Category: Union Territory

“We are ready to consider the option, if India comes to the negotiating table and puts forward the idea of giving Kashmir independent status,” PaK president remarked in what appears to be a major policy shift.

The Pakistani media reports said that the option of an independent state of Jammu and Kashmir had always been a contentious issue amongst the Kashmiris themselves and in India and Pakistan.

The PaK president is quoted as saying that Pakistan was sincere in wanting to resolve the Kashmir issue. “These things (discussing options) are only possible when India comes to the negotiating table and admits that Kashmir is a disputed territory,” he added.  “If India agrees to give Kashmir an independence status, we can also think (along these lines),” PaK President was quoted as saying.

To a question about the possibility of the BJP coming to power in India and its impact on the Kashmir issue, the PaK president said he was more hopeful of a resolution to the issue with the BJP in power. “Congress has never shown any seriousness (to resolve the issue),” he remarked.

He said once NATO forces begin drawing back from Afghanistan, the Kashmir issue will once again become important. He said Afghanistan had overshadowed the Kashmir issue for the past 10 years.

Srinagar: Violent clashes broke out at Dalwan area of Charar-e-Sharief in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Wednesday after army claimed to have killed an unidentified militant in an encounter.
Officials told GNS that an army party was moving towards village Dalwan in Chrar-e-Sharief this afternoon when it came under fire from the militants. In the retaliatory fire one unidentified gunman got killed.
“From his possession, one SLR, one Pouch, 4 magazines, 13 rounds, one grenade and PAN Card was recovered,” Srinagar based, army spokesman in a statement issued late evening said.
The spokesman said that the PAN card identifies the slain as Tauseef Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Hassan of Pulwama. “The police party has taken took the possession of the body and is trying to ascertain the identity of the body,” the spokesman added.
However, police sources told GNS that the incident took place when two youth on a motorbike (JKO4A- 451) were intercepted by the army team in the village after receiving intelligence inputs suggesting militant movement in the area. While the pillion rider managed to escape, the biker was shot dead by army when he tried to open fire upon the army men.
“After killing him, the army took the body in their custody,” sources said. The news of the killing of the alleged militant spread like wildfire in the village. Hundreds of people came out on the roads and staged pro-freedom demonstrations. Chanting pro-Independence, pro-militants and anti-India slogans, the protesters tried to march towards the army camp. However, the CRPF troopers and police, who had reached the spot, burst teargas canisters. The forces also opened fire when the agitated protesters refused to budge. At least four people, including a policeman Bashir Ahmed were injured in the clashes. A youth, who received bullet injury in the clashes, has been referred to Srinagar hospital for treatment. He has been identified as Bilal Ahmad Sheikh son of Mohammad Afzal of Pakerpora. The clashes were going on when the last reports came in. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: Srinagar Group of Schools (SGS) Chairman, who runs chain of schools in Srinagar Wednesday, alleged that that HDFC Bank Chanapora Branch cheated them by deducting transaction charges to the tune of Rs 2 lakh in six months, a statement issued to CNS said.

The chairman SGS said, “Chanapora branch of HDFC Bank approached Srinagar British School, Nowgam to open its school accounts with the promise that the current account will be opened with Zero Balance and parents can deposit tuition fee and transport charges in any branch of HDFC Bank in Srinagar city and there will be no transaction charges,” adding, “The Bank authorities got blank form signed by school authorities and later on they deducted an amount to the tune of Rs 2 lakh.”

The chairman further said that when the school authorities contacted the branch they assured that the transaction charges will be reversed in case they take an insurance policy of Rs 50,000.

“On taking insurance policy, the HDFC bank did not reverse the entire amount and when again contacted, they gave another pretext of maintaining minimum balance, where as account was opened with zero balance,” he said. “When the school maintained minimum balance, still bank continued to charge transaction fee,” he said, adding that the Bank cheated the school to the tune of Rs 2 lakh from March to August 2013.

When contacted, an official of HDFC Bank Chanapora Branch claimed that the said school had taken up the matter with Reserve Bank of India and the Central Bank rejected their claim after, ‘we provided all the evidences against their claim.’

