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  • Voters thrashed, stripped: Geelani appeals for calm

    Srinagar: A day after voters were thrashed and stripped in North Kashmir by groups of youth, Chairman All Parties Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani Friday expressed his displeasure over the incidents and appealed people to maintain calm.

    In a video appeal posted on YouTube, the octogenarian leader said: “There are reports of Sopore traders being asked to shut shops in Handwara and people from Kupwara and Handwara being troubled, this is unpleasant and is against the ethos of Islam and our nation.”

    Groups of youth on Thursday in Baramulla town and Sopore area had stripped and thrashed voters from Kupwara district which saw a high voter turnout on Wednesday. The glasses of many vehicles were also smashed.

    Reports said today traders from Sopore were asked to shut their shops in Handwara and were asked to retreat.

    Geelani said: “The voting process was over and we must live like brothers and must not indulge in activities that can lead to a civil war.”

    He said: “Such acts would help India’s designs on Kashmir and I appeal to all the people especially youth to refrain from such acts and live in peace.”

    The resistance leader, who is under house arrest since his return from Indian capital in April, said: “I hope everyone listens to my appeal and my Allah help us to come out of the oppression.” (GNS)

  • Action will be taken against those who terrorise voters: Omar 

    Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday took a strong exception to the attacks by youth on people in volatile twin townships of Baramulla and Sopore for coming to exercise their franchise.

    Omar on social networking site Twitter wrote “First things first – the gangs moving around trying to terrorise those who voted will not be tolerated.”

    On Thursday scores of people who cast their vote in North Kashmir district were hounded, searched and in some cases stripped by groups of youth in Baramulla district.
    The Chief Minister said that, “Action will be taken against anyone found trying to terrorise voters & the police have been instructed accordingly.”
    Lashing out on those who try to restrict the freedom of people who want to vote, CM said that “can’t have freedom to choose not to vote without allowing people who want to vote a similar choice.”

    In backdrop of brisk voting in Kupwara and Hadwara areas of Baramulla constituency, youth at volatile Baramulla and Sopore bus stand were reportedly seen stopping vehicles from remote areas like Uri, Kupwara and other places and were asked to show index fingers.

  • Journalists allege ‘police interference

     Srinagar: Several video and photojournalists of Barmulla alleged that policemen misbehaved with them and barred them from covering protests on Cement Bridge.

    “Police stopped us from covering protests and asked us to leave the spot. We were sent back from the area,” Nisar Malik, who works with Kashmir Reader as photo-journalist, said. He said there were scribes associated with Rising Kashmir, Daily Excelsior, Munsif TV and Kashmir Times.

    The Superintendent of Police (SP) Baramulla, Suhail Munawar said the measure was taken in order to secure journalists as stone-pelting was going on. “See, we told them to keep some distance and not to go close because we don’t want that they should get hurt or injured.” He said police have nothing against journalists and didn’t interfered or stopped them from doing their job. “It was for only their protection,” he added.  (GNS)

  • NC condemns harassment, humiliation of voters

    Srinagar: National Conference Spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu has said that National Conference condemns the harassment and humiliation of voters in Sopore and Baramulla by miscreants. “We strongly condemn the brazen vigilante scanning of people by goons in Sopore and Baramulla and the subsequent physical assault and humiliation meted out to those who had voting marks on their fingers”, Mattu said.

    Demanding stern punishment to the culprits, Mattu said “This brazen, fascist assault on innocent fellow Kashmiris by goons and glorified hooligans in North Kashmir underlines everything that is wrong with separatist politics in the Valley. While they have a right to appeal for an election boycott, citizens have an equally sacred right to defy that appeal and exercise their right to vote. How can you demand that your right to boycott should be respected when you do not respect the right of others to disagree with you and vote? Why this inherent hypocrisy?”

