Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • Don’t look at Crimea’s freedom: Soz tells Separatists

    Srinagar: Commenting over the Crimea’s freedom from Ukraine and the statements of pro-freedom groups relating the same with Kashmir issue, state Congress chief Saif-ud-din soz Thursdaystated that Crimea’s freedom will never help Kashmir’s separatists.
    I can tell you that Crimea’s is a different situation and the same is never going to help Kashmir’s separatist leaders, Soz told KNS over phone.
    The state Congress chief observed further that there is nothing new in the series of statements being issued by the separatists over Crimea’s freedom here and that the leaders every time have been taking advantage from the International situations. “They find it conducive to their demands. Never have they been benefitted from such hypothetically favorable situations,” Soz maintained.
    Pertinently, several separatist parties including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq welcomed Crimea’s freedom from Ukraine-stating, “New Delhi must learn a lesson from Crimea and shun its stubborn approach and allow the people of Kashmir to decide their fate. We should be given our birth right to choose our future the way Crimea did.”
    Huriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani had stated that it has proven that no region of the world can forcibly be kept against the will of its people by any other country for long and the choice and will of the people can’t be changed by force. (KNS)

  • NC appoints Junaid Mattu as new provincial party spokesman

    Srinagar: The ruling National Conference has appointed Junaid Azim Mattu as the new party spokesman for Kashmir Province and has also constituted a new Media Cell for Kashmir.

    In a statement issued here, the National Conference Provincial President Mr. Nasir Aslam Wani said that Junaid Mattu will also head and be In-charge of the Media Cell at the NC Headquarters at Nawa-e-Subh Complex at Srinagar to which four new members have been nominated. The members of the NC Media Cell are Advocate Zaffar Shaheen, Engineer Syed Shujat Chashoo, Mr. Hilal Ahmed Sofi and Mr. Tanveer Ahmed.
    Nasir Aslam Wani, while congratulating Junaid and the young Media Cell team, has emphasized the importance of effective political communications and media management as allied functions of a political party as historic, diverse and deep-rooted as National Conference.
    Meanwhile, Junaid Mattu has thanked the NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the Party Working President and Chief Minister Mr. Omar Abdullah, NC General Secretary Advocate Sheikh Nazir Ahmed, NC Additional General Secretary Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal and NC Provincial President Kashmir Mr. Nasir Aslam Wani for constituting the new Media Cell and for ‘reposing faith in him and his colleagues’. Mattu has also congratulated his young colleagues on their nomination to the Media Cell.