SRINAGAR: Militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudin Wednesday appealed to different separatist groups having same political ideology to get united in the interest of Kashmir ‘freedom struggle against India’.

In a statement issued to CNS, Hizb spokesperson, Salim Hashmi said that Syed Salahudin while addressing the Hizb Command Council said, “Unity is the need of the hour and all the groups having same political ideology should get united in the interest of those martyrs who laid down their lives to get rid from Indian occupation.”

Syed Salahudin said that time has come that ‘black sheep’ present in different separatist groups should be exposed and shown door. “People have sacrificed their precious lives for this sacred freedom movement while more than seven lakh Army troopers failed to suppress this movement and quell the sentiments of people,” he said.

Appealing people of Kashmir to boycott the upcoming Parliament and Assembly elections, he said, “India is using election card to defame the ongoing freedom movement in Kashmir.”

Farooq was speaking on the occasion of a book release function held at New Delhi that was organized by National Book Trust of India in which at least six Kashmiri books were released, according to Srinagar based news gathering agency, CNS.

Farooq Abdullah was all praise for those writers and scholars who kept Kashmiri language alive till date but castigated Cultural Academy by saying that it has forgotten its motto and has become prey of politics. “The real job of Cultural Academy is to encourage poor authors and help their writings get published but politics has marred this institution,” he said, adding that Kashmiri language should be propagated at all levels and concrete steps should be taken to make it a part of curriculum in all the government and private schools of Kashmir.

The books that were released by Dr Farooq Abdullah included ‘wazij Rantus’, authored by Muntazir Ahmed, ‘Deenu say Denanath’, ‘Gawon ka Beta’ translated into Kashmiri by Professor Pyarey Lal Hatash, ‘Humi jan sund khwab’, Ghasun chhuth ponpur’ authored by Ghulam Nabi Atish, ‘Anjam by Javid Matji and Jumuan Kaka by Dr R.L.Shan.

Those who were present on the occasion were Member Parliament Sharief-u-Din Sharik, Director National Book Trust of India Dr M.A.Sikandar, Farooq Nazki, Muhammad Saleem Beigh and K.K.Raina.

Srinagar: An unidentified militant was killed in a fierce encounter in Chrar-e-Shareef town of central Kashmir’s Budgam district this afternoon, official sources told GNS.
Acting on specific inputs about the presence of militants, SOG of police and army’s 53 RR cordoned off Dalwan village, some 12 kilometer from the main town Chrar-e-Shareef around 2:45 pm. When the joint team started combing operations, the militants hiding in the village opened fire upon team.
“It the retaliatory fire, one militant was killed. His identity is being established,” sources said, adding “The encounter is still going on,”  (GNS)

Srinagar: After remaining suspended for a month over the arrest of a Pakistani driver, the cross-Loc trade between the two sides of Kashmir will start of Thursday.
Reports reaching GNS said that a high level meeting was conducted at the Kaman Post on the LoC on Tuesday afternoon between the officials of the two sides in which it was decided to resume the cross-LoC trade from Thursday. From the Pak side, the delegation was led by Trade Facilitation Officer Basharat Ahmad. Liaison Officer and Custodian Showkat Ahmad, and Avtar Singh led the delegation from this side. The meeting continued for over an hour.
“The meeting was held at Zero Point. It was decided that the trade will commence from Thursday,” Liaison Officer, Showkat Ahmad told GNS.
In the meeting, he said, it was also decided that the trucks will only be allowed to carry 8 ton of weight. He said he has taken up with the higher ups of installing full body scanners at the TFC for better scrutiny.
On January 17, the trade between the two sides was suspended after Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested a Pak driver Mohammad Shafiq Awan on charges of smuggling drugs into the Valley. To demand the driver’s release, the Pak officials detained 27 Kashmiri drivers for over 26 days. However, on February 12, the officials of both the sides agreed to allow the stranded drivers to return to their respective destinations ending the standoff. (GNS)