    Junaid Mattu said that certain political quarters in the State had glorified anarchy, hooliganism and vandalism under the fig-leaf of the political sentiment. “Those who parade elders in broad daylight, slap them and tear their clothes off cannot represent anything but anarchy and madness. The separatist leaders, either through their glorious statements or through their inglorious silence have given a certain amount of legitmacy to anarchy and vandalism in the Valley. Their condemnations are selective, if not quantitatively but certainly in terms of the stark qualitative contrast between condemnations to such acts committed by security forces and acts committed by such glorified goons”, Junaid Mattu said.

    Junaid Mattu said that National Conference speaks up for the rights of the people of this State irrespective of their political ideologies or leanings. “Every single citizen of J&K – those who vote as well as those who dont vote – have equal rights to dignity and liberty. No power on earth will be allowed to victimize people of J&K based on their political leanings and ideologies. People have a right to not vote and it is also a fact that people have an equal right to vote. Both rights need to be safeguarded for upholding if not the spirit of democracy but at least the spirit of human civility”, Mattu added. (GNS)

  • Baramulla traders on indefinite strike to protest raids, arrests

    Srinagar: The trade organization in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district Friday called an indefinite strike and has accused the police of ‘looting’ during nocturnal raids in the Old Town of the district.

    While accusing police of ‘loot’ and ‘robbery’, the Baramulla Beopar Mandal has called for indefinite shutdown in the town which began from today with all the shops and business establishments shut. The trade body has demanded release of detained youth and ‘elderly’ persons and transfer of two senior police officers.

    All the markets of Baramulla town were closed with traffic off the roads while clashes also took place at Cement Bridge – which connects Old Town with Civil Lines. There was huge deployment of police and paramilitary forces in all the markets of the town while police had erected concertina wires on Cement Bridge restricting the movement of civilians.

    While talking to GNS, the president of Baramulla Beopar Mandal, Abdul Rashid Mir, said: “Police have created hostile situation in the town. They have detained around 30-40 youth and elderly persons during nocturnal raids from last few days from various parts of the town including in Azad Gunj, Ganai Hamam, Jamia Mohalla and Stadium Colony.”

    “Last night at around 2:00 am, police raided the house of a businessman Ghulam Din Mir of Stadium Colony Azad Gunj. They went berserk, smashed glasses and other belongings. They thrashed him and his son. His son, Abdul Rashid was picked up by police without clothes,” Mir alleged.

    While leveling serious allegations on the police, he said: “They stole gold worth 16 lakhs from his house and 3 rupees three lakh in cash. Besides, all this, his house was damaged by police.”

    He said Beopar Mandal demands compensation to the businessman, release of the detainees, return the gold and cash ‘stolen by police’ and transfer of Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters)  and Station House Officer Baramulla. “Till these demands are not met, the town will observe a complete shutdown. It is a collective decision,” Mir said.

    The Superintendent of Police (SP) Baramulla, Suhail Munawar told GNS that he is unaware about ransacking issue. “I will have to check the facts,” he said. (GNS)

     

  • Brutal Attitude of Indian Forces in North Kashmir Vulnerable is Condemnable: Yasin Malik

    Honorable people should to join hands and eradicate the atmosphere of confusion and mutual tensions immediately: Detained Yasin Malik

    Srinagar: Chairman Jammu Kashmir liberation front (JKLF) Mohammad Yasin Malik who is still languishing in police custody has strongly condemned the brutal use of force by Indian forces and police throughout Sopore, Bandipora, Baramullah, Palhalan,Hajin and Pattan etc and termed it as mere frustration of the rulers and their forces after an exemplary election boycott by the people. Yasin Malik who along with JKLF leaders advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Mir Siraj ud din Davood, Imtiyaz Ahmad Bitta,Ashraf bin Salam, Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, Mohammad Azam Zargar, Mohammad Jamal, Abdul Rehman Pahalwan,  Mohammad Akbar Wani and Mohammad Sultan and hundreds of innocent youth in still in police custody in his statement said that police and forces are continuously practicing their revengeful activities in Sopore, Baramullah, Bandipora, Palhalan, Hajin and Pattan etc. These forces have gone berserk and are beating and arresting people and also are continuously damaging residential houses and business centers and other assets. This brutal attitude has made the lives of people living in these areas vulnerable. Yasin Malik said that all these acts of state terrorism show the level of frustration of rulers who feel defeated by the peop0l’s exemplary boycott and want to take revenge from the common people.