  • UPA government miserably failed to solve J&K issue: Mufti

    Srinagar: Accusing the Congress led UPA at the centre for failing to make any progress on the political dimension of Jammu and Kashmir over the last ten years; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Thursday termed the forthcoming parliamentary elections as an opportunity for the people to elect those people who are sincere and able to push forward issues of people and motivate the parliament to get the state out of present muddle.
    According to a statement issued to KNS, while the senior PDP leader, Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari said the state is going through a difficult phase and the ruling government has held everything hostage to its inefficiency and ineptness to deliver and called upon the PDP cadres to strengthen the party at every level and work to ensure the win of the party candidates in the parliamentary polls.
    Addressing senior party leaders, legislatures and workers of Srinagar parliamentary constituency at his official Gupkar residence, Mufti said the state is at the threshold of a change and the parliamentary polls will be a turning point to broaden the discourse about Kashmir issue at the national level, as the performance of the present MPs from the state have been disastrous to the extent as they have miserably failed to raise the issue in the parliament.
    He said the fight of PDP is not with any individual or any ideology, but the party has its own agenda for the state and it will fight for the rights and political empowerment of the people, who are still being looked down upon with suspicion both in and outside the state. He said we have been choosing MPs but instead of working for the people and interests of the state in real sense, they choose to remain silent on crucial matters pertaining to J&K.
    Mufti said this vote is not just to change the government or elect MPs but there is a growing need to build the prevailing trust deficit between the people of J&K and rest of the country and between India & Pakistan, and PDP will work to make any future government at the centre to endorse its agenda of political resolution and empowerment of people.
    Coming down heavily on the UPA government at the Centre of which National Conference is part, Mufti questioned what kind of government it is which has not been able to address  the J&K issue over the last ten years and instead derailed the entire reconciliation process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He said the hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guroo was the most unfortunate thing that could have happen in any democratic country and the Congress and NC went ahead with this without realising the sensitivities of the people of Kashmir.
    He said a new beginning was made by the opening of Srinagar-Muzzafrabad road but the entire atmosphere of trust now in a reverse gear and could be threatened unless retrieved soon, as both NC led government in the state and UPA at the centre did not consolidate on the gains made by the PDP during its brief tenure in the government. He said there is an atmosphere of change both at the national as well as local level and the PDP will determinedly make any future political formation at the Centre to work on both internal and external dimensions of Kashmir issue.
    Mufti said PDP is a disciplined party which has an independent agenda, an objective not only to bridge gaps between the different parts of the state, but between New Delhi and Kashmir and India and Pakistan, which the NC could not do over the last 60 years, besides taking votes from people. Mufti said Srinagar has suffered immensely over the last five years due to the insensitivity of the ruling coalition and it being the intellectual and political nerve centre of the state cannot remain aloof from the urge for change that is sweeping the state. He said active participation of Srinagar in the political process for change will add much desired cutting edge, credibility and prestige to it
    Speaking on the occasion, the senior PDP leader, Molvi Iftikar Hussain Ansari said J&K is going through a difficult phase and the present government instead of making a positive impact on the ground, has held everything hostage to its inefficiency and ineptness to deliver. With the result, he said, the common man is suffering for basic amenities like power, water, ration etc. and exhorted the hope that people will now ensure that a new system, based on equality and justice, shall find its place to take the state forward on modern lines. Ansari said the state after witnessing distraction and political turmoil for many years had reposed its trust once again in democratic process and had repeatedly participated in elections to choose their representatives to various institutions like the parliament, state assembly, urban bodies and panchayats. He asked the party cadres to work in coordination in the forthcoming polls.
    Meanwhile, the senior PDP leader and the party’s candidate for Srinagar parliamentary constituency, Tariq Hameed Karra said the change is inevitable on the ground and there is now chance for people to cast their votes in favour right candidates who can represent their aspirations in the highest democratic institution of the country. He said the present government has utterly failed on every front and instead of having resolved the problems of people it is insulting all of us as ‘Maha Chors’.
    The senior party leader, Aga Syed Mahmood said there has been a complete freeze on development during the past five years as not a single project of significance was executed in Budgam constituency and in the recent expansion of administrative units the constituency has been left. He cautioned the party workers against the nefarious designs of the elements who are hell bent to divide the society. Calling for a change in the governance system, he asked the people to help PDP in establishing a new system in J&K, which is based on truth and honesty.
    Other leaders include Javaid Mustafa Mir MLA, Dr Mohd Shafi MLA,Qazi Mohammad Afzal district president, Mohammad Ashraf Mir MLC & district President, Gh Nabi Lone Hanjura, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Imran Ansari, Saifudin Bhat district president, Ab Hameed Kosheen, Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Muntazir Mohiudin, A R Kuchey, Asiea Naqash, Mrs Mian Sarwar, Anjum Fazilli, Bashir Ahmad Mir, Dr Nazir Ahmad Lone, Bashir Ahmad , Ab Qayoom and youth leaders Nazir Yatoo, Shuja Sarwar ,Mudasir Amin,Irfan Naqashbandi were also present and spoke on this occasion. (KNS)

  • Election in Kashmir a ‘military operation’, says Geelani’s Hurriyat

    Srinagar: While terming the government’s plan of crackdown on pro-freedom camp with respect to the upcoming election drama as ‘ridicules’, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, said ‘this action proves our stand cent present right that the election in Jammu and Kashmir are merely a ‘military operation rather than a democratic process’.
    In a statement issued here, while challenging the government, the Hurriyat said: “If Syed Ali Geelani and other pro-freedom leaders are allowed to reach people and let them to run an election boycott campaign, the majority of people will boycott this election drama and will stay away from this military operation.”
    The ailing leader’s forum termed proposed plan of government to restrict the movement of 367 persons and issuance of non-bailable warrant against 957 persons as ‘an act of state terrorism and lawlessness by the state administration’. “These persons doesn’t hold any weapon and neither are they going to forcibly stop the people from casting votes nor are they any threat to the law and order, but they only want to present their view before the people and inform them that how India use their vote which is begged for electricity and water, as a tool against our sacred movement and how India justifies its forced occupation and how this vote harms the Kashmir cause,” the amalgam said.
    While quoting a ruling of Supreme Court, the Hurriyat said that the Indian Supreme Court have passed a ruling, which states that ‘the election boycott or the campaign for election boycott is a democratic and basic right of every citizen’. “According to this ruling, the election boycott campaign of pro-freedom leaders is in no way any offence nor breaks it any law, so there is no justification with the government to detain or restrict the movement of pro-freedom leaders for election boycott, but it proves the fact that the elections held is Jammu and Kashmir are neither any democratic process nor are they meant to know the choice of the people,” it said, adding: “Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are actually a joint operation of Indian Home Ministry, Army and secret agencies by which sometimes National Conference, sometimes PDP and sometimes state-Congress are made successful and the candidates are selected for the posts.”
    The Hurriyat said: “these operations has made the entry of Kuka Parray like persons into the state assembly and with the help of this operation, Ghulam Hassan Mir like lone members of their party is offered the Ministerial berths in every government.”
    “Hurriyat Conference has given a free advice to the Indian government that instead of detaining hundreds of persons in jails, they should itself announce and select some favourite persons and then declare them successful, this will not only save the millions of dollars spent on this election drama but this will also save them from the embarrassment which they are facing due to this military operation in the name of elections in Kashmir which nullifies their claim of big democracy,” the statement reads.

