Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • People of Kashmir Will Not Keep Silent On The Issue Of Pathribal: Yasin Malik

    JKLF To Organize a Protest Rally Against Pathribal Killers On Friday 28th February 2014
    Pro India Politicians And Rulers of Kashmir Stand Exposed Before The People And Everyone Knows That They Are Only Shedding Crocodile Tears.

    SRINAGAR: People of Kashmir will not keep silent on the issue of Pathribal and our protest to bring the killers to justice will continue. JKLF will organize a protest rally against the clean chit to killers on Friday 28th February 2014.
    This was decided in the supreme council members meet today held at Maqbool Manzil Srinagar. The meeting chaired by chairman JKLF Mohammad Yasin Malik was attended by all supreme council members from IHK zone. The meeting discussed all related political issue threadbare and decided that the protest program against the clean chit provided to Indian army officers who mercilessly killed 7 innocents at Pathribal in year 2000 is unacceptable and people of Jammu Kashmir will not remain silent spectators on this. Speaking in the meeting Yasin sahib announced that JKLF as a responsible people’s movement will leave no stone unturned and our protest will continue against this Indian army oppressive attitude. He said that as a first step JKLF will organize protest rallies against the army decision and on Friday 28th February 2014 JKLF will take out a protest rally in Lal Chowk against this undemocratic, inhuman and oppressive attitude of Indian state.
    Yasin sahib said that the killers of innocent Kashmiris cannot evade punishment and cannot be given a clean chit like this. These killers will have to face justice and account for their tyrannical behavior. He said that Kashmiri people don’t care what Indian ministers or anybody else thinks. We will not let our protest rest till the killers of Pathribal are brought to justice. He said that the protest program will continue on all levels till the case is not opened again and the killers are not brought to justice.
    Yasin Malik said that after army’s clean chit to killers of Pathribal, pro- India politicians and rulers of Jammu Kashmir started their stage theater of portraying of being against the army decision. These politicians are staging the same drama on the case of Shaheed Mohammad Afzal Guru, and recent Supreme Court decision about  Rajiv Ghandi killers. This all is done under a well planned program to diffuse the tension and befool common people. Malik said that these pro India politicians and rulers of Kashmir stand exposed before the people and everyone knows that they are only shedding crocodile tears. He said that these politicians, rulers, assembly and parliament members are equal partners of Indian state in the case of Shaheed Mohammad Maqbool Butt and Afzal guru’s hangings and must know that they will have to reply for these atrocities against Kashmiris.
    Deliberating on the issue of kunana Poshpora mass rape case, the meeting said that this inhuman and uncivilized case is another glaring example of Indian oppressive behavior against Kashmiris. About 24 years back Indian army committed this crime and the criminals are still at large protected by Indian state and black laws like AFSPA etc.  It was decided in the meeting that a high level JKLF delegation will visit Kunan poshpora tomorrow and held a protest against the criminal act of army.

  • 10,000 PEOPLE GET REGISTERED WITH AAP IN NORTH KASHMIR

    Baramulla (MIR ARIF TKSNN): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal on Friday opened its office in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.The office is located at khawaja bagh and   Ashiq Hussain Ganai, who has been appointed as in- charge party convener for Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla, the party officials said.

    They said Ganai was appointed by senior AAP leader Prashant Bushan, whose comments on holding a referendum over the presence of Army in Kashmir had snowballed into a major political controversy.“I found Kejriwal’s ideas and AAP’s manifesto in line with my ideology. I met Kejriwal and other party leaders in New Delhi and shared my ideas with them,” Ashiq told Kashmir scenario at his office in khawjabagh baramulla.