    Yasin Malik while expressing his concern over the news reports of Mutual tensions and chaos between some people in Sopore, Baramullah,Kupwara,Handwar and Bandipora , said that overwhelming majority of the people of Kashmir, demonstrating their Zeal  and passion, boycotted the drama of Indian elections and thus clearly showed their allegiance with freedom movement and love for the great martyrs .For this show of resilience we all are thankful to these gallant  people .But at the same time we all must bear in mind that we will have to keep vigil and safeguard our unity and brotherhood and defeat the nefarious conspiracies of those who want to divide us for their own benefits and interests  . Yasin Malik appealed to all honorable people to join hands and eradicate the atmosphere of confusion and mutual tensions as it was necessary for the sacred cause of martyrs.

    Yasin Malik also condemned the atrocities being committed against JKLF leader Mir Siraj ud din Davood and others who are languishing in Pattan police station and said that police behavior with these political activists is inhuman and uncivilized. Putting dozens of political prisoners in a dark cell, refusing them a meeting with their kith and kin and even stopping the important medicine to reach them cannot be termed but as brutal and uncivilized behavior. Yasin Malik strongly condemned this police behavior.

     

  • Pak pins hope on new govt in India for new beginning: Basit

    Amritsar: Pakistan is eagerly awaiting a new government in India for a “new beginning” in the bilateral dialogue process, its High Commissioner in New Delhi Abdul Basit Khan said today.

    “We are eagerly awaiting new Government in India so that dialogue process could start meaningfully and compressively once again on a fast pace.
    “With the new government setting up in Delhi, we hope that the two countries would engage with each other for a comprehensive and strategic boost to bilateral trade relations,” he said.
    Basit was speaking to reporters after inaugurating a 5-day mega maiden ‘Pakistan Show 2014′, jointly organised by Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today.
    “The governments on both sides are committed to boost bilateral trade so that peaceful development can be realised on both sides of the border sooner than later,” he said.
    He lauded the traders and businessmen of both nations of having strong potential. “These shows happening over a number of years are testimony to the fact that the business communities on both sides of the border are keen and eager to see peace ushering on both the countries,” Basit said.
    On the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistani High Commissioner said, “Both the nations admit the issue of Jammu and Kashmir exists and it should be resolved. Moreover, it requires a dialogue process. So, here, we should also think to resolve this issue.”
    When asked about the presence of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan, Basit said, “Dawood is an Indian citizen and how could anyone claim that he is in Pakistan and we have no information about him”.
    On being asked about the drug smuggling menace, Basit said both India and Pakistan are victims of this problem.
    “Presently, drug is being smuggled from Afghanistan and its basic ingredients also cultivated there. Hence, Indian and Pakistan have many common problems that required joint efforts,” Basit said.
    When asked what would be Pakistan’s stand if Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister, he said, “Whichever political outfit comes to power in India, Pakistan would always expect smooth trade, visa and cultural relations between the two countries”.

  • Battle for Baramulla NC, PDP, PC claim to have won the seat

    Srinagar: With the 39 percent people casting their ballot in North Kashmir on May 7, all the political parties and their candidates Thursday claimed to have won the seat. With 18 candidates in the fray, the main tussle was seen between PDP, NC and Peoples’ Conference led by Sajad Gani lone.

    As the National conference Thursday stated that they have won the seat and that people in large numbers have voted for the party in Baramulla, it also claimed that no one could ever beat NC from Baramulla. “We had already won this seat, we are confident that on the day of results we will make every person to drop jaws,” said Shariq while talking to KNS.

    PDP who had nominated former chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh from Baramulla stated that the wave in party’s favor swept all their rivals away and that people in droves voted for the ‘change’.

