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Srinagar, Oct 17 : Sagir Ahmed, one of the two civilians killed by unidentified gunmen in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, had migrated to the Valley about one and a half years ago from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh to help his family get out of poverty.

Since moving to the Valley, he was able to manage a steady income and used to send money back to his family.

Mr Ahmad, a carpenter by profession, was shot dead in Pulwama yesterday – the ninth victim to be targeted by the unidentified in the past two weeks.

“He was a carpenter by profession. He was working in Kashmir for one-and-a-half-years. We spoke to him 3-4 days back. We had asked him about the situation (targeted killing of civilians by terrorists), he had assured us that everything was fine. He was planning to visit us,” Sagir Ahmed’s younger brother, Naseem, told national news channel, as per news agency KINS.

Sagir Ahmed is survived by a family of five, including an unmarried daughter, in Sahranpur in western Uttar Pradesh.

“We want justice. We want compensation. He was the sole breadwinner for the family. I have a brother and three sisters to look after,” said Mr Ahmed’s daughter Nazrana.

Officials from the Uttar Pradesh government visited the family on Saturday evening and assured all possible help.

“We have met the family. He is survived by a son and four daughters, one of whom is unmarried. His son is also a carpenter in Barmer. Their financial condition is not good. We will ensure they get adequate compensation from the government. We are also trying to retrieve the dead body from Kashmir,” Archana Dwivedi, Additional District Magistrate, East, Saharanpur, said.

Sagir Ahmad was shot in Pulwama; he died of his injuries later. Mr Ahmad was the second civilian to be killed on the day – Arbind Kumar Sah, a gol-gappa hawker from Bihar was shot dead at point-blank range in Srinagar.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has condemned the killings.

“Strongly condemn the killing of street vendor Arbind Kumar in an attack in Srinagar today. This is yet another case of a civilian being targeted like this. All Arbind Kumar did was come to Srinagar in search of earning opportunities and it’s reprehensible that he was murdered,” former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted.

Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone tweeted, “This is pure terror. Yet again a non-local vendor was shot and killed in Idgah. What a shame. How cowardly can it get.”

The police had launched a massive crackdown and detained some 900 people across Jammu and Kashmir for their suspected links. (KINS)

Anantnag: Two non-locals were killed and another injured when unknown gunmen fired upon them in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Sunday evening.

They said the gunmen fired at them at Wanpoh, leaving two persons—Raja Reshi Dev and Jogindar Reshi Dev, both from Bihar—leaving them dead on the spot while wounding one another. The injured was shifted to GMC Anantnag.

They said that the injured, Chun Chun Reshi Das son of Teju Das of Bihar, was taken to GMC Anantnag where his condition is stated to be stable.

“He has fire arm injury in back and arm. His condition is stated to be stable,” Medical Superintendent GMC Anantnag Dr iqbal Sofi told GNS.

AFP

Srinagar: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out his Taliban worries to world leaders this week, army staged raids and battled Kashmir militants who he fears could be emboldened by the Islamists’ victory in Afghanistan. Kashmir rebel shootings of civilians and police, raids by the security forces on militant hideouts, and insurgent infiltrations across the India-Pakistan ceasefire line have all increased in the Muslim-majority region since the Taliban overran Kabul on August 15.

About 40 people have been killed in shootings and clashes in the two months since then in the Himalayan region, which has been divided since India and Pakistan became independent in 1947.

Militants have targeted minority Hindu and Sikh civilians, while gun battles near the ceasefire line have also left soldiers and rebels dead.

India has not openly blamed the Taliban takeover for the uptick in violence, but it has intensified patrols near Pakistani Kashmir and fortified some army camps, according to residents and security officials who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.

Modi told a G20 summit in Rome earlier this week that international efforts were needed to make sure Afghanistan does not become a safe haven for “radicalisation and terrorism“.
He has also raised India’s concerns with US President Joe Biden.

In September, he told the UN General Assembly that no country must be allowed to use Afghanistan “as a tool for its own selfish interests” — a comment widely seen as a reference to neighbouring Pakistan, the chief backer of the Taliban’s 1996-2001 regime.
This time, Islamabad has stopped short of recognising the new Taliban government.

Still, New Delhi accuses its arch-rival in Islamabad of fuelling Pakistan-based militant groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which are blamed for many attacks in Kashmir.

Pakistan denies the claim.

India was a backer of the Soviet-puppet government in Kabul that was overthrown by mujahideen forces in 1992.

In 2001 it helped the US-led forces that toppled the Taliban. And it was a major donor to the government that the hardline Islamists crushed in August.

