Kashmir.Watch

Blog

  • Should Shoaib Malik be given a farewell match? Wasim Akram shares his thoughts

    “Of course, he had announced that he will retire after the World Cup. Unfortunately, it has not ended on a high note. I think he deserved to end his career on a high as he has done a lot for Pakistan cricket,” said Akram while speaking to a Pakistani journalist.


    IANS – London

    Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram feels that batting all-rounder Shoaib Malik, who will retire after the ongoing World Cup, can be given a farewell dinner, not a “farewell match”.

    Malik had last year announced that he will retire from ODI cricket after the World Cup which is going on in England and Wales.

    “Of course, he had announced that he will retire after the World Cup. Unfortunately, it has not ended on a high note. I think he deserved to end his career on a high as he has done a lot for Pakistan cricket,” said Akram while speaking to a Pakistani journalist.

    “He did not play many matches in the World Cup. He got out twice on duck, but this can happen to any player. We should always remember his services as he has won Pakistan many matches. He is a nice guy, so let’s send him a nice farewell, for once. I know he could not perform in this World Cup, but he has performed over the years for Pakistan,” he added.

    When asked by the journalist if Malik deserved a farewell match, Akram said: “This is not club cricket where you can ask a player to play a one-day match. We can rather organise a farewell dinner for him.”

    Malik, 37, played just three matches for Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup, scoring just eight runs (including two ducks).

    He also had to face a lot of criticism after Pakistan’s loss to India at Edgbaston on June 16. A video had gone viral which claimed that Malik and few other Pakistani cricketers were partying and socialising on the night prior to much-anticipated clash against India.

    However, Malik had denied the allegations, saying it was sad for him to clarify about his personal life after serving Pakistan cricket for more than 20 years.

  • Kashmiri people, not security forces, make Amarnath Yatra successful: Rasheed

    Awami Ittehad Party president Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rasheed on Friday said that it is not the security forces but the people of Kashmir who make the annual Amarnath Yatra successful.

    “It is the people of Kashmir like traders, civil society, Hurriyat, mainstream parties and especially the ponywallas of south Kashmir who make the yatra successful and not the security forces,” Er Rasheed said while holding a sit-in at Press Enclave in Srinagar against the suspension of the train service from Banihal to Qazigund in view of the yatra.

    He said that the intellectual class and society needs to understand that the people of Kashmir are not fundamentalists but a peace-loving society.

    “From Hurriyat to militants, every one has welcomed them even the incarcerated Shabir Shah had gone to welcome the Yatris. Then why Kashmiris are always shown in a bad light,” Er Rasheed questioned.

    He said that Hurriyat, traders, and all other sections of the society have unequivocally welcomed the yatris.

    He said that whenever a Kashmiri Pandit dies in the valley it is a Kashmir Muslim neighbor who is always there to help his or her neighbor.

    “Stop giving us lectures on pluralism and secularism. And stop dividing us,” Er Rasheed said.

    Referring to ban on train services, Er. Rasheed said that these are only tactics to polarize the local population of the state.

  • Issue in Kashmir not polls but abrogation of Article 370: Shiv Sena

    Srinagar: The Shiv Sena has said that the real danger to Kashmir is not from Pakistan but from Kashmiri leaders who, it said, are the enemies of Kashmiri people. Party mouthpiece Saamana said that the main issue in Kashmir is not the Assembly polls but the abrogation of Article 370.

    In an editorial in Saamana, it said that the Jammu and Kashmir issue is not in Pakistan but in “our” country. Justifying the extension of Presidential Rule in Jammu and Kashmir, it said, “The environment in the Valley will be made normal. The main issue in Kashmir is not the polls but the abrogation of Article 370.”

    It criticized Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti for their stand against the abrogation of Article 370.

    The Sena said that development works worth crores have been taking place in Jammu and Kashmir under Modi and the previous governments as well. “To generate employment, the industries need to come and the tourism business should be run smoothly. To increase the trade and industry in Kashmir, the laws need to be changed and Article 370 needs to be abrogated,” the editorial said.

  • First Batch of Haj Pilgrims Arrive in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Jeddah, July 05 : The first batch, comprising 237 pilgrims, arrived here yesterday at the main gate for aerial flights’ related to performing Hajj in King Abdulaziz International Airport, coming from Bangladesh.

    The batch was received by Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Mohammed Saleh bin Taher Benten, and a number of officials.

