Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • Govt orders probe in Sopore youth’s killing

    DC Bla to submit report within 15 days: Div Com

    Srinagar: The government has ordered probe in Sopore firing incident which led  to the killing of a youth and injury to four others. The divisional commissioner Kashmir Mr Shalinder Kumar told KNS: “We have ordered probe in the incident.”

    The divisional commissioner Kashmir informed that the deputy commissioner Baramulla will be heading the probe and has been asked to submit the report within 15 days.

    A youth was killed and four others were injured on Monday when security forces allegedly opened fire to disperse a protest rally following an encounter in Sopore town of Baramulla district. A senior police officer had told KNS that group of youth had started pelting stones at security forces, who returning from Krankishivan Colony of Sopore after accomplishing an counter insurgency operation in which a top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit was killed.

    Security forces had later allegedly opened fire to disperse the protesting youth, resulting in injuries to five of them, the sources said.

    Sources said one of the injured; Arshad Ahmad Shah son of Abdul Aziz Shah Resident of Naseem Bagh succumbed to injuries while being taken to a hospital. Rest of the four who sustained injuries in the firing have been identified as Naseer Ahmad Beigh son of Ghulam Mohiuddin a resident of Jamia Kadeem, Shahid Ahmad son of Kasim Ahangar a resident of Naseem Bagh, Ilyas Shalla son of Attaullah Shalla resident of Shalpora and Abid Gojri resident of Sopore. The situation in the area is tense as more people have taken to streets in protest against the killing.

    According to a police statement issued to Kashmir Despatch said that after the completion of an operation in Baba Raza Krankshvan Sopore in which one Pakistani militant got killed; Operation parties while withdrawing from the area were pelted with stones by some miscreants. “The mob swelled and attempted to set at fire one security armoured vehicle. Security forces used non-lethal weapons but the situation could not be controlled. Resultantly few shots were fired in which 4 people got injured.

    One of the injured Arshad Ahmad Shah son of Abdul Aziz Shah resident of  Seer Jagir Sopore succumbed to his injuries unfortunately. Other injured people have been hospitalized and are stated to be out of danger. The incident is being enquired into and a Case has been registered in this regard, the police statement reads.

  • Yasin Malik, Others Shifted to Central Jail Srinagar

    JKLF supreme leader Aman Ullah Khan strongly condemns the undemocratic oppressive acts by Indian rulers. 

    Srinagar: Chairman JKLF Mohammad Yasin Malik, zonal president Noor Mohammad Kalwal along with dozens of other detained JKLF leaders and activists who were arrested day before while marching towards Lal Chowk have been shifted to central jail Srinagar today. Among those who have been shifted include zonal organizer Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, district president Ganderbal Bashir Ahmad Rather (Boya), Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, Fayaz Ahmad Mir, Nazir Ahmad Rather,Habibullah Dar,Basharat Ahmad Imtiyaz Ahmad Ganai and Mohammad Shafi Lone. Other arrested that include Advocate vice chairman Basher A Butt, vice chairman Showkat A Bakhshi, vice chairman Mushtaq Ajmal, general secretary engineer Ghulam Rasool Dar Eidi, vice president zone Mohammad Sideeq Shah, district president Syed Nisar Jeelani, district president Rafiq Ahmad War, Molvi Rashid, Nazir A Hajam, Mushtaq Ahmad ,Abdul Majeed, Sanaullah, Mohammad Haneef Dar, Imtiyaz Ahmad ,and Mohammad Hussein have been placed under custody in police station Batamaloo, police station karan Nagar, police station Shaheed Gunj and police station sadder. General Secretary Front Ghulam Rasool Dar Eidi is ill in custody. Also JKLF activists arrested in pulwama and Islamabad are still in police custody. These include Javed Ahmad Butt (district president ), Tariq Ahmad , Fayaz A Khan, Mohammad Altaf Raina ( Pulwama), Javed Ahmad Malik, Mohammad Ishaaq Ganai (district president) Ghulam Qadir Haider, Nazir Ahmad Khan, Mohammad Ishaaq Zalangam, Shabir Boitangoo etc( Islamabad), Mohammad Ramzan Sofi, Mohammad Shafi Lone, Mohammad Rajab,Ghulam Mohammad Malik and Abdul Rashid Mir etc.

    JKLF supreme leader Jenab Aman Ullah Khan while strongly condemning these arrests has said that these arrests, oppressive measures against peaceful political programs, restrictions, barricades and tyrannical acts of India and its forces have once again proved that India which claims to be the biggest democracy of the world is not even familiar with the norms of this virtue in Jammu Kashmir. India and its forces have in fact used every un-democratic means to crush peaceful democratic struggle of Kashmiris and today’s acts are also a part of this Indian anti peace and anti democratic doctrine. Aman sahib while paying tributes to chairman JKLF Mohammad Yasin Malik sahib’s courage and passion said that jails and incarcerations have and will not succeed in breaking our will and our struggle for freedom will continue till the achievement of desired goal.

