Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • Govt considering enhancement in retirement age: Wani

    CM was very positive; so deferred strike

    Srinagar: The state government has virtually agreed to go for enhancement in retirement age (from 58 to 60 years)–a long pending demand, of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of the government employee unions that recently deferred protests in Jammu as a ‘goodwill gesture’.
    Two cabinet ministers who are in cabinet subcommittee holding deliberations with government employees told KNS that the government has passed directions to the Chief Secretary and the authorities at the helm of affairs in general Administration Department (GAD) to work out a proposal in this regard.
    “The Chief Secretary has been asked to talk to talk to the employees leadership and issue the necessary directions to chalk out a proposal on the enhancement of retirement age taking all the prerequisites into consideration,” the two ministers told KNS pleading anonymity.
    Pertinently, over 10-days ago, Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) chairman Abdul Qayoom Wani who also heads JCC had called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Jammu. The meeting between the two witnessed hectic deliberations on employee demands. “The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and  the honorable Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was very positive about meeting our demands which includes enhancement in retirement age,” Wani told KNS Friday on phone from Jammu.
    He said the JCC’s decision to defer the proposed two days agitation was in view of the ‘positive approach’ of Chief Minister and employee friendly attitude of Cabinet Ministers regarding the implementation of agreement reached between the JCC Leaders and the state government on the instructions of  Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Earlier JCC had given a two days strike call beginning from February 14.

    “We want that JCC should not be labeled as a confrontationist leadership that is why we deferred our strike programme.  We want to give chance to the state government to fulfill our demands amicably. Now the ball lies in the court of State Government and they shall be responsible for resolving or not resolving the issues and conditions thereof,” Wani told KNS while hoping the State Government shall understand the sensitivity of issues and in the wider perspective shall take the positive steps and discard the policy of delaying tactics.

    He said that he met almost all the cabinet subcommittee members including Taj Mohi-u-Din, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Sham Lal Sharma, Mir Saifullah and Abdul Rahim Rather and the approach of all these members towards addressing the demands of employees was ‘positive’.
    However, Mushtaq Bukhari, Secretary GAD when contacted told KNS: “I don’t know anything about this issue. Neither have I have received any instructions from the Chief Minister’s or Chief Secretary’s office in this regard.”  (KNS)

  • Anantnag working Journalist Association condemns murderous attack on Photo Journalist

    Anantnag: Anantnag Working Journalist Association today condemned the brutal attack on Photo Journalist Sajad Ahmad Dar, yesterday by some policemen in Pinjora Shopian when he was covering the gunfight between security forces and militants in the area.

    Association said that a group of policemen caught the Photo Journalist and thrashed him brutally during which he sustained serious injuries in lift arm. Violent policemen also damaged cameras of photo Journalist Sajad Ahmad who is sole bread and butter earner for his family.

    Association while condemning this brutal action of police has demanded a through probe into the incident and has appealed international organization protecting media men all over the world especially human rights organizations to take serious note of the incident as the atrocities on journalists in Kashmir are rising day by day.

  • Amid clashes Shopian mourn the death of militants

    Shopian: A complete shutdown was observed in South Kashmir’s Shopian district against the killing of two Hizb militants in Gagloora area of Pinjora Shopian in an encounter with Government Forces on Thursday.
     
    As reported earlier, soon after the encounter hundreds of people assembled in Imam Sahib and Vehil Shopian after the killing of two local militants. Protestors clashed with Government Forces while during the clashes at least 18 people were injured. Three of the injured were referred to SKIMS.
     
    Police had blocked road near Bonar to stop people from moving towards Shopian, however, reports said that hundreds of people participated in the last rites of militants. Amid pro-freedom slogans the slain militants were laid to rest in their respective ancestral graveyards.
     
    Eyewitnesses told CNS that soon after Friday prayers, protests broke out in Shopian while scores of youth attacked Court Complex Shopian where police and CRPF personnel are deployed in large numbers. Police resorted to teargas shelling to disperse the protestors. Reports said that the clashes between protestors and police continued for hours.
     
