Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: The government has decided to lift curfew from old city on Sunday. “There will be no curfew or restrictions in any part of city or in downtown on Sunday,” a Jammu and Kashmir Government spokesman told GNS. The curfew was clamped in parts of old city on Wednesday evening following the killing of a 22-year-old Bashir Ahmad Bhat at Nowkadal area. (GNS)

Srinagar: Terming Bashir Ahmad Bhat as ‘son of the Nation’, National Front today said that Bhat was martyred by ‘India and its collaborators’ only to give a message to Kashmiris that Kashmir is their occupied territory.

According to a statement issued to KNS, in a party meeting held at it’s headquarter and presided over by Party General Secretary, Advocate Hilal Ahmad Wani, the present situation was discussed thread bear.

Addressing the meeting party office bearers said that to imagine the pain of the parents of Shaheed Basher Ahmad Bhat is impossible but the entire pro-freedom leadership assures them that the blood of their son including other thousands of martyrs is very precious to them and promises to take forward the movement for which our great martyrs sacrificed their lives.

They added that the statements about the martyrdom of Bashir Ahmad Bhat by the pro-India politicians are a part of the politics of deceit and the inquiry ordered by the so called government is nothing but the tactics of killing time.

They said that every Kashmiri knows that the culprits will not be punished they will rather be rewarded only to continue the killing spree in future.

They said that banning the political, social and personal activities of the pro-freedom leaders and detaining them is an inhuman act but India indulges in it and tries to deceive its own people and the international community. They condemned the continuous arrest of Hurriyat Conference Jammu Kashmir leaders, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Mohammad Yasin Attai, Mohammad Yousuf Naqash  and other pro- freedom leaders. They also condemned the arrests of hundreds of innocent youth and political activists by calling the arrest spree as frustration of India and its local collaborators. “The killings and arrests can never solve any problem nor the political disputes can be forgotten,” they said.

Srinagar: Rebutting the reports about the Congress being allegedly involved in cross voting during the south Kashmir polls held on April 24, the coalition candidate for the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat and senior National Conference leader Dr Mehboob Beg Saturday stated that the Congress cadres in South Kashmir tried their best to transfer their vote into his support.

Beg told KNS over phone that on the day of polling, Congress leaders were in the forefront to support its coalition partner National Conference and that their support will yield results on May 16. “We have to wait till the results are out; nothing can be said or predicted offhand.”

However, Beg said that he is confidant to emerge victorious once again from the Anantnag turf as according to him the people this time in large numbers voted for the coalition. “Yes there was boycott in some areas. It was due to the fear caused by the killing that took place before the polling day. We can say that there was also the militant presence in various areas of south Kashmir due to which people preferred to stay indoors.”

Beg who is also a sitting parliament member from South Kashmir’s Anantnag stated that  the Congress leaders including Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Mohammad Amin Bhat besides others tried their best to garner support for his win and that  it is a mere propaganda being spread by the opposition  parties that Congress did the cross voting. “PDP is trying to boost the morale of its cadre in North Kashmir as the same has already accepted defeat before the election in Baramulla constituency.”

He stated that the recent statement of PDP president Mehbooba Mufti wherein she appreciated the police and civil administration for the smooth conduction of polls in Srinagar parliamentary constituency compels him to ask the PDP president that is she ‘jittery’ about south Kashmir. “Boycott call was given by Mohammad Yasin Malik and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, PDP should ask them instead of training guns at NC.”

Beg stated that he is confident that he will win the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat once again like 2009 and that the statement of Mehbooba has made him more confident about his victory. “I can’t tell you how much would be the margin but yes I am sure I will win Anantnag seat,” Beg remarked. Anantnag  went for polls on April 24 amid clashes at various places in the constituency with protesters at stones at polling booths.

‘No crossing voting anywhere against our coalition partner’

Srinagar: Congress senior leader and minister for health and medical education on Saturday said that Congress and National Conference has ‘cordial chemistry’ and there was no cross voting anywhere as was reported by a section of press.

Talking to KNS, Taj said: “We should not find fault in our plans reached between us under our pre poll agreement. Cross voting is  a myth and find its mention only in some baseless reports.” Referring to NC additional general secretary allegations on cross voting, Taj said: “Congress is now used to such statements and does not find his (Kamal) ‘words worth for cognizance.” 