    The chief spokesman of PDP and legislator Naeem Akhtar told KNS that the party will emerge victorious with the ‘respectable margin’. Peoples’ Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone told KNS that the people have given a clear message to the outer world that from now on, traditional politics will be dismissed with the scorn it merited. “You must see the percentage of voting in Kupwara, it is all because people voted for us in large numbers in the entire north Kashmir. We have won this seat. ”

    Pertinently, During the election of 2009-Shariq emerged as the winner for NC- Congress coalition with 203022 votes while as the PDP candidate Mohammad Dilawar Mir lagged behind with 138208. As per the data available, the Baramulla seat was won over by Syed Ahmad Aga of Indian National Congress (INC) in 1967. In 1971, the seat was again bagged by the same candidate of the Congress. In 1977, the National Conference took control of the seat with its candidate Abdul Ahad getting 147222 votes. In 1980-the seat was again won by NC’s Khwaja Mubarak Shah with 178533 votes. Muzaffar Hussain Beigh at that time being an independent candidate managed 75256 votes. In 1984- Saif-ud-din Soz of the National Conference emerged as the winner from North Kashmir’s turf with 234357 votes in his kitty. Congress again took control of the seat in 1996. That time Ghulam Rasool Kar of INC got 110331 votes.

    In 1998- Prof Soz from National Conference won in Baramulla with 131164 votes. In 1999, Abdul Rashid Shaheen of National Conference again won this Lok Sabha seat with 84243 votes. Muzaffar Hussain Beigh as an Independent candidate again turned out to be a runner up from the constituency, managing 48130. In 2004- Abdul Rashid Shaheen of National Conference won the seat with 127653. Nizam-ud-Din Bhat of PDP became runner up with 117758. In 2009, the coalition candidate of Congress and NC Sharief-ud-din Shariq won the seat managing 203022 votes.

  • Youth who does have chronic cases against them shall be freed: DIG North Kashmir

    Srinagar: Stating that the detained youth in North Kashmir who doesn’t have any serious cases against them shall be freed only after consultations with their guardians, the police Thursday said that the people having chronic cases against them shall have to face the court of law.

    The Deputy Inspector General of Police (North Kashmir) told KNS over phone that some 12 stone pelters have also been detained during the clashes that erupted on the poling day on Baramulla. He further clarified that the army has not harassed anyone in the area and those who are leveling the allegations of such nature should site one example. “Show us a single place where Army has assaulted people. There are no such reports as such,” said DIG north Ghulam Hassan Bhat.

    He added that the people who were detained ahead of the polls shall be freed if no cases against them are found. “We will hold consultations with their parents so that they could not indulge in stone pelting again.”

  • Revoke New Employment Policy or face agitation : AAP

    Srinagar: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said that Government must revoke the newly created  employment policy as it is directly effecting the career of education youth of state.

    In a statement issued to KNS here AAP leader Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat said that  instead of providing good job opportunities, the Government’s new employment policy is proving to be a nightmare for the talented , educated  unemployed youth . “It is a matter of grave concern that under the new job policy a non gazetted employee will be paid salary in a fixed mode which ranges from Rs 3850 to 10,460 for first five years, which includes 50 percent of basic pay for first two years and 75 percent of basic pay for next three years. Irony is that even pension is not applicable under this policy but at the same time this policy is not applicable for gazette employees , this is totally injustice “ Dr Muzaffar added.

    He said that on one hand legislators (MLA’s , MLC’s) are demanding hike in their monthly salaries from Rs 90,000 to Rs 1.15 lakhs but on the other hand an MPhil or PHD degree holder is paid mere 3000 to 4000 Rs per month. How can the legislators justify their demand ? NYC volunteers have been denied justice and they have been protesting  since years but Government never paid any heed to them.

    Contractual lecturers are being made to work like coolies in higher secondary schools and degree colleges. Irony is tha the female contractual lecturers are denied maternity leave and other benefits as if they are not human beings ? If Government does not revoke this job policy , Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will come on roads along with unemployed youth and agitate against the said draconian policy of the Government.