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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)

SRINAGAR: Bringing laurels for Kashmir, a girl student of Srinagar won a bronze medal at 18th Asian Cities Gold Cup International Taekwondo championship held at Hong Kong from February 7 to 9. Rutbah Shah, a 13 year old girl, who is a seventh standard student of Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School in Srinagar, successfully made grabbed the bronze medal in female bantam weight category in which 300 players from eleven countries participated. The championship was organized by Hong Kong Taekwondo Federation under the supervision of world Taekwondo Federation. Rutbah is involved in Taekwondo from the age of eight years when she was introduced to the game. She has already competed in two international Vovinam tournaments at Dubai and Malaysia, bringing home silver and bronze in respective competitions.

Dedication of whole department made its possible: Mir
Srinagar: For the second year running, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has valued and appreciated the working of Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department by conferring it with the National Tourism Award for the year 2012-13 in the Category “Best State–Comprehensive Development of Tourism”.
Talking to KNS, G.A Mir, minister for tourism Jammu and Kashmir observed: “I congratulate the whole department of tourism that has worked hard and contributed its best which has resulted into this award.” Mir said that the department will put in efforts    to connect with the outside world to attract the tourist flow to Kashmir. “In this regard we may visit different potential countries to make the people aware about our world famous tourist destinations,” he added.
According to a statement issued to KNS, the award was presented by ministry of tourism, government of India in New Delhi on 18th February, 2014. This has been possible as the department completed CFA schemes within the stipulated time and also had mechanisms in place to monitor the progress of projects.
The Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir implemented major projects like the Nagar Nagar Mega Heritage Tourist Circuit, Tourist City Centre at Srinagar and also introduced niche activities like Paragliding and Yachting to add new dimension to the adventure segment. Promotional activities were undertaken in new potential markets like South East Asia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, Russia and Central Asian Countries of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and others.
The Jammu Directorate earned laurels for developing Border Tourism and for revitalization of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex. Ladakh continues to attract tourists for its unparalleled landscape and unique culture. The Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation commissioned a new lift at Makhdoom Sahib Shrine, Srinagar besides installing Ski Chairlift at Kongdori–Gulmarg for promoting skiing in International Market.
“Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation made functional its new property at Yousmarg and also augmented facilities at its hutments elsewhere.  SKICC, Srinagar hosted several International and National Conferences and earned praise from all quarters regarding immaculate conduct of these events,” the statement reads.
It added that a Golf Development and Management Authority was constituted and Royal Springs Golf Course easily held-on to its status as the most cherished course in the country. The Leh Golf Course, when ready, will be the most inimitable course in the world. The role of Tourism Development Authorities deserves special mention as they had a challenging task of creation of assets in regions that were new and ecologically fragile and thus required focused development strategy.
“State has successfully implemented Rural Tourism Projects in 33 villages to showcase the Rural Landscape and Tourism potential of the remote villages of the State and to ensure disposal of economic earnings to the hinterland as well. State has undertaken the challenging task of capacity building and service delivery improvements. About 5000 un-employed youths have been trained in Hospitality & Tourism services in various Tourism Institutes to serve the Tourism industry in more professional manner,” the statement reads further.
It added that the State has earned fame for developing Niche Tourism activities in Golf, Aero Sports, Water Sports and skiing/snow boarding. State has hosted national championships for white Water Kayaking, Rock climbing, Skiing, Snowboarding, cycling, mountaineering, car rallies and many rural sports like Archery, Polo, Boat Racing and others.
“Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Minister for Tourism and Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo, MoS, Tourism have provided visionary leadership to the officers of the Department who in turn have worked tirelessly for development and promotion of Tourism. Zaffar Ahmad, Secretary Tourism and Culture, Talat Parvez, Director Tourism, Kashmir and Soujanya Sharma, Director Tourism, Jammu, other officers of the Department and every single official deserve credit for the accolades that have been bestowed on this Department.” (KNS)

Jammu: Jammu & Kashmir Assembly witnessed today furious scenes when Awami Ittihaad Party President (AIP) and MLA Langate Engineer Rashid protested in strong manner against the entry of tainted Shabir Ahmad Khan, former MoS Health of Jammu and Kashmir, in the Assembly despite facing grave   charges of sexual assault on a woman doctor.