    He said he and some other Kashmiris were shortlisted by the party after Bhushan conducted interviews of several people at AAP’s New Delhi headquarters.“The party high command assigned me to be in- charge of north Kashmir and we have started homework for mobilization and membership drive and already from last  days 10,000 people have been registered with AAP from Baramulla,Kupwara and Bandipora districts,” he said. “I made people understand that AAP is a strong voice against corruption. People have started turning up at our office on large scale.”The people want to get rid of the rampant corruption in the state which is now only possible with the efforts made by AAP to eradicate corruption from every nook and corner”said Aashiq hussain ganai ( Kashmir Scenario)

  • Pakistani Prisoner committed suicide in Jammu district Jail

    Jammu: A Pakistani prisoner was Saturday morning found hanging inside a jail here, an official said.
    K. Rajendra Kumar, director general prisons, told reporters here that the body of Showkat Ali, son of Barkat Ali, a resident of Pind Sail Jathan in Sialkot Pakistan, was found hanging from the iron window of a barrack toilet inside the prison Saturday morning.
    “Pakistani and Bangladeshi inmates who were in the same prison informed the authorities in the morning about the incident,” Kumar said.
    He said a magisterial probe into the death has been ordered.
    Ali was arrested in Jammu in February 2011 after he crossed over from the international border.
    He was reportedly suffering from some mental ailment and was lodged in the Amphalla district jail in Jammu following court orders. An FIR has been registered. (U4U voice)

  • Pak prisoner commits suicide in Jammu jail

    Jammu: A Pakistani prisoner allegedly committed suicide in the wee hours on Saturday in the Jammu district jail. Sources said that Shaukat Ali, an undertrial, was found dead at 4 am by the prison officials this morning. Shaukat Ali, an undertrial, was found dead at 4 am by the prison officials this morning. Ali, a resident of Sialokot in Pakistan, was reported to be mentally ill by the officials. He was arrested by the security officials for moving suspiciously along the International Border (IB). The body of the deceased has been taken to the JAC hospital for post mortem examination.

  • Refrain from wearing ‘pheran’ Army to journalists ‘It was inadvertent error’

    Srinagar: Journalist fraternity Friday resented the directions of Army to refrain from wearing Kashmiri traditional dress ‘pheran’ if they want to attend the press conference that is going to be addressed by GOC Chinar Corps Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh on February 22 at Chinar Officers Institute, Badami Bagh Cantonment Srinagar.

    The emailed statement shot by Defense spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel N.N.Joshi to different media organizations in Kashmir reads that Journalist who wanted to attending the press briefing followed by lunch should send a scanned copy of their identity card besides the contact number.

    “You are all aware of the security requirements however, it is reiterated that you may refrain from wearing pheran,” the email reads.

    Expressing resentment for directing journalists not to wear pheran, journalist fraternity strongly objected the view of Army and said that they fail to understand what pheran has to do with the security.

    Renowned journalist Yousuf Jameel on behalf of journalist fraternity in his emailed statement to Defense spokesperson stated that, “you (Army) have asked the journalists, intending to cover the press conference, to refrain from wearing Pheran as a security requirement. We fail to understand how can the traditional dress of the people of Kashmir which has also been an integral part of their unique identity pose a security threat to anyone!”

    The journalist fraternity asked Army to withdraw these directions and issue a fresh invitation for covering the event. “If the matter stays as it is now, we are constrained in attending the press conference,” Jameel said. Meanwhile, Defense Spokesperson Lt Colonel N.N.Joshi told CNS that the error was inadvertant while the Army had no intention to hurt anybody’s sentiments. “We cancelled the first mail after realizing that by mistake a direction about pheran was penned down. We request the journalist faternity to ignore the previous mail and we have delivered the email afresh,” he said. (CNS)

