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Separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik defied house arrest on Saturday, 15 December, after they called for a march to the Army headquarters in Srinagar to protest against alleged civilian killings in Jammu and Kashmir.

The demonstration was planned after the deaths of 7 civilians in clashes with security forces in Kashmir’s Pulwama district earlier this month.

On 7 December, Farooq spoke exclusively to The Quint while he was still under house arrest.
“There is no semblance of democracy in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.”

The separatist leader accused the government of delegitimising the leadership by using National Investigative Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) against them.
“Kashmir is a political problem, it’s not an administrative problem that could be solved by elections. Nor is it an economic problem that could be solved by announcing incentives and packages. It is not a ‘sadak-bijli-paani’ issue that people are dying for.”

“We are confined to our houses. Every other week, we have restrictions, we have curfews.”
Calling the protest a “peaceful sit-in”, Mirwaiz accused the government of taking away spaces on the ground and confining political activists into their houses.
“We didn’t say we need to take out rallies or marches. It was supposed to be a 10-15 minute peaceful sit-in outside a mosque or a chowk, which they didn’t allow. So I am under house arrest for the last four days since we announced the Human Rights Week. We are not allowed to hold seminars. We were holding a Hurriyat Meet, which was only a one-day delegation and an indoor meeting. I think the government is not giving us any space.”

“Modi’s jumlebaazi of ‘Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, Insaaniyat’ is nothing but a sham.”
Alleging that PM Modi’s policies do not fulfil what he says, the prime minister’s ‘Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, Insaaniyat’ rhetoric is nothing but empty words. He credits the former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for “breaking the ice” and engaging the Hurriyat in a dialogue.
“Atal Bihari Vajpayee came with an economic package when he came to Kashmir for the first time. But eventually he could see that Kashmir is actually a political problem. He said that humanity is bigger than the Constitution. That broke the ice because we were not ready to engage with the Indian Constitution. He promised to talk within the ambit of humanity. That’s how things started to move.”

Farooq called Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik a “disappointment” to the people as they hoped a senior politician like him would understand Kashmir’s issues.

He feels that the BJP is trying to mislead the people of India by saying that everything is being sponsored by Pakistan.

(With inputs from IANS)

Srinagar: National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah Friday said Congress president Rahul Gandhi is no longer a “Pappu” and has proved his mettle as a leader by winning elections in three Hindi heartland states.
Speaking at an event here, he also questioned the need for the BJP’s proposed Rath Yatra in West Bengal and wondered whether the party wants to project itself as a saviour of the Hindus.

“Rahul Gandhi is no longer a Pappu. He has proved his mettle by wining three states,” Abdullah said during an interactive session.
Gandhi has often been mocked by the BJP and his opposition as “Pappu”, a colloquial sneer.
Abdullah took on the government saying institutions like the RBI are being polluted under the present regime. He alleged that efforts are being made to divide the country on religious lines.
“It is wrong the way they are trying to divide the nation on the basis of religion. The way there has been interference in Muslim religion and its practices is unfortunate,” the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir said.

Srinagar: While as several PDP leaders have so far either resigned or expelled from the party, at least 15 former MLAs are mulling to come up with the third front, which would likely be named as ‘Real PDP’.

Reliable sources told KNO that the former MLAs are in constant touch at present and have discussed all the formalities to forge a unity and to come up with another party in the shape of third front. The leaders have met each other and discussed the strategy, they said.

They informed that the steps to forge unity and come up with the third front was taken after a senior PDP leader in a meeting held recently had urged the party president Mehbooba Mufti to sideline one of the PDP leaders, the plea which was rejected by the PDP chief.

However, the leader later got in contact with other former MLAs, therefore decided to form a new party in the shape of third front, which would likely be named as Real PDP.

Earlier, several PDP leaders resigned or were expelled from the party who later joined the other political parties including National Conference (NC) or Peoples Conference (PC). The PDP spokesman in a recent chat with KNO admitted that the party is suffering at the grass root level due to the developments taking place in PDP, terming it as unfortunate, saying such developments should not have been taken place.(KNO)

Former MLA Zadibal joins PC, says ‘there is nepotism, corruption in PDP’

Srinagar, Dec 21: Peoples Conference (PC) chairman, Sajad Gani Lone on Friday said that the party will not go for any pre-poll alliance for the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir but will fight alone in all the 87 assembly seats.
Notably, former MLA Zadibal, Abid Ansari joined PC today in presence of the party chairman, Sajad Lone, Imran Ansari and SMC Mayor Junaid Azim Matoo.
As per Kashmir News Service (KNS) correspondent, addressing a presser after welcoming Ansari in the party fold, Lone said the party will not go for any pre-poll alliance with any political party whether regional or national but “we will contest from all the 87 seats in the upcoming assembly elections.”
“Just wait for the coming time, many people will be joining the politics wither the former leaders or the new faces. The PC will contest the elections from all the 87 seats of the assembly across the State,” he added as per KNS correspondent.
Lone demanded early elections in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that it good for the people to get their elected representatives at an earliest. “We demand elections to be held in the month of February but why National Conference leader Omar Abdullah is asking for the elections when they boycotted the previous Municipal and Panchayat elections by linking it with Article 35-A case.”
About NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s statement regarding autonomy, Lone asked what happened to the previous resolution when NC had a majority in the past. “I honestly want that at this age, Farooq Abdullah should speak truth to the people. We will certainly support the resolution but there should be white paper on certain things including who eroded the previous resolution, who was behind that, what happened in the elections that took place in 1987, 1996 and 2002 and on the anti-corruption too.”
He said that everything has been done by them and now they claim the resolution of autonomy.
Lone added that it is better to call off the operations by the security forces when there is possibility of any civilian killing.
Meanwhile, Lone also welcomed Ansari in the party fold.
Ansari while talking to reporters in the presser said that he feel happy to join the party, which was founded by his brother Molvi Iftikhar Ansari and Abdul Gani Lone.
“I was already the party of PC and today I decided to join the party formally,” he said.
Asked why did he left PDP, Ansari said that there was nepotism and corruption in the party. “The party fails to come up to my expectations. I was promised certain things for my constituency but nothing was done for the people of my constituency,” he added.