    Meanwhile detained JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik has expressed his heart felt grief and sorrow over the sad demise of a veteran kashmiri leader and intellectual khwaja Abdul Gaffer who was residing in Rawalpindi Pakistan. While recalling his close association with Khawaja sahib Yasin Malik said that he was a man of passion and zeal and loving personality. He said that by his departure kashmiris have lost a well wisher and leader. Yasin Malik while expressing solidarity with his bereaved family that includes Jenab Khusheed Ahmad of Bewpaar Mendal Maharaj Gunj prayed for his heavenly abode. JKLF supreme leader Aman Ullah khan, vice chairman Salim Haroon, chief spokesman Rafiq Ahmad Dar and Manzoor Ahmad Khan participated in the funeral prayers of departed leader and expressed condolences with his bereaved family.

    JKLF delegation led by deputy chief organizer Mir Siraj Ud din today visited Sopore and met with the family of martyred youth Arshid Aziz. The delegation included zonal deputy general secretary Farooq Ahmad Dar, deputy district president Altaf Ahmad Gujri , Ghulam  Qadir khan and  Molvi Reyaz. The leaders while paying tributes to the martyred youth expressed their heartfelt condolences and solidarity with his bereaved family. Delegation also conveyed the condolence message of jailed JKLF chairman to the family.

     

  • Coalition will complete its full term: Congress

    Srinagar: Saying the Jammu and Kashmir government should complete its full term, Congress general secretary Ambika Soni on Tuesday said party president Sonia Gandhi will take the final call on the future electoral alliance in the state. She was addressing a press conference at SKICC along with former chief minister G N Azad.

    Ruling out an immediate pullout from the coalition government, Ambika Soni, in charge of party affairs in Kashmir, said, “The local leadership has very frankly expressed its views on this. I will put these before the Congress president.”

    “We still have so many months to go for Assembly Elections. The coalition government has done work and we expect will do more till elections. The final decision will be conveyed to you by our leadership.”

    She said she was returning to New Delhi along with former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and State Congress president Saifuddin Soz would join them later.

    “We will give our joint report to the Congress president,” she said.

    She said she personally felt that the elected government in the state should complete its full term of six years.

    “All three of us jointly discussed well past midnight individually with the local leaders and party functionaries the future roadmap of the party during the Assembly Elections.”

    “The interaction has been as detailed as possible. We discussed what we have achieved during the last five-and-a-half years and what else needs to be done.”

    “I must say the party is extremely disappointed that despite our efforts, we were not successful in the three (Lok Sabha) seats that we contested.”

    “We have learnt lessons and we don’t want to be caught napping against any future communal polarisation which we feel is harmful to the interests of the people of Kashmir,” she said.

    Ambika Soni said the party was discussing how to rectify the problems those led to the defeat of its two senior leaders in Lok Sabha battle in Jammu region.

    She said the Congress fully supported a massive employment package for Kashmiri youths and this would be part of the Congress election manifesto.

    She, however, said there was no point in making future promises without fulfilling those already made.

    Sources said that Congress ministers have advised their party leaders not to part ways from the National Conference before the stipulated time as there are “many things” which they want to do before going for polls. They added that these “many things” included Food security bill, Land accusation bill and the regularisation of 40,000 casual labourers.

    “These things will surely help our party later this year when the state elections are scheduled,” the ministers told party leaders.

  • Indian court issues arrest warrant for MS Dhoni

    New Delhi: An Indian court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Hindus.Indian news media reports stated that a local court in Andhra Pradesh issued the warrant after Dhoni failed to appear in court despite being summoned on three occasions. The police has been directed to present Dhoni in court on July 16. MS Dhoni appeared in the Business Today magazine posing as Hindu god Vishnu MS Dhoni appeared in the Business Today magazine posing as Hindu god Vishnu

    The case relates to a picture on the cover of an Indian magazine Business Today which carried a picture of Dhoni portrayed as Hindu god Vishnu in its April 2013 edition. The picture bore the sub title “God of Big Deals”, with the cricketing legend holding products of several companies including a shoe in his hand.
    A local leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had filed a petition in the court in February this year alleging that the cricketer hurt the sentiments of Hindus by denigrating a Hindu god.
    The summons issued by the court to Dhoni on three occasions were returned. The court, which took up the hearing on Tuesday, issued the arrest warrant.     Similar petitions against Dhoni were filed in Delhi, Pune and other cities.