  • Transparency, accountability ensured while implementing RD schemes: Sagar

    Jammu rated one of the best districts in country for MGNREGA implementation

    Jammu: Maintaining that transparency and accountability has been strengthened while implementing various Rural Development schemes, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Mr. Ali Mohammad Sagar Friday said that these programmes have been instrumental in changing the socio-economic profile of the rural and far-flung areas of the state besides ensuring the creation of assets for the convenience of the people.
    While replying to the Demand of Grants of Rural Development Department & Panchayats in the Legislative Assembly, the Minister said that the pace of implementation of the flagship schemes MGNREGA has registered a phenomenal growth since 2008-09 onwards when the budget of the scheme was Rs. 86.51 crore to Rs. 850 crore and during the current financial year the scheme is expected to cross an availability of Rs. 1000 crores with zero liability to the next financial year.
    “1.10 lakh number of works have been taken in hand and ending January 2014, 2.35 crore man-days have been generated which may touch 4 crore by the end of current financial year and next year’s labour budget for the first quarter stands approved at 2.88 crore man-days”, the Minister added and maintained that 10.99 lakh families have been registered and job cards issued to them.
     “Jammu district has been ranked as one of the top most in the implementation of MGNREGA in the country and recently it was awarded by the Union Ministry at New Delhi”, the Minister maintained.
    Under supporting staff of MGNREGA, 80 Programme Officers, 2179 GRS, 834 Technical Assistants, 230 Management Information System (MIS) Operators and 20 Social Audit Coordinators have been engaged, the Minister maintained and said that a fool proof mechanism has been put in place to ensure transparency as well as accountability in its implementation and deviations if any, have been strictly taken notice of and action initiated against the derelicting officials.  
    Referring to the mechanism of transparency and grievance redressal, the Minister said that the department has created a cell in the administrative department for redressal of grievances and the complaints received are given a track number and then response is elicited from various officials and the complainant is informed about the action taken.
    Terming the incorporation of certain amendments in J&K Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 in order to incorporate certain broad features of constitutional 73rd amendment like reservation to SC/STs, Women and direct elections to the chairpersons of all three tiers as historical, the Minister said it would go a long way in broadening the ambit of decentralization of powers and involvement of people at grass root level in day-to-day governance.
    J&K ombudsman for Panchayats Bill 2014 has been drafted and is being tables in the House during current session, which will look into the complaints against Panchayats so as to ensure that PRIs function within the frame work of rules and regulations so as to make their functioning transparent and accountable, the Minister added. He said that Government of India has put in place MIS where entire information regarding execution of individual works and payments to the individual job holders are uploaded on the system which can be accessed by anyone by taking printouts of the works done as well as the payments received by the individual card holders thereby strengthening the mechanism of transparency in MGNREGA works.
    While terming the process of empowering the Panchayats with powers of 14 vital departments as one of the major feature of ensuring the democratic decentralization of powers to the grass root level, the Minister said that the government has fulfilled its promise of putting in place a vibrant Panchayati Raj System and these representatives are being involved in the policy formulation as well as implementation of various welfare schemes undertaken by the government, the Minister said and maintained that senior officer of the level of Additional District Development Commissioner has been nominated as Nodal Officer for ensuring that the orders of empowerment of Panchayats are strictly adhered to.