  • By praising Vajpayee, Mirwaiz accepts Kashmir as India’s integral part: BJP

    Srinagar: Claiming that Chairman Huriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq accepts the fact that Kashmir is India’s integral part, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday welcomed Huriyat (M) chief’s statement wherein he had stated that NDA did more for Kashmir then UPA.
    “It is a welcome statement. What Mirwaiz has stated is truth but at the same time, among the basic ideologies of BJP-led NDA is that Kashmir is India’s integral part. By praising Vajpayee Ji- Mirwaiz did accept our ideology,” said senior BJP leader Chaman Lal Gupta.
    He stated further that the policies of Vajpayee must be perused with zeal and zest so that the tensions between India and Pakistan could end at the earliest. He added that the issues could only be resolved through dialogue and that no dispute has ever been addressed by way of violence.
    Pertinently, Mirwaiz in a recent statement had said that BJP-led NDA took some bold steps for the Kashmir resolution and that NDA did more for Kashmir than Congress-led UPA.

    Huriyat (M) chairman in a detailed interview to India today had said that UPA has some opportunities to resolve Kashmir but whatever they did was not enough. He added that BJP is the same party in whose tenure, under then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, most of the forward movement on the solution to the Kashmir problem happened. “If the NDA and the BJP walk on his footsteps, then there is a lot of hope. We saw Vajpayee and then Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf trying to take bold decisions on Kashmir.” (KNS)

  • Kamal wants police to allow pro-freedom leaders carry out ‘peaceful’ election boycott campaign

    Srinagar: A senior National Conference leader Wednesday said Jammu and Kashmir police should allow the pro-freedom leaders to carryout ‘peaceful’ election boycott campaign.
    Additional General Secretary of ruling National Conference (NC) Mustafa Kamal said that the boycott call by pro-freedom leaders in Kashmir carries no weight and people will defy their call in upcoming elections.
    Talking to GNS, Kamal, who is also the uncle of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, said: “In democracy, the election is a process by which government is formed. The boycott call by resistance leaders is unnecessary and useless.”
    He said that in the past people of Kashmir defied the boycott calls by resistance leaders and this time they will do the same. “See, in 2008 Assembly Elections, 2009 Parliamentary elections and in Panchayati elections, people came out and casted their vote. The voting percentage was high despite boycott call, and this time they will come again because they are the same people,” he said, adding: “they (resistance leaders) are calling for boycott to save their nose.”
    The National Conference leader urged police to allow resistance leader to ‘peaceful anti-election campaign. “Police should not get worried,” he said.
    Kamal, however, said that the resistance leaders should be only allowed to run boycott campaign ‘as long as they remain peaceful’. “It is their democratic right to run boycott campaign. But, if they resort to violence or create law and order problem, they should be dealt according to law,” he said.
    In a meeting held yesterday, police had reportedly formed the list of alleged ‘troublemakers’ which include many resistance leaders and activists  –who would be rounded up before elections in order to ensure smooth conduct of  Parliamentary polls from next month.
    Kamal claimed that elections are the sole way to solve day-to-day problems and issues of the people. “People should vote and elect government so that their issues would get resolved,” he said, adding: Elections won’t affect Kashmir issue.
    “Kashmir is political issue and it needs a political solution. Elections aren’t solution of Kashmir. It is not a referendum. Those who say that election is affecting Kashmir issue are actually misleading people,” he said.
    The NC leader praised Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for terming election a ‘non-issue’, while lashed out at Syed Ali Shah Geelani and termed him a ‘threat to peace’.
    “Mirwaiz understands that it is a non-issue and we also say it is a non-issue,” he said, adding: “Kashmir is an international issue and everybody knows it.”
    “Geelani is a threat to peace in Kashmir. Wherever he goes, he disturbs peace and sparks violence. He is responsible for so many deaths in Kashmir and is never for peace,” Kamal said.
    “Geelani has no support in Kashmir. Nobody listens to him. When he went to Sopore, he himself said that stone-pelting hurts his cause but still nobody obeyed,” the NC leader said, adding: “empty vessels make much noise.”
    Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir’s Agricultural Minister, Ghulam Hasan Mir, opposed the boycott campaign by pro-freedom leaders and termed it ‘unconstitutional’.
    “Election process is constitutional and challenging this process is unconstitutional. Calling for boycott of polls is incorrect,” he told GNS.