Afghan militants fought alongside Kashmir fighters in the 1980s and 1990s. About 20 Afghan “guest mujahideen” were killed and 10 were captured, according to a former Kashmiri fighter.

India worries that weapons and fighters could again reach the region, over which it has fought two wars against Pakistan.

“What we can say and learn from the past is that when the previous Taliban regime was in power, that time definitely we had foreign militants of Afghan origin in Jammu and Kashmir,” said India’s military chief of staff General M.M. Naravane.

Protests are virtually impossible in Kashmir because of restrictions imposed by Delhi since the region’s semi-autonomous status was revoked in 2019.

But some in Kashmir have quietly welcomed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan as a victory against the odds that they too can aspire to one day.

“If they can defeat the world’s largest military power, we see a possibility that we too can win our freedom,” one businessman in the main Kashmir city of Srinagar told AFP, declining to be named.

A former Kashmir militant who trained in Afghanistan in the 1990s and fought alongside Afghan mujahideen in Kashmir added: “The Taliban victory has already supplied oxygen to our movement.”

Given India’s security clampdown on Kashmir, Naravane and other military chiefs are confident that Delhi can cope with any surge.

But speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior security official in Kashmir said “there is some panic” inside the security establishment.

Michael Kugelman, a South Asia specialist at the Wilson Centre in Washington, said Afghanistan’s new rulers could inspire “stepped up unrest” in Kashmir.

Taliban officials have said they want to maintain trade and other ties with India, meaning that some kind of contact will have to be maintained.
“The Taliban itself won’t agitate for unrest in Kashmir, but those it is aligned with likely will do so,” he said.

Mosharraf Zaidi, a columnist and security analyst in Pakistan, said he saw no reason the Taliban would want to “deliberately agitate the Indian authorities“.

Their victory, he believes, is more important for the signal it sends to “young Kashmiri boys and girls watching the images from Afghanistan“.

With inputs from TOI

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Perpetators of these crimes will be punished soon; have intensified our efforts to crush militants, their eco-system: LG Manoj Sinha

At a time when entire valley is on a high security alert in the wake of target killings, two non-local residents were killed in two separate incidents in Srinagar and Pulwama on Saturday.

A police official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a non-local resident was shot dead in the evening at Eidgah area of Srinagar. He was identified as Arvind Kumar Shah.

“He was fired from a close range and taken to SMHS hospital where he was declared brought dead on arrival,” the official said. The police sealed the area and a massive search operation was launched to nab the attackers.

Barely 30 minutes after the killing of Arvind, the gunmen killed another non-local resident, a carpenter by profession at Pulwama’s Litter village. The slain was identified as Sagir Ahmed, who was working as a carpenter at a local mill in Litter.

“He was rushed to District Hospital Pulwama for treatment where the doctors declared him as brought dead,” the official said.

The fresh killings of non-locals in Kashmir come close on the heels of targeted killings in which seven people including a famous chemist, two school teachers and a non-local vendor were killed. Police had claimed that militants involved in majority of the selected killings were neutralised in the recent encounters. However, fresh killings have left another challenge for the security forces as they have come at a time when entire Kashmir was on a high security alert.

Meanwhile, J&K LG Manoj Sinha tweeted: “I strongly condemn the brutal killings of Arvind Kumar Shah and Sagir Ahmad by militants. My heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. UT Govt stands in solidarity with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Perpetrators of these heinous attacks will be punished soon. We have intensified our efforts to crush militants and their ecosystem. They will have to pay a very heavy price for killing innocent civilians. I urge people to speak in one voice and join hands in the fight against militancy.”

One slain militant Umar Mushtaq figured in list of top 10 wanted militants; was involved in killing of two cops at Baghat; 3 out of 5 Sgr-based militants killed in less than 24 Hrs, 13 militants killed in 9 encounters in ensuing month: IGP Kashmir

Two local Lashkar-e-Toiba (TRF) militants were killed in an overnight encounter at Drangbal area of Pampore in southern district of Pulwama, police said Saturday.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that acting on a specific input generated by the Awantipore police about the presence of two militants in Drangbal area of Pampore, a joint cordon and search was launched by 50 RR, 110bn CRFP and police in the area.

“When the presence of militants got ascertained, they were repeatedly asked to surrender but they refused and instead opened fire at the forces triggering a gunbattle,” the IGP said, adding that “the hiding militants took shelter in three-storey concrete building that caught fire as we fired grenades at it.”

He said that in the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed who were identified as Umar Mushtaq Khanday and Shahid Khurshid who were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba (TRF) outfit.