    All the shops and business establishments remained closed in the town while transport was off the roads. Large contingent of police and Para-military troopers were deployed in the town to thwart possible protests.
     
    A police official told CNS that some youth tried to disrupt the peace in the town by pelting stones on the police, however, police exercised maximum restraint and dispersed them. He said the situation in the town was peaceful.
     
    Pertinently, two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, Arshad Hussain Sheikh of Imam Sahib Shopian and Abid Ahmad of Vehil Shopian. were killed during an encounter in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Thursday. (CNS)

  • Bandipora youth found dead in Sopore

    SRINAGAR: Police recovered a male body in Bomie, Sopore area last evening, police said on Friday. Police has started investigation to ascertain the cause of the death.

    Police was informed by some locals that a male body was lying on a road side in village Panipora-Sagipora in Bomie, Sopore. Police rushed to the spot and recovered the body. The body was later identified as of 25 years old Irshad Ahmad Bhat son of Abdul Rashid Bhat resident of Ishtengoo, Bandipora.

    Police has started inquest proceeding under section 174 CrPC to ascertain the cause of the death. The body was handed over to his relatives for last rites after completion of all medico-legal formalities

  • Militancy on the verge of extinction: IG CRPF

    SRINAGAR: Inspector General Central Reserve Police Force, P K Singh Friday said that militancy in Kashmir Valley is on the verge of extinction while the effective strategy devised by Intelligence Agencies to counter militancy has been proving helpful and effective so far.

    IG CRPF, on the sidelines of a function said, “It is a positive sign and the result of the chalked out strategy that in the encounter militants are getting killed and they fail to inflict any damage on security forces.”

    “Militancy in Kashmir Valley has come down sharply and the situation is altogether different at present than it was way back in 1990. In every encounter that took place in North and South Kashmir, security forces managed to neutralize top rank militant commanders,” he said.

    He further said that there were reports that there will be surge in militancy but due to effective strategy chalked out by security forces, militancy has its lowest ebb in Kashmir Valley now and peace has started returning.

    Responding to a query, Singh said that there is coordination between CRPF and State Police and both are doing a good job in maintaining law and order in the Valley. (CNS)

  • Kashmir issue a Living Reality And One Cannot Dream Of a Lasting And Durable Peace And Prosperity in Sub continent Without Solving it: Yasin Malik

    Our Peers, Saints, Spiritual Leaders Showed Us The Way Of Life And Struggle For Honor And Divinity and Dignity.

    Srinagar: Our peers, saints, spiritual leaders showed us the way of life. They taught us to struggle for honor and dignity of humans. Islam and Muslims can still lead the world by following the footsteps of these great people.Kashmir issue a living reality and without solving this issue one cannot dream of lasting and durable peace and prosperity in sub continent. This was stated by the chairman JKLF Mohammad Yasin Malik while addressing people at Aaliyah Gousia Sarai Bala Srinagar today.  
    Yasin Malik while addressing the gathering said that our peers, saints, spiritual leaders showed us the way of wisdom, tolerance, struggle and steadfastness. “We have forgotten the teachings of these spiritual leaders and because of this ignorance we are today suffering in our daily lives”.
    Yasin Malik visited the Buqa Aaliyah Gousia Sarai Bala Srinagar to pay homage and expresses his gratitude towards the great Peer who actually taught Muslims the way of living with dignity and pride. In his speech Yasin Malik said that Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RAH) led us on the religious and spiritual fronts. It was this great thinker and spiritual leader who besides providing us the much needed religious and spiritual teachings also taught us the way of living with dignity and honor and adhering to the truth.
    Yasin sahib said that Alas! We Kashmiris have ignored the teachings of our Great spiritual leaders and are today facing a Miserable life. He said that we have lost the moral freedom granted by this spiritual peer and our youth are today running away from us and even from the faith.
    Yasin also appealed for religious tolerance and Maslaki brotherhood among Muslims and said that promoting mutual brotherhood is the only solution that can eradicate our miseries. 
    Yasin Malik said that our spiritual leaders taught us brotherhood and love and never indulged in any kind of sectarian disputes and we who believe in these leaders should also show restraint and tolerance. Yasin Malik said that we should restore and save our brotherhood and defeat all those forces who want to divide us in the name ofsects and casts.
    Yasin Malik said that in this era of globalization we will have to take keen interest in safeguarding ouryoung generation who are on the verge of disaster today. For achieving this goal we will have to first eradicate the menace of sectarian divide from our rows.
    Terming Jammu Kashmir issue as a living reality, Yasin Malik said that one cannot dream of a lasting anddurable peace and prosperity in sub continent.
    Yasin Malik said that thepeople of Jammu Kashmir are fighting a war of their future and welfare. Our struggle for freedom is actually based on truth and justice and we have beenshown and taught this way of continues struggle for truth and justice by spiritual leaders like Peeran I Pir Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani (Rehmatullah I Alaih)
    Yasin Malik said that if India,Pakistan and the world want to promote peace, stability, property, tolerance and brotherhood in this region, they will have to accept the owner status of Kashmiris and include them in negotiations as the prime party to the dispute and solve this issue in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people of Jammu Kashmir.

