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26 people cross LoC in Karvaan-e-Aman

Srinagar: Despite escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Karvaan-e-Aman-Srinagar Muzzafarabad bus service hasn’t been affected as 20 people from this side crossed the LoC sans any hindrance on Monday.
Regional Passport Officer Srinagar, Firdous Iqbal who is nodal officer for the service told Kashmir News Service that 20 persons from this side of Kashmir crossed the LoC while six persons from that side entered in Kashmir Valley. “There hasn’t been any suspension of the Bus Service- it is functioning normally. Only on Eid, the service was suspended,” Iqbal told KNS.
The bus service connects Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital with erstwhile part of the state- Muzaffarabad, the capital of the Pakistan-administered Kashmir across the Line of Control. The bus is of symbolic importance to the efforts of the two nations’ governments to foster peaceful and friendly relations and follows the success of the Delhi–Lahore Bus, which was launched in 1999.
Nodal Officer of Karvaan-e-Aman, Firdous Iqbal said that the bus service operates every Monday and there were in total 26 people who crossed the LoC from both sides in the bus.
Pertinently, the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan after Uri attack hasn’t affected the bus service .While there were apprehensions of both sides about to getting engaged in a serious battle, the bus service, started as a Confidence Building Measure (CBM), has so far managed to safeguard itself from the animosity being witnessed on both sides. (KNS)

‘Education requires free, peaceful environment’

Srinagar: Joint resistance leadership Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik, while commenting on the governments repeated announcements of conducting exams and opening school, questioned their concern, has said that how can a government that presides over the murder of children, pretend to be their well wishers? How dare they lecture us on the virtues of education and its importance to our future? How wicked are these Indian stooges to feign sympathy for the future of our children? Their brutal conduct during the last three months has blown their cover of deception. Also whatever they peddle as concern is their confusion about education and literacy.
Explaining the real essence and gist of education they said that literacy only makes us and our children familiar with sounds and signs but real education is what liberates our minds. Education enlightens the soul and enables a person to distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong, truth and falsehood. Going by the basic and traditional definition of education, those presiding over the worst oppression of Indian state and lecturing us on ethical and social graces can be anything but educated.
In a statement issued to Kashmir Today, they said that had they been educated, they would have liberated themselves from the yoke of fake power and sided with truth standing beside their own people, as education would never make a monster out of people. It rather ennobles and awakens conscience of people.
Joint resistance leaders said that the minister concerned, who wants to help the state, continues with the charade of normalcy by conducting the exams, should first create an enabling environment. On the contrary he got the schools, colleges and universities occupied by the occupational forces; he cannot guarantee the safety and security of our beloved children who have been traumatized by the same forces across the state. Reminding the “worthy” and most vocal of the hatchery of collaborators, that in early 90’s this very minister used to extol virtues of freedom through his write-ups under various pseudonyms and today he not only supports but is on the forefront of providing a shameless cover to the Indian brutalities by parroting frivolous assertions about education, ethics and society.
He and other turncoats like him are today’s Mirs’ Jafars’, but they won’t stand for long before the sweep of truth coupled with peoples’ political consent.

‘People in J&K have been suffering enormous human tragedies, economic losses because of hostility in the region’

Srinagar: Maintaining that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have huge stakes in peace and stability in the region, Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti today said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would continue its efforts to seek larger political consensus for the peaceful resolution of the issues facing the State.

“There has to be a larger political consensus on how to meet the challenges confronting Jammu and Kashmir and make this a turning point in the State’s turbulent history so that our future generations have not to suffer the miseries of violence and bloodshed,” Ms Mehbooba, who is also the President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said while addressing the party cadres from district Ganderbal here.

Ms Mehbooba said PDP has, right from its inception, advocated an end to the violent and confrontational means and opted for process of dialogue and engagement for the peaceful settlement of the problems of the State and ending the miseries of its people. “PDP strongly believes that the fast-changing equations in the region offer the country’s leadership, not just a challenge, but also a great opportunity to take a giant step towards making India more at peace not only with its neighbors, but also with itself,” she said and urged Islamabad to take concrete confidence building measures towards reviving the peace and reconciliation process in the region to end the miseries of the people.