Srinagar, Dec 21 (GNS): An army officer was killed and another was injured critically in a ‘sniper attack’ by Pakistan army along the Line of Control in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday late afternoon.

Srinagar, Dec 21: Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abid Ansari will join Peoples Conference (PC) today afternoon.

Abid Ansari while talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS) said that he will formally join Peoples Conference led by Sajad Lone today afternoon. Earlier, Ansari’s nephew Imran Ansari had joined Peoples Conference.

From the last some months PDP has seen many of its senior leaders rebelling against the party leadership and joining Peoples Conference and National Conference. (KNS)

Srinagar: The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order authorising 10 Central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt “any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday issued an order authorising 10 Central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt “any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.”

The agencies are the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation; National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu & Kashmir, North-East and Assam only) and Commissioner of Police, Delhi.

According to the order, the subscriber or service provider or any person in charge of the computer resource will be bound to extend all facilities and technical assistance to the agencies and failing to do will invite seven-year imprisonment and fine.

The MHA gave the authorisation under 69 (1) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 which says that the Central government can direct any agency after it is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient to do so in the “interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above or for investigation of any offence.”

SRINAGAR — Deputy Mayor Srinagar, Shiekh Imran, Wednesday express concern over the civilian killings in Kashmir saying “how does army justify the civilian killings?”

Condemning the killings of ci­vilians in Pulwama, he said that the Government of India has held elections in Jammu and Kash­mir for development and peace. “But, unfortunately, civilians are killed on a daily basis. The life of 25-year-old MBA graduate, who has an Indonesian wife, was snuffed out and his wife turned a widow. Are Kashmiris born to get killed like this ?’’

“I appeal to the chairman of the Pulwama town commit­tee and other district towns of south Kashmir like Shopian and Kulgam to intervene and meet people and render them a heal­ing touch. They should also meet the Army and discuss with them why are people taking up arms in the first place.”

Deputy Mayor further said the Government of India (GoI) has set up all kind of military ma­chinery in J&K but “there is no machine which can return the lives of these people and make them sit at a dialogue table.”

“There is no machine or mech­anism in place to attract youth towards peace,” he said.

He further maintained the Army argues it kills militants because it’s “terrorism and their presence poses a threat to civil­ian lives”, but at the same time how does the Army justify killing of “very civilians they are sup­pose to safeguard.”

“This year so many civilians have been killed during the operations carried out by the Army. A probe should be initiated in a time-bound manner and all local rep­resentatives should be part of it. It should not be the probe to hood­wink people,” Sheikh Imran said.

He said that the killing of civil­ians is crime and no force can af­ford to “go berserk against civil­ian population.”

“We, as elected representa­tives, besides the development want to understand the aspira­tions of people too. The ongoing CASOs are only leading to civilian casualties and nothing positive is coming out of it,” he added.

Srinagar: NC leader Omar Abdullah Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that Assembly polls were held in Jammu and Kashmir within the stipulated six months following the dissolution of the house.
“Sir, please also commit your government to assembly elections in J&K. Vested interests, including some occupying positions of authority in J&K, are trying to engineer a delay,” the National Conference leader said in a tweet.
“Your government’s handling of J&K will be judged by whether assembly elections are on time or not sir,” he said, responding to a tweet from Modi lauding the high voter turnout in the state during the panchayat and urban local bodies polls.
“The high voter turnout in the polls clearly displays immense faith that people of J&K have put in grass root democratic institutions of the country. Essence of democracy lies in empowerment of the common citizen, to which our government is totally committed,” Modi had tweeted.
Omar said he was looking forward to a commitment from the Prime Minister that an elected government will be in place by May next year.
“Six months from the date of dissolution means a return to elected government before the end of May 2019. We look forward to your personal commitment to keeping to that schedule jenab PM sahib,” Omar said.
The state was placed under President’s rule on Wednesday, six months after imposition of Governor’s rule on June 19 in the wake of People’s Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party (PDP-BJP) coalition government falling apart.
The assembly was kept in suspended animation to look at the possibility of fresh government formation in the state but Governor Satya Pal Malik decided to dissolve the assembly on November 21 as PDP with the support of National Conference and Congress staked claim to for, government.
People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone, considered to be close to Modi, had also staked claim with support of BJP and 18 other unnamed MLAs. PTI