  • Jail Our Second Home Boycotting the Polls Legitimated and Democratic: Yasin Malik

    Intimidating Pro freedom camp by the threats of jails and arrests cannot deter them from perusing the path of freedom and truth. 
    Srinagar: Stating that boycotting the polls is legitimate under the purview of legal and democratic set-up, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Mohammad Yasin Malik Thursday said that the crackdown upon Kashmir’s pro-freedom leadership in actual vindicates that the puppets have accepted the defeat ahead of the fight.
    In a statement issued to press, Malik stated that democracy is termed as the battle of ideas and ideologies .Also freedom of expression is the basic right of every individual of the modern world and that the same is also among the very foundations of every democratic country. “To vote or to boycott is the basic right of every person but to inflict torture of worst nature upon the ones who boycott the election fray and to restrict their movements is in itself the negation of the democratic norms that cannot be but termed as undemocratic and uncivilized.”
    Malik stated further that throughout the world, the people are being given the chance to express their ideas and opinions before the masses in a free way but in Jammu Kashmir, India, which claims to be the biggest democracy of the world and also terms election held time to time in Jammu Kashmir as fair, free and full of participation, is actually acting in Hitler’s style, negating the people of Jammu Kashmir every basic right to choose what they want. This has exposed the hollowness of India’s democratic claims .He said that India that thoroughly claims to uphold the values of fair-play and democracy, in actual undermines the aspiration of the people and inflicts torture upon them. “As the elections were announced here, the crackdown upon the pro-freedom camp has unmasked its hollow claims and the puppet regime.
    Yasin said The puppet regimes here claim that the election are conducted in a transparent way here but irony is that the Army and forces , election commission  and even the candidates contesting the elections are their own. Therefore to expect fair-play and so called transparency via these elections is a mere mirage.
    Malik stated that the pro-India parties here including NC, Congress, PDP, BJP, and CPI and other parties and independents engaged in these elections are being funded by India’s home ministry. Indian forces and institutions facilitate their campaign and even people’s participation in their public rallies is ensured by these. But on the other hand freedom camp is denied all its rights, they are being harassed, arrested, jailed, tortured and subjected to every kind of oppression by Indian state. The irony is that after caging down the whole freedom camp, Indian prime minister from Lal Qilla and other leaders and officers claim victory and propagate elections as people’s verdict. Yasin Malik said that this is no victory but a clear defeat of India and its puppets in Jammu Kashmir. If India and its Kashmiri stooges believe in real democracy they should instead of arresting and harassing freedom camp provide them a even playing field and let the people of Jammu Kashmir decide what they want.
    Yasin Malik said that ex-Indian election commissioner Mr. Lingdo once said that election boycott is peoples right .Even the new Indian law NOTA, the verdict of Indian supreme court on this and its various Interpretations clearly provide people an option to vote or boycott elections, but India trampling its own laws and norms has and is negating the people of Kashmir this right.
    Yasin Malik said that jail is second home for freedom camp and people in this camp have spent years in jails. Therefore intimidating them by the threats of jails and arrests cannot deter them from perusing the path of freedom and truth. He said that anybody who is dreaming to frighten the freedom lovers is living in a fool’s paradise as this only show and indicates that Indian state and its puppets have conceded defeat even before the match.
    Meanwhile on the directions of Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik a delegation comprising of Mir Siraj Ud Din, Prof Javed, Nisar Jeelani,Mushtaq Ahmad Wani and Zahoor Ahmad today visited Shahgund Bandipora and met with the bereaved family of martyr Farhat Ahmad Dar. The delegation met with the family and expressed solidarity with them. The delegation also visited Hajin and expressed solidarity with the people of the area who are being constantly tortured and harassed by the forces. JKLF has also expressed its heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of its well-wisher Gulshan Akhtar w/o Mohammad Ashraf khan of Gulshan Nagar Nogam. JKLF leaders advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Mohammad Sideeq Shah participated in her funeral and expressed condolences to her family including JKLF leader Mushtaq Ajmal for whom she was like a kind sister.