    Dhoni is among six prominent “Indian capped” players likely to face the heat for their alleged roles in a fixing scandal with their names cropping up in a report filed before the Supreme Court by a committee probing the Indian Premiere League (IPL) betting and spot-fixing scam.
    In its report, the three-member committee said that former BCCI President I.S. Bindra had also stated that he knew two former reputed Indian players who were allegedly involved in match-fixing.

    According to a report submitted to Justice Mukul Mudgal by G. Sampath Kumar (SP, Railways, Trichy), Kumar had carried out an investigation as SP, Crime Branch CID (internal security) and came in touch with bookies when investigating a fake passport case in 2013. He had submitted the report to Justice Mudgal and top cricketers like M.S. Dhoni and Suresh Raina’s names came up in the report.

    Justice Mudgal did not give clean chit to anyone but said further investigation needs to be done on spot and match-fixing. But the current focus on just betting is raising questions as to whether senior players are being deliberately shielded and a cover-up is in place.

  • Mixed response to shutdown call in Kashmir

    Srinagar: Valley is observing shutdown against the killing of a youth in Sopore by the hands of the forces however private transport is plying normally Tuesday.

    Shutdown call was given by all the three factions of Hurriyat Conference.

    The shops are closed in the summer capital but the roads are busy with public transport plying almost normally. However, the public transport is thin.

    Reports of partial shutdown have been received from other district and Tehsil headquarters of the valley.

    Arshid Ahmad Shah was killed in Sopore when forces resorted to ‘indiscriminate firing’ to disperse protesters at an encounter site on Monday.

    Meanwhile, Sopore town is under siege following the killing.

  • Kashmir Summer Festival 2014: Innovative measures underway to boost tourism: G. A. Mir

    Srinagar: Minister for Tourism, Mr. Ghulam Ahmad Mir has said that various innovative measures have been taken to boost Tourism Industry in Jammu and Kashmir, adding that organising Kashmir Summer Festival is part of that strategy.

    Mir was addressing a culture show(Mehfil-e-Sufiyana) organised by Tourism Department here last evening, as a part of Nine day Kashmir Summer Festival 2014,  which commenced from 21st of this month.

    Famous Sufiyana singer, Hans Raj Hans, Abdul Rashid Hafiz, Raashid Jehangir and Dhananjay Koul accompanied him on the stage which mesmerised the jam packed audience. The Minister said that three more festivals namely autumn, winter and spring shall be held in the corresponding seasons to attract more and more tourists to visit the Paradise on Earth during all seasons of the year.

    Director Tourism, Kashmir, Mr. Talat Parvaiz, in his welcome address said that the aim of holding such festivals is to attract tourists from world over in all seasons of the year. He thanked all stakeholders who participated in making the event a success.

    Later, on the culmination of the show, the Minister presented gifts to the participant singers as token of love. Among others who attend the function included ADGP, Mr. S M Sahai, IGP Mr. Muneer Khan, Director Information, Mr. Tasaduq Jeelani and other officers and media personalities.

  • Nocturnal protests in KU over Sopore killing

    Srinagar: Students at the University of Kashmir held nocturnal protest against the killing of a youth in northern Sopore town today.

    The hostelers  at the varsity shouted anti Indian slogans while marching from Naseem Bagh to the Ghandi Bhawan of the campus. The peaceful march was attended by hundreds of students from the Hostels.

    While shouting Azaadi slogans, the protestors blamed the government for keeping mum on the human rights violations in Kashmir.

    The protestors accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for adhering anti Kashmir policy. The protestors raised slogans against the continuing innocent killings in valley.

    The youth Arshid Ahmad Shah, 22 of Naseem Bagh Sopore was killed by government forces after protests erupted following a gunfight which left a Laskhar-e-Toiba militant dead.

  • ‘Qualified youth joining militant ranks’

    Baramulla: From past one month, at least six qualified students including two scholars according to police have joined militant outfit Hizbul Mujhadeen and Lashkar-e-Toiba in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Three of them belong to Pattan town while rest of them are from Apple Town Sopore.

    Police sources told CNS that at least six youth including two postgraduate students who had gone missing from North Kashmir’s Baramulla district last month have joined militant ranks.

    Police said that on May 14 last month, they received information that at least six youth in the age group of 20 to 23 have gone missing from Pattan and Sopore.

    “We accordingly called their family members for clarification and they admitted that they are missing,” a top police official told CNS on condition of anonymity.

    Sources said that two youth hail from village Brathkalan and one is from Duroo village of Sopore town. Another youth is from Lolipora Pattan while two more youth are from the same village Andargam Pattan.