Reiterating that there is no alternative to reconciliation, Ms Mehbooba said the people in all the regions of the State have to suffer enormous human tragedies and economic losses because of the hostility in the region. “While people living along the borders in Jammu region suffer and live under the constant threat of cross-border shelling, the people in Kashmir valley are suffering because of the continued internal strife and recurrent violence,” she said and added that peace along the borders in Jammu region and within the mainland in Kashmir is key to development and progress as had happened between 2002 and 2005.

“There was not only peace along the borders from Kathua to Kargil, during that golden era, but the situation in Kashmir valley had also started transforming positively after witnessing a long and gloomy era of death and destruction,” she said and added that unfortunately due to the reversal of the peace and reconciliation process after 2008, uncertainty again returned to haunt the people of the State.

“We shall have to ponder over the emerging situation in the State and go deep into the reasons for mounting alienation especially among the educated youth,” Ms Mehbooba said and added that concrete measures shall have to be taken to address the causes of alienation and cynicism and at the same time revive the process of intra-state and inter-state reconciliation and confidence building.

Ms Mehbooba said the Kashmir issue should not be seen through the security prism alone and the country’s political leadership needs to invest in J&K’s peace and own and acknowledge the pain and sufferings of its people. “People of Jammu and Kashmir should not be given to feel that their dignity is being undermined,” she said.

Ms Mehbooba said despite passing through the darkest era of its history, the main source of the State’s confidence is the substantial potential of building upon its young and enterprising human resource. “It is heartening to note that even after having gone through the most difficult times, our young boys and girls are doing us proud in whatever field they take a plunge,” she said and added that the J&K’s young population has suffered immensely due to the conflict and our youth now need to connect with the larger world outside to grab the opportunities available to their counterparts elsewhere.

Reiterating her resolve to work for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Ms Mehbooba said in a democratic setup the power lies with the public and they have to be given the due respect. She said the doors of her ministers and civil servants should remain always open for the common people. “If any Minister and other government functionary fails to respond effectively to genuine problems of the people, the complainants should directly approach my office,” she said and added that she would ensure effective action on such genuine issues that are brought to her notice.

PDP General Secretary, Mohammad Sartaj Madni also addressed the meeting

Srinagar: A day after government imposed a ban on local daily Kashmir Reader, Kashmir media mainly consisting of working journalists came out on road and demanded immediate revocation of the government order.

“The ban is simply an attempt to muzzle the Kashmir media,” a senior journalist part of the protest said. “Government can’t silence the media like this.”

After registering protest in Srinagar’s Press Enclave, the journalists holding a placard “Return of Dark Age” marched on Residential Raid to protest in front of Directorate of Information office in Polo View.

Notably, in a written order yesterday, the government conveyed to owner of theKashmir Reader to stop publication immediately. It cited that the daily was “incited violence” in Kashmir.

When last checked in, the scribes had observed a silent sit-in before the locked down gates of Directorate office. The scribes in protest placed placards – “Is Kashmir under martial law”, “Journalism is no threat to society” – on Directorate gates.

In the second Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India beat New Zealand by 178 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

New Zealand, chasing a target of 376 runs, were all out for 197 runs as the Indian bowlers put up a commanding display on Day 4.

India’s victory in the 250th home Test also helped the team reach the top position of the ICC Test rankings. This is also India’s fourth consecutive Test series win under Kohli at home. New Zealand openers Tom Latham (74) and Martin Guptill (24) gave the visitors a solid start but bowed down to the India bowlers in the fourth innings.

Mohammed Shami’s two wickets in quick succession put India back in the game. Wriddhiman Saha scored 50s in both innings while Cheteshwar Pujara made 87 in the first innings and Rohit Sharma made 82 in the second innings.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked a five-wicket haul in the first innings while R Ashwin, Shami and Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets each in the final innings.