‘No one told us how to cast ballot’

Srinagar: With lakhs of laborers hailing mostly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh working in Kashmir in different sectors, little was done to facilitate their participation in elections being held across India.

The reports received by KNS maintained that the non-locals earning their livelihood in Kashmir seem least interested in casting their votes and in electing representatives of their choice. When asked for the reason, many of the labourers said that there was no facility available for them to cast their votes nor were they in a position to reach their respective home states to exercise their right.

Mohammad Shaban, who has been working in Kashmir since 1996 as a painter told KNS that he had no resources so that he could go to his native place that too only for the purpose of voting. “I am not interested in voting at least when it costs you thousands of bucks to reach home and press the button.” Another non-local from UP namely Naushad who works in Srinagar’s old city as the barber stated that government should have facilitated the voting of the laborers who work outside their native places. “It is for the first time that you are asking us about this issue. It wasn’t in our minds even.”

A large number of non-locals working in Kashmir are mostly doing the jobs as the daily wages in the private sector. They work as masons, carpenters, painters, barbers and laborers. Experts when asked over the issue stated that the trend is growing across the India when the people leave their native places and work in different parts of the country.  It was also maintained that migration has become the part of the socio- economic life in India where a class has emerged that cannot vote. The remedial measures were suggested that like the armed forces stationed in Kashmir cast their votes through the postal ballots, the same should have been adopted for the people working far from their places.

‘Brutal acts of oppression, suppressing voices of dissent undemocratic’

Srinagar: “JKLF Public awareness program asking people to keep away from Indian elections continued today and various JKLF leaders and activists visited many villages, towns and other important places in north Kashmir and besides addressing people at various places distributed boycott related written material among masses,’ said a JKLF statement issued to KNS.

Meanwhile JKLF leader Showkat Ahmad Bakshi who was in central jail Srinagar was today rearrested by CIK Humhama outside central Jail Srinagar, the Front statement added. “Police arrested doctor Ghulam Qadir Wani from Hadipora Watergam and also raided the house of JKLF activist Mushtaq Ahmad Wani at Hajan Sonawari and harassed his family. Meanwhile JKLF leaders and activists continued with their peaceful election boycott campaign in north Kashmir.”

According to the party statement JKLF zonal leader Farooq Ahmad Dar along with others visited Roohama Rafiaabad, Tregpora,Feroz Pora, Achabal and Hadipora while as district president Baramullah Abdul Rashid Magloo, along with Molvi Reyaz,and Ghulam Qadir khan visited Pethseer and its adjacent areas ,Dar Aayee,Sangrama and Singhpora ,Distric president Bandipora Nisar Jeelani along with Mushtaq Ahmad Wani,Zahoor Ahmad Parray and Manzoor Ahmad visited Kani Yari, Haritaar,Parts of Gund Jehangeer in Sonawari and JKLF activists Mushtaq Ahmad Mir,Abdul Aziz Lone,Abdul Majeed Shah,Tahir Rashid and Irshad Ahmad Mir visited Kaabawari,Jigarpora,Brmari ,Dragmullah, Kiegam kandi and Teras areas of Kupwara and distributed boycott related pamphlets among people at these places.

“Leaders apprised people of the bad effects and consequences of participating in Indian elections and appealed them to boycott upcoming Indian elections. Leaders said that participating in Indian elections is like legitimizing Indian oppression in Jammu Kashmir and Kashmiris will have to keep their eyes and hearts open and keep away from this sugar coated poison that is used to weaken and finish our resistance and struggle for freedom.”

While condemning the continues spree of arrests and continued detention of JKLF leaders and activists  ,spree of arrests in Pulwama, Srinagar and whole north Kashmir ,leaders said that these arrests and other oppressive measures have once again proved the fact that Indian elections in Jammu Kashmir are only a military operation. Leaders said that these arrests and restrictions on peaceful political activities have proved that these elections are an institutionalized manipulation and India through these measures is only trying to befool the world.

