Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: A family in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town Friday accused J&K police of barging into their house and decamping with cash amounting to over Rs 3 lakh and gold jewellery.

The family of Ghulam-u-Din Mir, a trader who lives in Stadium Colony near Azad Ganj in Baramulla Friday told media that a posse of forces carried a noctural raid on Thursday night and arrested Munir Ahmed, Mir’s son, on charges of stone-pelting.

“Not only Munir, the forces dragged Ghulam-u-Din Mir also and after severe thrashing bundled them into police vehicle,” one of the family members told CNS.

Showing the damage to media men allegedly caused by forces during the raid, the family members alleged the forces hit the lockers with gun butts and took away cash of Rs 3.3lakh and three sets of gold jewellery.

“We had set apart the cash and jewellery for the marriage of our daughters,” the family members said.

Terming the allegation of family baseless, Deputy Inspector General of Police, North Kashmir Ghulam Hasan Bhat said police hasn’t indulged in the act.

He however confirmed that Ghulam-u-Din Mir and his son Munir Mir were arrested by police for their involvement in stopping of vehicles and thrashing of voters in Baramulla.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone, has strongly condemned the attack on residents of district Kupwara, Narvav and Uri in Sopore and Baramulla town.

According to a statement issued to KNS, Lone said, “I want to make it clear to those youths involved in the attacks to clear any misunderstanding that they might have. These attacks are not indicators of  valor, bravery or courage. If anything the attacks depict hooliganism and total cowardice. Stopping helpless civilians and attacking them is no act of bravery. Those youths who try to attain their goals by attacking the innocent civilians will find that the end does not justify the means. We strongly believe that voting and boycott fall within the rights of inhabitants of Kashmir. Such acts of hooliganism if anything attribute motives of fear to those who boycotted.”

Lone further added, “If the attackers are brave enough let them check the index fingers of SPG protected Omar Abdullah or Mufti Sahib. The attacks are bound to result in polarization and further fragment an already fragmented society. There are huge number of people who are from Sopore and Baramulla travel daily to Kupwara and Handwara. There are hundreds of them who own shops in these towns. I dread to imagine the state of affairs if there are reprisals. Already there are reports of reprisals in Handwara and Kupwara. We condemn such acts as well. I appeal to uphold brotherhood.”

Lone went on to say that the youths involved in attacks also need to understand that the reason the state administration is allowing the attacks to take place is the unhappiness of the ruling NC over the polling percentage in district Kupwara. And the youths involved in the attacks also need to check their ranks. The revelations of Gen V K Singh point out to huge sums being paid for such attacks in the past. I hope that it is an  act of madness and not a paid act. I once again appeal to the youths to desist from such attacks and also appeal to people of Kupwara to stay calm.

Srinagar: Army and police Friday afternoon launched a search operation in Mawver area of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Official sources told GNS that army’s 30 RR, Paratroopers and Special Operation Group of police cordoned off Shanu village in Mawver following the intelligence inputs about the presence of 2-3 militants.

“The joint team of forces reached our village, they laid down a tight cordon around the school,” a resident told GNS, adding that the joint team of forces fired several warning shots while taking positions to counter suspected militants.

He said that the forces also conducted house to house searches adjacent to the Government Boys Middle School. “Now they have cordoned the whole village with additional reinforcement”.

Sources told GNS that late in the evening the joint team intensified the searches around the school as there was no response from other side. The forces start searching at the suspected spot where they have reportedly recovered some food items, sources said.

According to official sources, forces have launched searches in the adjacent areas of the Shanu village to track down the militant group.

When reports last came in, the searches and cordon was on in the area. (GNS)

‘Have arrested three assailants, youth out of danger’: SP Kargil

Zanskar: Police arrested at least three Buddhist zealots after a frenzy mob attacked a group of Muslims injuring a youth critically in land-locked Zanskar division of Kargil district in Jammu and Kashmir.
The relations between majority Buddhists and Muslims in Zansakar witnessed deep strain after 22 members of four families of Buddhists embraced Islam in 2012. On the directions of Zanskar Buddhist Association spearheading the Buddhist movement in the region, Buddhists are on complete boycott with the Muslim population residing in main historical town of Padum.
Eyewitnesses told CNS that a frenzy mob attacked a group of Muslim youth near Uffti village when they were on way to their home. “Amanullah, a youth suffered serious injuries while the mob stripped him off and thrashed him mercilessly,” a resident of Zanskar told CNS adding that the administration is mulling to airlift the injured youth for treatment in Srinagar or Jammu.
The father of the injured youth said that his son was attacked by unruly mob without any provocation. “How long this will continue and how long government will stop us providing security,” he said.
Tension gripped in Zanskar especially in Padum where large number of Muslims took to streets, after the news about the attack spread in the town. Police swung into action and sealed all the roads to thwart the clashes between the two communities.
An administrative official in Zanskar told CNS that situation is tense but under control. “We have taken all possible measures to maintain law and order in the division,” he said.
When contacted Superintendent of Police Kargil, Sujit Kumar told CNS that police have registered a case against the three persons involved in the attack on the youth who according to him is out of danger. “There is no need to airlift him as the youth is out of danger. We have arrested three persons in this connection and a case vide FIR number 2/2014 under section 323, 147 of RPC has been registered against them,” Kumar said.
Chief Executive Councilor Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council Asghar Ali Karbalai told CNS that top police officials are on job while due to efforts of SP Kargil, situation has been brought under control. “We want both the communities to live in peace and harmony as they used to live in past,” he said.