  • Asiya Andrabi detained during anti-Valentine’s Day move in Lal Chowk

    SRINAGAR: Police detained Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief, Asiya Andrabi, on Friday during anti-Valentine’s Day move in Lal Chowk area of Srinagar. Women separatist leader, Asiya was taken into preventive custody along with some other women activists to stop her from advising youngsters not to indulge in “valentine” activities. Ours is a Muslim society and Islam does not permit vulgarities like Valentine’s Day celebrations or exchange of greetings between unmarried boys and girls on any occasion, Asiya told reporters.

  • Police Arrest Forest Official On Rape Charges in South Kashmir

    Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested a forest official for allegedly raping a girl in south Kashmir district of Pulwama, official sources said.

    They said a complaint was lodged in police station Awantipora that a forest official Mohammad Ismail Dar had allegedly raped a girl last year.

    The complaint said the accused used to visit the house of victim after posing as a faith healer. The incident came to the fore after the girl gave birth to a baby recently.

  • All pro-India politicians unworthy of vote, Gilani tells people

    Srinagar: The veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani asking people to stay away from all pro-India politicians, has said the interim bail granted to former puppet Health Minister Shabbir Ahmad Khan in the molestation case has substantiated apprehensions that the regime is going to hush the matter and shield the culprit.

    “In fact, there is every possibility that Shabbir Khan might be given charge of some ministry in the future,” he expressed concern in a statement issued in Srinagar.

    “We already knew that this was going to happen; that the regime would try and shield the accused minister and hush the matter just as it hushed up the 2007 sex scandal involving ministers, bureaucrats and other senior officials,” he added.

    “Likewise in the Shopian double rape and murder case, Omar Abdullah himself played a heinous role in the cover-up and gave clean chit to the guilty on the very first day of the incident,” he said.

    The veteran leader urged the people to stay away from pro-India politicians, “all of whom are morally bankrupt and involved in crimes and scandals.”

  • Excelsior photojournalist ‘beaten’ by forces in Shopian

    Srinagar:  A photojournalist working with a Jammu based English daily on Thursday was allegedly assaulted by forces in Pinjoora area of south Kashmir’s district.

    Reports reaching GNS said that Excelsior photojournalist Sajad Ahmad Dar, who was returning to Anantnag district after covering a gun-battle between militants and the forces in Pinjoora area of Shopian, was allegedly beaten up and his cameras damaged by the CRPF troopers and police, when the area was witnessing massive demonstrations against the militants killings. Due to the alleged beating, Dar also suffered injuries in his hand.

    “I was returning from the encounter site when the forces grabbed me and beat me mercilessly. They also damaged my cameras,” Dar told GNS.
    Pertinently, two Hizb-ul Mujahideen militants were killed in a fierce encounter with army’s 44 RR and SOG of police in Pinjoora triggering off strong anti-India protests. At least nine people were injured in the violent clashes that continued till late evening. (GNS)