Blog

Srinagar, Jan 14 : On February last year Gulzar Ahmad, a youth from Kupwara, and Ritu Khandelwal, a girl from Barmer district of Rajasthan, recorded a statement before J&K High Court that they are major and have tied the nuptial knot out of their free will.

The high court ordered both J&K Police and Rajasthan counterparts to provide protection to the couple and that they shall not be harassed.

Ritu converted to Islam out of her free will and filed an affidavit before the court before getting married, says Gulzar. Ritu was given a Muslim name, Zainab.

On learning about the marriage of their daughter, her parents filed a case with Rajasthan police, terming it another case of ‘love jihad’.

“Videos were circulated in which I was accused of kidnapping their girl. Hate campaigns were launched against me,” Gulzar says.

It was when a team of Rajasthan police visited Kashmir and tried to take away Ritu, the couple then moved High Court against the police as well as girl’s father, seeking protection.

After the directions from the high court, the couple thought their troubles were over and accordingly, the couple moved from Kupwara to Srinagar where Gulzar started to work in a local café.

The girl’s family accepted the marriage and her relatives including her cousins, uncle and aunt came to Kashmir. “They spend many days with us,” says Gulzar and showed photos on his phone in which the girl is seen with her relatives at tourist destinations cheering and enjoying.

While the couple was living peacefully, the girl’s uncle, who according to Gulzar is a lieutenant in army, had different ideas.

“In September last year, the girl’s uncle who is posted in Badami Bagh Cantonment Srinagar, invited us for lunch. We went to meet him and had lunch with him and his wife. He treated us well,” says Gulzar.

However, Gulzar says, he got shocked of life on November 26 last year when Zanib was not home, a rented accommodation in Rajbagh Srinagar.

“The landlord told me he saw Zainab going out in the afternoon alone. I called her phone but it was switched off. I contacted every person I knew, but everyone was clueless,” he says.

After exhausting all means to find her spouse on his own, Gulzar says he went to the police station Rajbag and filed a complaint. A few days later, he says, a Hindi newspaper cited Zainab as part of a story of ‘homecoming of a girl from love jihad’.

The report alleged that she was “brainwashed and lured into love jihad” by a Kashmiri youth.

Gulzar says that Zainab was kidnapped and taken forcibly by a relative. “I have no doubt that she was taken back home forcefully and is under pressure to speak whatever she is saying.”

On Sunday, Gulzar says he was shell shocked as a premier news channel ran an intro of the girl in which Zainab is seen saying she was forced to convert to Islam and made to eat mutton etc. “We met in 2015 and fell in love,” says Gulzar who had moved to Jodhpur Rajasthan in 2014 and started working as a chef in a restaurant. Gulzar met Zainab at the place where he was working. “She proposed that we shall get married and we moved accordingly,” Gulzar adds, insisting that there was nothing of sort as has been “sought to be protected.” (GNS)

‘All protected persons to get security clearance for travelling outside state’

Srinagar, January 14: Travel for the protected persons have become tougher with police issuing booklets entailing security advisories for the politicians intending to travel outside state and the region.

“We have done the profiling of all the protected persons and have issued a strict advisory for the politicians intending to travel or hold rallies,” additional director general of police (ADGP) Law and Order/security told KNO.

He said that those found in violation of the advisory will face strict action. The ADGP said that the protected persons can’t take their PSOs along if they want to travel to Delhi or other Indian State and for that “they need to get the written permission.

“He said in that case protected persons need to deposit their weapons before heading for the outside destinations. Police sources told KNO that all these steps have been taken to prevent the weapon snatching incidents by militants that of late have shook the security grid of J&K.

Since September 2018 two massive weapon snatching have taken place in Jawhar Nagar area of Srinagar that houses majority of protected persons.

In the first case seven weapons and the personal pistol was snatched the SPO of former PDP legislator Aijaz Mir and recently four weapons were looted from the official residence of Congress leader in the same area.

Srinagar, January 14: Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir, former Joint Secretary, University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi and Registrar, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar has been appointed as the Registrar, University of Kashmir.

Dr Nisar besides looking after various bureaus in UGC, was country head for the prestigious National Academic Depository (NAD) project.

According to a statement issued, Dr Nisar previously worked as Deputy Registrar Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) Rajouri, and also as Joint Registrar Kashmir University.

In addition to his huge administrative experience, Dr Nisar has Doctorate in Sociology and has edited four books. He has published 30 research papers and has worked on 9 research projects funded by different ministries.

SRINAGAR: Senior National Conference Leader and former MLA Mohammad Akbar Lone said that Shah Faesal doesn’t need anyone’s advice as he is well qualified and IAS topper. Adding that he knows how thing will work.

While speaking to News agency Press Trust of Kashmir Akbar Lone said “Kashmiri people need leader like Shah Faesal

“He will not let people down and prove his words as he is well educated and IAS topper.

Lone added, “Shah Faesal’s decision deserves respect. Nobody can do this what Shah Faesal did. Every word of Shah Faesal is true”

Reacting over the comment of Kavinder Gupta, Akbar Lone said, “I personal know Shah Faesal and he don’t need our suggestion. He know how things work”.