Srinagar: Waheeda Akhtar, wife of Javeed Iqbal Thursday passed to the heavenly abode, causing great grief to the entire area. The deceased was the teacher by profession and a noble soul. The entire locality of Iram Colony Ahsmuqam expressed grief and sorrow over her demise. Her chaharum shall be observed on May 11, 2014 with the congregational fateha Khwani at her ancestral graveyard. Various social organizations have expressed grief over her demise and solidarity with the bereaved family.

‘News spread by rivals’

Srinagar: Ridiculing the reports that he has surrendered his security cover after his bullet proof vehicle was reportedly allotted to another minister, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand Friday stated that the baseless and spread by his rivals. “It is a conspiracy against me hatched by my opponents. I have the security cover and have not surrendered it. The same is being spread to damage my image,” Chand told KNS over phone. He further accused that it was unfortunate that some media houses without confirming the facts, spread the news and the same is factually incorrect.

The Deputy Chief Minister maintained further that Congress has gained a strong foot-hold in the state and that the alliance of National Conference and Congress will win all the six parliamentary seats from the state. “We are confidant of our win and the people who doubt the same should wait till May 16 to see ours claims getting vindicated by the results.”

Srinagar: On the directions of incarcerated Hurriyat leader Shabir Ahmad Shah, a high level delegation of Hurriyat Conference Jammu Kashmir (HCJK) comprising of Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bita Karatey, Muhammad Yusuf Naqash, Molvi Bashir Ahmad, Muhammad Yasin Ataai, Muhammad Shafi and Fayaz Ahmad today visited the residence of Shaheed Bashir Ahmad of Nawakadal in Old city. According to a statement issued to KNS, the leaders while expressing solidarity with the bereaved family paid tributes to Shaheed Bashir and all other martyrs since 1947 and said the movement will continue till the mission of martyrs will reach its logical conclusion.

They said the sacrifices rendered by martyrs for the usurped right of self determination by India will not go waste at any cost. “We are the guardians of these sacrifices and will not let anyone play with the sacred blood of the martyrs,” they said.

Later on, the leaders also visited the residences of injured youth in Pakheryaar, Khalid Ahmad Khan son of Abdul Qayoom Khan and a lady Haleema wife of Nisar Ahmad Shaaksaaz  of Nawakadal, Baaripora. The leaders while consoling the grieved family said the day is not far when India will pack its bags from Kashmir as history is witness to such facts that oppressors always suffer a horrible doom. In this delegation, HCJK activists Wajhat Qureshi, Muhammad Yusuf, Showkat Ahmad Bhat, Muhammad Ayoub Dar, Sajad Ahmad Lone, Javid Ahmad Mir, Feroz Ahmad and Latied Ahmad were also present. 

‘Use of coercion during north Kashmir polls undemocratic’

Srinagar: Taking cognizance of aggressive means adopted by Army and some elements in recently concluded parliamentary elections in north Kashmir, the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights–JK (IFJHR-JK) has strongly condemned the acts by terming it “undemocratic” and “unethical”. According to reports, Army had allegedly threatened people to come out to vote there while as the voters were stripped and thrashed by some unidentified youth for casting their votes. According to a statement issued to KNS, “To vote or boycott is the basic right of every citizen and we strongly condemn the use of force or any other repressive measures adopted by anyone in this regard,” IFJHR-JK in a statement issued to media said.

“To curb the basic rights of citizens by subjecting them to repression or any other torture, that too in a democratic set up is against the very core of the institution itself. Such means of aggression cannot be but termed as undemocratic and unethical,” chairman IFJHR-JK Muhammad Ashan Untoo said. He said the state of Jammu and Kashmir is the only place in the world where such kinds of violations take place. “People across the globe enjoy their right to franchise in a free way except this part where coercion is adopted to suppress the opposite ideology,” Untoo said, adding, “such incidents tantamount to grave human rights violation as it curbs the very basic right of an individual.”

International Forum for Justice and Human Rights – JK severely condemns such kind of incidents and terms these detrimental to the smooth functioning of democracy. We demand that every citizen should be given the right to enjoy his basic human rights. Meanwhile, IFJHR-JK has condemned the police highhandedness in north Kashmir’s Baramulla, Sopore and Bandipora on Friday where police went berserk and sabotaged properties of locals. 

Srinagar: A few incidents of violence have been reported from Sopore and Baramulla, wherein some passenger vehicles have been stoned, stopped and some passengers travelling in them have been assaulted. According to a police statement issued to KNS, while taking a serious note of these incidents, Police has lodged 05 FIRs, 03 in police station Baramulla and 02 in police station Sopore. The miscreants involved in these acts of violence have been identified and special teams have been formed to arrest these culprits and a number of miscreants involved in these incidents have been arrested. Police has reiterated that no such incident of violence against the people and the passengers commuting will be tolerated and stringent action will be taken against the guilty.