    While referring to the process of augmenting the infrastructural capacities of the Panchayats, the Minister said that the money released under the 13th Finance Commission is being solely utilized for capacity building of PRIs and 1678 Panchayat Ghars are being constructed in convergence with MGNREGA and funds for repair and renovation of the existing 2250 Panchayat Ghars have been released under the same award. He said in addition, Rs. 1.25 lakh for Halqa Panchayat has been released for developmental works to be identified and executed by these Panchayats.
     “We have passed clear instructions to ensure that all the Panchayat Ghars constructed by December 2014. We have kept a budgetary provision for honorarium of Panches and Sarpanches in the budget and they are currently being paid an honorarium of Rs. 1000 and Rs. 2000 respectively as sitting fee besides they are being taken out the State for interaction and subsequently also trained at IMPA”, the Minister elaborated.
    In order to bring the rural areas at par with urban ones the government has undertaken a comprehensive programme of constructing one model village per constituency, the Minister maintained and said that this would go a long way in ensuring that the people living in far-flung and remote areas of the state get the requisite facilities which would also ensure their socio-economic elevation.
    Referring to the Government’s decision of creating additional 177 CD Blocks as watershed in the history of the state, the Minister said that the same would ensure sustained and fast paced development of the rural areas. He said that the necessary directions have been passed for identifying the institutional structure and other related things for these blocks. Under the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Sashiktikaran Abhyan an amount of Rs. 29.96 crore has already been approved by Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj for the current year.
    Under NRLM (UMEED) an amount of Rs. 750 crore has been sanctioned and the scheme has initially been started in four blocks i.e. Basohli, Chenai, Khansahib, Laar and till date 1650 Self Help Groups have been framed in these blocks and five more blocks viz Sumbal, D. H. Pura, Gundna, Mahore and Kargil are being covered during current financial year. Similarly, under Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) a perspective programme of Rs. 2300 crore stands approved for treating 15 lakh hectares of treatable area, the programme would go a long way in Waste Land Management, Soil and Water Conservation, he said.
    In order to provide the housing facilities to the rural poor under Indira Awas Yojana, the State has registered a phenomenal increase in its implementation and the current year allocation has increased to Rs. 140.64 crore and 18752 houses have been taken in hand, the Minister maintained.
    To ensure cleanliness in rural areas Nirmal Bharat Abhyan has been undertaken for construction of individual household latrines school toilets by converging with MGNREGA funds and an amount of Rs. 92 crore has been allocated for the current year and 3455 school toilets and 83 community toilets are being constructed. As many as 23 Members participated in the discussion which included, Mr. Sharief Niaz, Mr. Abdul Gaffar Sofi, Mr. Rashpal Singh, Mr. M. Y. Tarigami, Mr. Jugal Kishore, Dr. Shafi Wani, Hakeem Yaseen, Mr. Javaid Dar, Mr. Ashwani Kumar, Mr. Rafi Ahmad Mir, Mr.
    Harshdev Singh, Mr. Yashpal Kundal, Mr. Irfan Shah, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, Er. Rashid, Ashok Kumar, Mrs. Shamima Firdous, Mr. Gharu Ram Bhagat, Mr. Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Ch. Sukhnandan, Mr. G. M. Saroori, Mr. Charanjeet Singh and Mr. Peer Afaq. Earlier, the Minister moved the Demand for Grant of a sum of Rs. 1420.47 crore to defray the charges which will come in the course of payment during the year ending March, 2015.
    The Members who had moved the cut motions withdrew the same after satisfactory reply from the Minister. Later, the House passed the grants with the voice vote.