    Reliable sources in Counter Intelligence Unit identified these youth as Sameer Ahmad Wani (Duroo),Reyaz Ahmad Mir and Adil Ahmad Mir both residents of Brath Kalan Sopore, Ashiq Ramzan Wani resident of Lolipora Pattan and Mehraj-u-Din Bhat and Ishfaq Farooq Lone from Andargam Pattan. Mehraj-u-Din Bhat is MSc B.Ed.

    A police official told CNS that Adil Ahmad Mir and Ishfaq Farooq Lone were the students of Barkatullah University Bhopal. “Ishfaq was doing M.Phil while Adil was pursuing Masters Degree in Economics and as per reports, both have joined militant ranks,” he said adding that there are reports that that two of them are roaming in Kupwara forests with Lashkar-e-Toiba cadres who are mostly non-locals.

    The father of Ishfaq told CNS that his son was a meritorious student who secured distinction right from class 10th. “I fail to understand why he went missing and where he is. During my last meeting with him, he informed me that he along with his friends is going for a picnic. That was May 13 and after that he never returned,” Farooq Ahmed said.

    Police said that another youth Ashiq Hussain Wani who went missing is a law graduate from Central University Kashmir. “Not a single FIR stands registered in any police station against these missing youth,” the official said adding that there are apprehensions that these youth could persuade more youth to join militant ranks. (CNS)

     

  • Waza detained in Islamabad, not allowed to take out a protest rally

    Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir people’s league chairman Mukhtar Ahmad Waza was today again detained when he along with his supporters tried to hold a protest demonstration against the grave human rights violations being committed by Indian armed forces in the state. According to a statement issued to KNS, party spokesman, Imtiyaz Ahmad Reshi condemned the police action and said that Waza was scheduled to lead a protest rally from his residence to Lal Chowk Islamabad. He said that police raided the residence of Mukhtar Ahmad Waza and arrested. Spokesman said that Waza was shifted to police station Sherbagh Islamabad.

    Spokesman said that India is systematically violating the human rights of the people who demand right to self-determination just to suppress ongoing freedom struggle. He said that people of Jammu and Kashmir have laid down their precious lives for the same movement and it is main responsibility of international community to pressurize India and ensure that people of Kashmir get their birth right for deciding their future.

    Spokesman also condemned the continuous detention of party chairman Mukhtar Ahmad Waza and said that since from past months, Waza was not allowed to carry any political activity. He urged upon international human rights watch dogs to take a serious note of human rights violations being perpetrated by Indian troops.

  • Sagar addresses NC Youth and Women’s Wings

    ‘Youth are future of J&K. Our Pillars of Strength’

    ‘Women play vital role in progress of society’

    Srinagar: National Conference General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar addressed the party’s Youth Wing and Women’s Wing at the Party Headquarters at Nawa-e-Subah Complex in Srinagar and said that youth of J&K were its future and formed pillars of strength upon which a saga of progress and growth was being scripted under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Party’s Provincial President for Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, Women’s Wing President Shameema Firdous, Youth President Salman Ali Sagar and various Senior Leaders of the party as well as leaders from the Youth and Women’s Wings were also present in the meetings.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, while addressing the Provincial Committee, District Presidents and activists of Youth National Conference, Sagar said the Omar Abdullah Government was a youth-centric government that had firm conviction in the capability of our youth to usher J&K into an era of nation-building and prosperity. The NC General Secretary said that the role of youth and an elaborate vision for their growth was penned down in the National Conference vision document ‘Naya Kashmir’ and it was none other than Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah who gave youth a space and opportunity to serve their people through constructive, youth-centric politics.

    Sagar said that Omar was a dynamic youth icon who understood the youth and related to the vision of youth for the future. “Omar’s initiatives to create employment avenues and entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth of J&K are historic and will be remembered as glorious youth-centric initiatives for a long time to come.”

    Addressing the party’s Women’s Wing, NC General Secretary Sagar said that women play a vital role in the social, academic, cultural and economic progress of a nation and National Conference was proud to have a robust, vital Women’s Wing that has strengthened the party at the grassroots level at every crucial juncture. The NC General Secretary said that Madar-e-Meharbaan Begum Akbar Jehan was a role-model for the women of our State as her vision for their emancipation and education had guided thousands of young girls and women towards prosperity and progress. Sagar lauded the role played by Madar-e-Meharbaan in heralding the cause of women’s education and said the ‘Naya Kashmir’ vision document clearly outlined the vision of the party for the upliftment of womenfolk. All District Presidents and office bearers of the NC Women’s Wing were present on the occasion and reiterated their resolve and commitment to ensure a resounding victory for National Conference in the forthcoming Assembly Elections.