“They have sent a wrong signal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that you continue to be treated differently. This process was on at the time of hanging of Afzal Guru,” said Mehbooba while addressing a press conference in Jammu.
According to a KNS correspondent, the PDP president said: “The same reprieve should have been given in Afzal Guru’s case. Reprieve to Mohammad Afzal Guru would have made the situation different in Kashmir. But Guru was hanged in most atrocious manner by the government of India  to which the National Conference is a partner.”
She said Guru was denied all judicial reliefs and it was ironic that death sentence was commuted in case of the killer of Rajiv Gandhi who also symbolized nationalism like the Parliament does. Mehbooba said that even the experts have termed whole investigations faulty the judicial process leading Guru to gallows partisan.
She said the evidence marshaled and the quality of investigations process had raised many a questions among the think tank, legal luminaries and the intellectuals of the country.   Referring to Delhi rape and murder case in which one guilty was sent to juvenile home, Mehbooba said that these cases are classic examples of the discrimination Guru met at the hands of establishment.
Mehbooba said that besides Guru’s hanging, double standards were also adopted in case of Pathribal fake encounter where, she said the CBI proved the involvement of army personnel. She said that CBI had went upto the supreme court that unfortunately did not adjudicate the matter itself and instead handed over it to the army court which closed the matter in open.
“When I visited the spot in Pathribal people told me that one body was cut in pieces and thrown to dogs. Even we could see the bits of flesh scattered and people told that bodies were mutilated in order to conceal their identities. Is this our justice system of which we are proud,” Mehbooba questioned.
While appreciating the investigations into Gujrat fake encounter cases, the PDP president said that why the government of India remains incapacitated in case of similar encounters in Kashmir. (KNS)

“On the pretext of inordinate delay in disposal of their mercy petitions by the President, the SC not only commuted the death sentence of the three alleged killers of Rajiv Gandhi into life term but also gave a ray of hope for their release by saying that the State government could exercise its remission powers under Section 432 and 433 and following the due procedure in law. I am not against the verdict but my simple submission is that where was the conscience of the SC when it ordered the hanging of Muhammad Afzal Guroo. Was he (Afzal) implicated and executed just because he was a Kashmiri. Despite the fact that Afzal did not get fair trial, SC was quick to pronounce its verdict to satisfy the so called collective conscience of India,” Geelani told Srinagar based news gathering agency CNS adding that those people who expects justice from India are living in a fool’s paradise.
 
The octogenarian leader said that the institutions of India act as deaf and dumb when it comes to Kashmir. He said that it was not only Muhammad Afzal Guroo who was implicated in false case and executed mercilessly but countless Kashmiri people including Muhammad Maqbool Bhat, Dr Qasim Faktoo, Masrat Aalam and others have suffered at the hands of India.
 
Castigating Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his claim that people who are in jails are mostly criminals, Syed Ali Geelani told CNS that innocent Kashmiri people are languishing in jails and Omar Abdullah has no answer for this question.
 
“Can Omar Abdullah tell me why he is restricting the movement of pro-freedom leaders and why he is employing his State Machinery to place us under house arrest if he claims that the prevailing peaceful situation in the State is not deceptive and not by force. We don’t believe in disruption of peace but it the government which harasses youth and puts people of Kashmir behind the bars. Our movement is restricted by imposing restrictions and curfew and we are not allowed to express ourselves freely,” he said. (CNS)

Interacting with a United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) team in Srinagar , Rasik Bhat said the state government took various initiatives for the welfare and holistic development of children, particularly the girl child. He said Religious Leaders, Social Activists, Non-governmental organisations and public have to coordinate for addressing this issue and save the future of the state.

The Chairmain, “Youth For Peace And Development ” Rasik Bhat said UNICEF participation in Jammu And Kashmir creating educational environment and making schools seats of human resource development, moral and general education was welcome. He said the Everyone Should like to work with UNICEF to achieve the task of achieving comprehensive development of children, their protection and proper upkeep.

Rasik Bhat said capacity building in teaching community is imperative in this regard and UNICEF could extent favourable help to the state for this purpose. He said the state government and UNICEF should work together for the betterment . He said better educational environment in schools and proper care in homes are important in this regard.