  • HCJK leaders detained in Parimpora

    Slams Antony of giving clean chit to Pathribal culprits

    Srinagar: Police on Friday arrested senior Hurriyat Conference Jammu Kashmir senior leaders at Parimpora when they were on way to Warpora, Sopore. The leaders included Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Yusuf Naqash, Tariq Ahmad, Munir Ahmad, Sajad Ahmad Tantray and dozens of other Hurriyat activists.
    According to a statement issued to KNS, the Hurriyat spokesperson while condemning the arrest of Shabir Ahmad Shah and his associates said that arresting Shabir Shah has become a routine for authorities. According to spokesperson, Shah has been either arrested or put under house arrest for 15 months and 20 days during the past three years and was prevented from offering 117 Friday and six Eid prayers.
    However, senior Hurriyat Conference leaders, Mushtaq-ul-Islam and Shabir Ahmad Dar managed to reach Warpora, Sopore, where they addressed the public gathering amid pro-freedom slogans. In their speech, the leaders reiterated their pledge of continuing the freedom struggle against forcible occupation of India till any solution as per the wishes and aspirations of Kashmiri people is not found.
    The leaders strongly condemned the Indian Defence Minister AK Antony’s clean chit to forces involved in Pathribal fake encounter. They alleged that Indian government treats Jammu and Kashmir as its colony and treats its people as a mere cattle.
    Terming Jammu and Kashmir as the last target of colonialists in 21st century, the leaders appealed United Nations General Secretary, Ban Ki Moon to take notice of war crimes committed by Indian forces in the state and fulfill its responsibilities by starting investigation through War Crime Tribunal against the forces involved in Pathribal fake encounter.
    Accusing India of possessing dual nature, the Hurriyat leaders said India misleads world community with its “other” face of democracy. “Indian democracy holds dual nature. One, which it shows to world and the other which it shows to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been proven by the clean chit given to Pathribal fake encounter culprits by Indian Defence Minister, AK Antony,” they said.
    Talking about Rajiv Gandhi assasination case and hanging of Shaheed Muhammad Afzal Guru, the resistance leaders said: “Now it is crystal clear that even Indian systems of law and justice are of dual nature. Since Kashmiris are fighting against the forcible occupation of India, the world’s so-called largest democracy is putting off all its veils of democracy, laws and justice when it comes to Kashmir. Shaheed Muhammad Afzal Guru too had to pay the price for the same crime that he was a Kashmiri fighting for freedom cause.”
    “Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah is now shedding crocodile tears over the hanging of Shaheed Afzal Guru,” they added.
    The Hurriyat leaders said the hushing up of scandals like Pathribal and Kunan Poshpora only provokes hatred and rage against India. “We have given innumerable sacrifices to achieve our usurped right of self-determination. Our youth continue to offer their blood for the cause and our people continue to tolerate the worst human rights violations.”
    The leaders said if India is of the view that by killing, puttiing Kashmiri people behind bars or by implementing harsh laws , the people of Kashmir will give up their fight for freedom, it is living in a fool’s paradise. “The spirit of freedom among Kashmiris is only increasing with each passing day,” the Hurriyat leaders added.
    However, Mushtaq-ul-Islam, Shabir Dar, Imran Ahmad, Bilal Ahmad Shah and Fayaz Ahmad Kaloo were arrested on their return and lodged in Police Station, Amargarh.  (KNS)

  • Restrictions, shutdown continues in Pulwama

    Srinagar: Curfew like restrictions continued for the second straight day Friday in south Kashmir’s Pulwama town which has been on boil after a Jaish-e-Muhammad militant was killed in an alleged encounter in Budgam district of central Kashmir.
    Reports reaching GNS said that undeclared curfew remained imposed in the town and its peripheries for the second straight day to prevent people from staging demonstrations against the killing of JeM militant Tausef Ahmad Dar on Wednesday afternoon in army firing.
    Hundreds of police and paramilitary troopers were deployed in Main Town Pulwama who restricted the movement of civilians.
    In Murran Chowk, unprecedented security arrangements were made, a day after violent clashes rocked the area causing injuries to at least nine people. However, In Dalipora area, groups defied restrictions and clashed with the government forces. However, no one was injured in the clashes, reports said.
    Reports of clashes have also been received from Pakerpora area, where youth fought pitched battles with forces.
    Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in Prichoo, Kangan, Rajpora, Rahmoo, Kakpora, Rajpora, Neva, Pakerpora and other neighbourhood areas to mourn the death of the local militant.
    A police official told GNS that the situation remained by and large peaceful in the town barring few stray incidents of stone pelting. (GNS)

  • Central jail inmate dies at SMHS hospital

    Srinagar: An inmate, who was lodged in Central jail Srinagar for more than four months, died in SMHS Hospital here on Friday afternoon. Official sources told GNS that the inmate, Mukhtar Bhat son of Ghulam Mohiuddin Bhat of Dalipora Pulwama was admitted in SMHSHospital late last evening after he complained severe respiratory problem.
    The deceased was arrested on 19 September last year in case FIR (259/2013) under section 8/20 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in police station Pulwama. Later, he was shifted to Central Jail Srinagar.
    When contacted, Director General of Prisons, K Rajendra, told GNS that the inmate was lodged on judicial remand. “Yesterday he complained of severe pain and was immediately referred to JLNM hospital Rainawari from where he was removed to SMHS Srinagar where he was given two blood pints. He had problems in Pancreas,” he said, adding, “Unfortunately, he expired today. Currently the body of inmate is in Police Control Room Srinagar for postmortem and the body will be handed over to his family for last rites.”
    A senior doctor at SMHS, who operated upon the inmate, said he was brought here yesterday at around 5:00 pm. “He complained of acute abdominal pain and finally he expired due to acute Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis,” the doctor told Global News Service. (GNS)