  • AAP elections campaign reaches Budgam

    Srinagar: In connection with its election campaign Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) organized a public meeting here on Wednesday in Budgam.
    According to a statement issued to KNS, while addressing people at Budgam chowk AAP leader and lok sabha candidate for Srinagar Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat  said that present dispensation headed by Omar Abdullah has totally failed to address the basic requirements of the people of the state. Bhat said that Government machinery has crumbled aftermath of recent snowfall and it seems that no civilian Government exists in J&K .
    He appealed people that they must strengthen his hands by electing him to Lok Sabha in the upcoming parliamentary elections so that dynastic  rule which has been imposed upon the people of this state comes to an end. Earlier AAP leader addressed a volunteers meeting at town hall Budgam which was attended by large number of party volunteers from various parts of Budgam and Srinagar districts.
    AAP leader expressed his concern over the situation which has arisen in Dreygam , Kanira , Chararisharief  due to power crises in the area. He criticized the authorities for making this matter a political issue. AAP leaders have expressed concern over the continuous erosion of land in Frestwar and Brenwar areas of Budgam. Among others who spoke on the occasion included AAP leaders  Muzamil Wani  , Dr Mushtaq , Shahnawaz Sultan , Malik Asif. (KNS)

  • Don’t play with future of Kashmiri youth: Mirwaiz to authorities

    Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Wednesday stressed upon the state authorities not to play with the future of Kashmiri students studying in the Swami Viveknanada Sabrmati University, Meerut and instead make every effort to save the academic future on priority basis.
    According to a statement issued to KNS, Mirwaiz said Kashmiri students studying in Meerut were living under constant fear and harassment. He asserted that it was the duty of government that instead of politicizing their forcible expulsion from university it should make all arrangements to  help them to pursue their education.
    Mirwaiz who was placed under house arrest for several days after the Naid Khai incident today met various delegations from different walks of life. While meeting a delegation of students from Swami Viveknanada Sabrmati University, Meerut, Hurriyat Conference Chairman expressed his serious concern over the mistreatment meted out to these students. He said that Kashmiri youth were the future of Kashmir and any carelessness towards their educational career would have a negative impact on  Kashmiri society. Mirwaiz told students that Hurriyat would utilize its all resources to address the problems and issues faced by them.
    Sternly condemning the continuous imposition of curfew in Naid Khai and Hajan area of Bandipore district, Mirwaiz said due to such inhuman restrictions residents of these areas were facing immense hardships. In a bid to crush the peaceful protests over the killing of a young student at Naid Khai, Mirwaiz said authorities were using wanton force which was highly condemnable and an open example of naked aggression.
    Expressing profound grief and regret over the death of four Kashmiri traders in a traffic accident in Himachal Pradesh, Mirwaiz condoled with the family of deceased and prayed for the speedy recovery of injured.

  • Nasir declares party office slots

    Akhoon made senior vice president
    Srinagar: After completion of party elections, National Conference Provincial President Kashmir Nasir Aslam Wani has officially assigned different slots to his colleagues in the party office.
    According to a statement issued to KNS, Mohammad Syed Akhoon has been made Senior Vice President, Abdul Rashid Shaheen as the Vice President In-charge Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Syed Abdul Rashid as the Vice President In-charge Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama & Shopian, Sheikh Abdul Rehman as the Vice President In-charge Srinagar, Ganderbal & Budgam, Showket Ahmed Mir as the Provincial Secretary, Ghulam Nabi Bhat as Joint Secretary (Office Affairs), Abdul Rashid Haroon as Joint Secretary for (Public Relations), Raja Nasir Khan as Organizer, Gujjar Affairs, Deen Mohammad Cheetah as Organzer, Pahari Affairs and Mohammad Amin Khan as Organizer for Workers and Employees Unions.
    Wani has congratulated his colleagues and senior office bearers and implored them to leave no stone unturned to continue the party’s commitment to work for the ultimate welfare of the people of the State.
    He said that National Conference has a golden and glorious history, the cornerstones of which are public service and national dignity. With its strong ideological grassroots presence and dedicated cadre, National Conference will continue to grow and will emerge victorious in the forthcoming elections.
    Wani also expressed grief and sorrow on the death of the 4 Kashmiri traders in Himachal Pradesh. He also expresses sympathies with bereaved family members. (KNS)