Meanwhile JKLF has strongly condemned the spree of arrests in Pulwama area and other parts of Kashmir and termed it as an act of frustration and revenge. Condemning the arrest of Doctor Ghulam Qadir Lone of Hadipoa Rafiabad and re-arresting JKLF senior leaders Showkat Ahmad Bakhshi by CIK, JKLF said that police and authorities by practicing this unilateral state sponsored violence is actually pushing the youth to the wall and promoting violence. JKLF strongly condemns these brutal acts of oppression and suppressing voices of dissent. (KNS)

Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference Jammu Kashmir (HCJK) today said that despite the continuous detention of its leaders, the election boycott call issued by the amalgam was responded with full fervor by the people of south and central Kashmir. The chief spokesperson of the amalgam expressed its full hope that the people of north Kashmir will also not fall to the machinations of pro-India parties and will follow the Hurriyat’s election boycott call.

According to a statement issued to KNS, the HCJK spokesperson while expressing serious grief over the killing of innocent youngsters who are protesting against the state terrorism said that the occupational forces by continuing such killings vindicated the statement of amalgam’s senior leader Shabir Ahmad Shah that till the last force personnel remains here, the honor, dignity, lives and property of the people of Kashmir are at stake. “They (forces) have made it routine to murder our youth in the name of law and order here,” he said.

The spokesperson said there is anarchy prevailing in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. “The pro-India politicians are in race of getting into the Parliament, while as the people of Kashmir continue to get killed and they don’t even shy from talking about the compensation for the martyred youth and the affected families,” he said, adding, “the lust for power have made them devoid of brains.”

He further said: “Such people do not hesitate in using force on the people who demand their birth right of self-determination but are always hell bent upon criticizing those who have spent their lives in jails for the just cause of freedom and by their struggle highlighted the Kashmir issue at international level.”  The spokesperson said that during the last few days, Hurriyat activists Jahangir Ahmad, Muhammad Yusuf Mir, Bilal Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Ibrahim, Waheed Ahmad, Shahjahan, Muhammad Rafiq Dar, Tariq Ahmad, Riyaz Ahmad Wani, Muzaffar Ahmad, Javid Ahmad Pir, Shiraz Ahmad, Sabit Ahmad, Sajad Ahmad and Javid Ahmad Saaznawaz have fallen victim to police oppression and are detained in various police stations.

He said there is a dire need felt to seriously reflect upon the views of Shabir Ahmad Shah that if Kashmir issue is not resolved as per UN resolutions or through tripartite talks, there is a clear possibility of nuclear war in the South Asia which will affect all the countries of the region. “India should shun its stubbornness and fulfill the promises it had kept with the people of Kashmir and, as such, contribute to the everlasting peace in the region,” the spokesperson added. (KNS)

Srinagar: The news item circulated through our news bulletin on May 2 with reference to JKLF has been found contrary to JKLF’s claims. The KNS management has taken strong notice of the JKLF’s complaint in which a spokesman has dissociated himself from making any such statement. Although we withdrew the news immediately on the same evening (May 2) but KNS is duty bound to find what led to this ethical discrepancy.  We have sought an explanation from the reporter who had filed the news. (KNS)

Police denies family claims

Srinagar: The family of slain Old City youth Saturday said they were not allowed to offer Fateh (a post-funeral prayer) of their son at ‘martyrs graveyard’ by police and paramilitary troopers.

The family of Bashir Ahmad Bhat who was killed in ‘armed forces’ firing on Wednesday soon after the polling concluded, said that the police and Central Reserve Police Force came early in the morning and imposed curfew in of Gratabal Nov Kadal.

“Initially, after seeing their mood, we couldn’t even dare to ask them to allow us for offering Bashir’s Fateh,” Farooq Ahmad Bhat, his family member, said over phone, adding when we asked they refused.Bashir was buried at ‘martyrs’ graveyard’ Eidgah, which is barely one kilometer away from Nov Kadal. He alleged that the tent which was installed by family was also removed by government forces. “They even removed the tent,” he said.

Farooq added then we installed the tent in another locality, Arampora. “They allowed us to install tent at Arampora only after telling us that no loudspeaker should be used by you people or any disturbance should be created,” he said. “They also thrashed two to three people.”He said due to government restrictions we could not install epitaph on Bashir’s grave.

However, denying family’s claim, the Superintendent of Police (SP) City North, Tahir Saleem Khan told GNS they didn’t bar anyone from going to Eidgah. “But,” he said, “Whosoever felt that he can’t reach the grave yard, he didn’t go. But we didn’t stop anyone.” The officer also denied family’s charge that they were forced to remove the tent.

“There was curfew on main road but no restrictions were imposed from inner localities,” he added. (GNS)