government offices, banks and post offices.

However, authorities had imposed restrictions to thwart any possible protest today. Witnesses told KNO that authorities had sealed roads in Srinagar today including at business Hub Lal Chowk, Maisuma and others.

Police and paramilitary were deployed on the roads to prevent protests. They were fanned out in the old city areas of Srinagar who had blocked all the roads with barricades and concertina wire to curtail pedestrian and vehicular movement in these areas.

Meanwhile, scores of people this afternoon carried out a protest rally from the native place of Maqbool Bhat towards main market Trehgam.

Reports reaching KNO said that, scores of people including relatives, locals and people from different parts of the District took out a protest march in Trehgam this afternoon. Men, women, children were part of the protest march, raising pro-freèdom and pro-Maqbool Bhat slogans.

The march started from the vicinity of Maqbool Bhat, holding placards, which read as, “Father of Nation Maqbool Bhat”. The protesters marched while raising pro-freedom slogans towards main market Trehgam.

It’s pertinent to mention here that, the protest march is held on every hanging anniversary of Maqbool Bhat from his native village to main market Trehgam. Meanwhile, reports said that minor clashes erupted between youth and forces at few places.(KNO)

Srinagar, February 11: As the Article 35-A case is listed between Feb 12-14 at Supreme Court (SC), the state government on Monday sought the adjournment of the hearing into the case.

Standing Counsel for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Advocate on record M Shoeb Alam submitted the application for adjournment before Registrar General of Supreme of India.

Alam in a letter said that “the state will be seeking adjournment in the matters on account that since there is presently no elected government in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the State is under President’s Rule.”

“The present matter involves a sensitive issue regarding a challenge to Article 35A of the Constitution of India. A short reply has been filed by the State of Jammu and Kashmir in the lead matter (We The Citizens) and notices have not been issued in the other petitions. It will therefore be requested that the matter may kindly be heard when an elected government is in place,” it reads.

“The letter may Kindly be circulated to the Hon’ble judges so as to avoid inconvenience to them, “it adds. Earlier in August, the SC had adjourned the hearing on a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35A till January 2019.

The Jammu and Kashmir government had sought adjournment of the hearing Article 35A in the view of upcoming local body elections in the state.

The matter was listed before a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud. The state government had written a letter to the Registrar of the Supreme Court on August 29. Jammu and Kashmir government’s standing counsel M Shoeb Alam had argued in the letter a hearing on Article 35A may impact holding of upcoming local body elections in the state.(KNO)

“If you catch swine flu, you are at an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke,”

Srinagar, Feb 11: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Monday said swine flu infection significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
“If you catch swine flu, you are at an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.
Quoting a Canadian study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Dr Nisar said people who get flu are six times more likely to have a heart attack in the first week of the illness.
“The risk is particularly high among elderly and those with underlying heart conditions,” he said.
“In another study at Columbia University in United States flu increased the odds of having a stroke by nearly 40 percent,” Dr Nisar said.

“The most significant risk occurred in the 15 days following the illness, but patients with flu continued to have elevated risk of stroke for an entire year,” he said.
Dr Nisar said flu causes acute and severe inflammation that builds up fat deposits in the inner walls of blood vessels. These fat deposits dislodge and get stuck in heart or brain, where they block the blood flow.
He added flu activates blood cells and clotting system leading to increased risk of blood clots.
“The number of heart attacks and stroke patients in Kashmir doubles in winter and flu is a major factor,” he informed
He said the risk is similar to the risk seen for other known risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or smoking.
Dr Nisar said you can prevent many heart attacks and strokes by getting vaccinated against flu.
“Studies have shown people who receive flu shots are 55% less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke,” he said.
“Ideally, people should get vaccine by the end of October. However, getting vaccinated later can still be beneficial and vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season,” Dr Nisar advised.