  • Pro-India parties shedding crocodile tears on Guru: Mirwaiz

    Visits Qadri family  to offer condolences on Nazir’s demise

    Srinagar: Holding pro-Indian political parties along with Government of India equally responsible for subjecting Kashmiris to interminable injustices and sufferings, Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday said that their (pro-Indian political parties) loud screams about injustice with martyr Afzal Guru were nothing more than shedding crocodile tears.
    According to a statement issued to KNS, while terming their politics as deceitful, Mirwaiz said India has kept Kashmiris hostage to its military might while on the other hand these pro-Indian political parties were in the forefront to provide legal cover to these shameful acts of brutality which were the main cause of suffering and bloodshed of Kashmiris.
    Mirwaiz said those people who are sitting in assembly, beating the drum of democracy and representative character, should learn something from the government of Tamil Nadu which has recommend the release of the convicts in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination where as the self claimed representatives were busy to provide protection to the killers and murders of innocent Kashmiris.
    Addressing a large gathering at historical Jamia Masjid, APHC Chairman said it was due to scheming of pro-Indian political parties that Guru was secretly hanged, adding, if there was an iota of consciousness left with these people, then they should come forward with passing a resolution in Assembly for the return of the mortal remains of Shaheed Mohammad Afzal Guru.
    Mirwaiz said that the Government of India often talks about peace, but it was a known fact that peace is only talked where the tenets of justice and fair play are fulfilled. Asserting that double standards were being adopted while dispensing justice to Kashmiris, he said that the world knows how political, religious and social rights of Kashmiris have brazenly been usurped.
    “APHC Chairman said that legal experts have opined that Shaheed Afzal guru was hanged in contravention to all established norms of justice. He further said that in the Pathribal fake encounter incident all those who were killed by the Army personnel later turned out to be innocents. He said it was highly shameful that the government dumped the report of one of its investigating agency- CBI, holding the army personnel responsible for these innocent killings and gave the accused, involved the crime, a clean chit,” the Hurriyat (M) statement said.
    Referring to Kunan Poshpora mass rape incident, Mirwaiz said 23 years have passed since the incident took place, but no action has ever been taken against the culprit army personnel involved in the gruesome crime. He said India was using black laws like AFSPA to provide legal cover to the crimes of its armed personnel committed against the unarmed Kashmiris, he said that India was using this tactics as a weapon of war against the Kashmiris to suppress them to subjugation
    On the occasion, Mirwaiz announced that the conglomerate would organize a seminar on Feb 23, 2014 to highlight these issues. He said a resolution in this connection will also be passed and letters would be sent to United Nations, E.U, and other international organizations to divert their attention towards sufferings of Kashmiris. Mirwaiz also condemned the imposition of continuous curfew in Pulwama where people have  been put to enormous difficulties by the action of the authorities
    Meanwhile, Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq visited the Qadri house in Srinagar to pay condolences on the sudden demise of Nazir Ahmad Qadri son of founder of Afaq newspaper, late Mohamamd Yousuf Qadri who lost his life in a tragic road accident. Mirwaiz expressed his sympathies with the bereaved family. He was accompanied by  Shahid-ul-Islam and engineer Hilal Ahmad war. Hurriyat leader Zaffar Akbar Bhat,  and Javaid Ahmad Mir also visited the house of the deceased and expressed their sympathies with the bereaved family.  (KNS)