Lone further added that Kavinder Gupta is defaulter of loans taken from Jammu and Kashmir Bank. “He should return the loan amount of JK Bank then give suggestion to others”.

Lone added Gupta should not give suggestions to others as he has done nothing when he was speaker and Dy CM of Jammu and Kashmir”. (PTK)

SRINAGAR, JAN 14: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Kavinder Gupta said that by the ideology Shah Faesal it seems that he may got some offer from Pakistan.

While speaking to News agency Press Trust of Kashmir Kavinder Gupta said, “Every person must think in positive way and Shah Faesal can do much better in government than resigning from the Job

He said that if he really want to do something for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he should resume his work and try to shows his best.

He added that the way Shah Faesal chooses his new path is not good. “Youth of India treat him as an icon and he should remain an icon”, he said.

Gupta added that Shah Faesal is trying to became the “Masiha” of the Militants.

He further added, “The father of Shah Faesal was killed by “militants” now he is supporting same militants in Kashmir. “The reason should be find out that why Shah Faesal is doing all this”. Gupta added.

He added, “Such people get some money from Pakistan and trying to divide the mind of people to create problems in Kashmir”. Gupta added that the Hurriyat is also involved in Pakistan sponsored games for their own benefit”.

“The way Shah Faesal thinks proves that he may have got some offer from Pakistan”, Gupta said.

Gupta further added the youth of Kashmir is thinking about their future as the situation of Kashmir is not good that is why they are studying outside Kashmir. “BJP is trying to make peace possible in Kashmir”. (PTK)

Says ‘he could have served better to people as IAS officer’

Srinagar, Jan 14: The former state police chief, Kuldeep Khoda on Monday said that the record maker IAS topper, Shah Faesal has jumped into the uncertainty by quitting the country’s elite service to join politics.
Khoda while talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS) said that “the decision taken by Shah Faesal is his personal and might have taken after well-thought. I respect his decision that but it could have been better in case he would have continued to serve the people as IAS officer.”
“I believe there is lot of uncertainty in politics and Shah Faesal has jumped into the uncertainty by resigning from IAS to join politics. Shah Faesal is an intelligent and broad thinking officer who proved his ability by topping the UPSC examinations. He served at various posts in last nine years. I believe he could have served better to the people by staying in the cadre.”
Khoda also said that the works of people are getting delayed at Secretariat or somewhere else, in case he (Shah Faesal) could have helped them out by staying the cadre then lot of alienation among the people could have decreased to a large extent.
About his decision of quitting IAS as mark of protest against killing, Khoda said, “This is emotional response. There are several angles of alienation and the pending works of people is one among the alienations people have gone through.” (KNS)

Says Kashmiris always ready for peace but New Delhi adamant to silence their voice

Srinagar 14 January: Appealing New Delhi to understand the significance of resolving Kashmir dispute, AIP President Er. Rasheed has said that New Delhi is seeing entire situation in Kashmir through military prism and is relying on just security agencies to overcome Kashmiris. While interacting with deputations from Pulwama, Qaziagund and Budgam in Srinagar today Er. Rasheed said that a section of top police officers and other security agencies are busy in claiming successes by killing armed youth only for their personal benefits and want New Delhi to keep hostage with their own narrative of whatsoever is happening in J&K. Er. Rasheed said “It is strange that Kashmiris get killed, blinded, jailed and humiliated everyday but still the blame is being laid on them. Not only common masses but militants always speak about resolution of Kashmir dispute in a peaceful way but New Delhi wants every Kashmiri to surrender as it has been given the perception that whosoever challenges the false narrative given by security agencies should be either eliminated or forced to shut his mouth”. Er. Rasheed added that the funeral of militant commander Zeenat-ul-Islam should yet again make New Delhi to revisit its policies and those celebrating over death of the militant commander Zeenat-ul-Islam need not to forget that public perception rejects their narrative. Unfortunately a perception is being created as if armed youth take up to arms after seeking approval from politicians, their parents and whosoever speaks about resolution of Kashmir dispute and security agencies neither talk of their atrocities compelling youth to take arms nor want to listen that New Delhi has a history of broken and fake promises. Every killing is painful but the men in uniform want people to celebrate the killings of militants and condemn those of men in uniform, without realizing that both are at war with each other and the voice of unarmed Kashmiris matters very little. Unfortunately security agencies go on counting number of militants they kill but the reality is that in every killing New Delhi loses battle of perception and anti-India sentiment gets strengthened”. Er. Rasheed added that no Kashmiri needs sermons from security agencies and if the top brasses of security agencies really want peace they must convey New Delhi that there is no military solution to a political problem existing since past seventy years only because New Delhi doesn’t concede the truth.

Bandipora: Police on Monday arrested a militant in North Kashmir’s Bandipora village.

According to sources forces had laid a Naka in Ajas area of the district following specific inputs about militants movement.”A joint Naka was laid by Bandipora Police, Army’s 13 RR and at Ajas village of Bandipora,” sources said.

“During Naka checking, one militant has been apprehended along with arms and ammunition,” he said.

SSP Bandipora Zulfiqar confirmed to KNO that they have arrested the militant during the Naka and have recovered arms and ammunition as well. “His name is Sarfaraz and he is an Hizbul Mujahideen operative,” Zulfiqar said.(KNO)