A police spokesman said that both the slain militants were “collaborators in recent killings in Srinagar city and were involved in several others. “Umar Mushtaq was also involved in the killing of two policemen Muhammad Yousuf and Suhail Ahmad in Baghat area of Srinagar and figured among the list of top 10 most wanted militants,” the police spokesman said. “He was also responsible for creating fear among the locals and had been coercing innocent citizens to sympathise with anti-national elements.”

The police spokesman said that incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of the encounter. The IGP Kashmir, further said that post recent civilian killings in City Srinagar militants Shahid Khurshid along with Shahid Bashir shifted to district Pulwama while as their other associate Mukhtar Shah shifted to district Shopian and all the three militants stand killed.

“Police are committed to hunt down all the militants who try to create fear among masses and spread mischief & tumult in the valley and such elements & their names should be excised from society,” the IGP said.

He said that, post recent civilian killings, so far 13 militants have been eliminated in nine different anti-militancy operations including 3 out of 5 militants of Srinagar city who were killed within less than 24hrs. He also said that, as of now only two militants of Srinagar City namely Mehran and Wasim are active and all efforts are on to nab them. Replying to a query that whether security would be provided to all politicians and minorities, the IGP said that it wasn’t possible to provide security one and all but “yes we will provide security to those who are vulnerable and facing threats.”

NAGPUR: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said the abrogation of Article 370 which had given a special status to Jammu and Kashmir has not solved the problem completely, and there is a section of population there which still speaks of “Azadi” (independence).

Speaking at a book launch function here, he said society must reach out to this section so as to integrate it with “Bharat”.

He visited Kashmir recently and saw that abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 has paved the way for development in the region, Bhagwat said.

He also saw Muslim students from Jammu and Kashmir stating during a program in Mumbai last month that they wanted to be part of India and now they could be Indian without any barrier, he said.

Earlier, Jammu and Ladakh faced “discrimination” and 80 per cent of the resources spent on Kashmir Valley went into local leaders’ pockets without benefiting people, the RSS chief said.

Now this has changed and people’s lives there are “happier”, he claimed.

Article 370 also came in the way of taking action against terrorists but now nobody fears terrorists, he added.

“People who had put stones in the hands of their children instead of books have stopped praising them .

There is an open atmosphere. Tomorrow elections will be held and new government will be formed,” the RSS chief said.

But sometimes we get complacent and lethargic when “hurdles are removed”, Bhagwat said, adding, “The problem has not gone away.

Was Article 370 the problem? The reason why Article 370 had been created was the problem.

“There is one section, which persuaded by Pakistan and with communal feelings in the heart says (demands) Azaadi (freedom/independence). And these sections are still there,” Bhagwat said.

Many in Kashmir identify with Indian nationalism, he said.

But there are some others who are happy that “corrupt leaders have gone to jail” and there is development, but “in their hearts they feel even with all this, if we get independence, it will be good,” Bhagwat said.

“And the problem lies there,” he added.

“We will need to speed up efforts for assimilation,” the RSS chief said, adding that Indian society should take benefit of the “good atmosphere” prevailing now and “reach out to all of them and establish close relations make them feel that they belong to Bharat.” (PTI)

Srinagar Oct, 16: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Saturday terminated services of grandson of separatist Late Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

In a communique, a copy of which lies with the possession of Kashmir Today reads, “whereas the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available that the activities of Mr. Anees-ul-Islam, Research Officer in Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre S/o Altaf Ahmad Shah R/o 119-MIG Green Park, Bermina, Srinagar A/p Bachpora, Srinagar are such as to warrant his dismissal from service.

The communique further reads that the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an enquiry in the case of Mr. Anees-ul-Islam, Research Officer in Sher- e-Kashmir International Convention Centre S/o Altaf Ahmad Shah R/o 119- MIG Green Park, Bemina, Srinagar A/p Bachpora, Srinagar.

Accordingly, the Lieutenant Governor hereby dismisses Mr. Anees-ul-Islam, Research Officer in Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre S/o Altaf Ahmad Shah R/o 119-MIG Green Park, Bemina, Srinagar A/p Bachpora, Srinagar from service, with immediate effect, it added.

MAKKAH: The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques is abolishing the requirement of Social Distancing in Masjid Al Haram and Masjid Al Nabawi from Sunday.

A source in the General Presidency informed exclusively to Haramain Sharifain that social distancing stickers will be removed after Isha Prayers on Saturday. This comes after the Ministry of Interior ordered the complete opening of the Haramain Sharifain and relaxed majority of the Health Precautions.

The source also informed that Mataaf will be restricted for those who perform Tawaaf and Masaa (Place for performing the ritual of Saee) will be completely opened. Additionally Carpets will be replaced at all places completely.