  • Militant killed in Shopian gunfight, search operation on

    A militant was killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Narwani area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday.

    An official source told news agency GNS that one militant has been killed and his body has been also recovered from the orchards.

    The firing has stopped, however searches are underway, he said.

    A police official said that a joint team of army, SOG and CRPF men ring fenced the orchards of Narwani, Imamsahab village and started a search operation.

    The operation, according to official, was launched after the forces received inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

    “As the operation was in progress, militants hiding in the area opened fire on the forces”, the official said, adding that the fire was immediately returned, leading to an encounter.

  • We will try to score 500-600 runs: Sarfraz Ahmed

    SRINAGAR: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed wants to make a miracle happen against Bangladesh in their last game to qualify in the semi-final of the World Cup.

    Bangladesh and Pakistan will face-off against each other in their last game. Bangladesh are already out of the semi-final content while the men in green need to pull off a miracle to make it to the semi-final.

    If Bangladesh win the toss and opt to bat first, Pakistan will be eliminated even before a bowl is bowled while if they bat first, they need to score 350 runs and win the match by at least 316 runs.

    With an uphill task to complete, Sarfraz said in the press conference that they will try their best to score even 500-600 runs.

    “It is very difficult, 316 runs is a big margin. It is not easy to score 500 runs, however we will try our best to achieve it,” the skipper told reporters. “I don’t know what the study is behind this, but I can’t do anything. Definitely, we’re interested in finishing on a high note. So we will try our best in tomorrow’s match.”

    The Pakistan captain also said they will play for their pride in the last game and wants to end the tournament on high.

    “If you talk about the previous matches, yes, Pakistan lost four, but it is a World Cup match. Both teams look stronger, so hopefully we will do well as a team. We could have won against Australia, but we missed a golden opportunity. We didn’t do well in the initial matches which cost us,” he concluded.

  • Gunfight breaks out in south Kashmir’s Shopian, Internet suspended

    Gunfight broke out between militants and the security forces in Narwani area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday morning.

    Reports said the gunfight broke out after a joint team of Army’s 44RR and SOG launched a cordon and search operation in Narwan.

    A senior police officer, according to news agency GNS, said an orchard was cordoned off following “specific” inputs about the presence of two to three militants.

    Mobile Internet was been suspended in the district soon after the firefight started.

    On Twitter, a police spokesman said an exchange of fire took place in Shopian. “Details will follow,” he said.

  • Executive Officer MC Anantnag caught on video taking bribe, attached by Div Com

    Srinagar, July 4 : Divisional Commissioner Kashmir on Thursday attached with his office Executive Officer Municipal Committee Anantnag Ghulam Mohammad Malik after a purported video went viral in which he is seen accepting bribe inside his residence.

    A video showing Executive Officer Municipal Committee Anantnag accepting bribe at his residence in the south Kashmir district and also seen in the video a liquor bottle in the room.

    Soon after the video went viral, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Khan told GNS that he took cognizance of the video and immediately ordered attaching of the officer with his office till the veracity of the video is ascertained by the concerned agencies.

    He said action as warranted under law would be taken against the officer.

    The Divisional Commissioner has also forwarded an order to SSP Crime Branch “for further necessary action”. (GNS)

  • Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2019 16,789 pilgrims pay obeisance at Holy Cave

    Srinagar, July 04: On the 4th day of the ongoing Shri Amarnathji Yatra, 16,789 Yatris paid obeisance at the Holy Cave.

    The Yatra is progressing smoothly and till date, 50,483 Yatris had the darshan of the Shivling at the Holy Cave.

  • 21 children of 14 prominent Hurriyat leaders studying in foreign countries: Ministry of Home Affairs

    SRINAGAR, JULY 04: The Ministry of Home Affairs today said that Hurriyat leaders encourage youth of the Valley to pick up stones and arms against security forces.

    As per crucial documents of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 21 children of 14 prominent Hurriyat leaders were studying in foreign countries, away from the conflict in Kashmir Times Now reported.

    The list contains the name of separatist leaders such as Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Dukhtaran-e-Millat founder Asiya Andrabi.

    According to the list, 210 relatives of separatist leaders currently live abroad. The documents also mention that 112 children of the separatists study in foreign lands, out of which 21 belong to 14 well-known separatists.

    The separatists purportedly utilise the funds received to fuel unrest in the valley in sending their children to foreign schools and universities, the documents reveal. (PTK)