Blog

Srinagar: Angered by the killing of three civilians by government forces Wednesday during an encounter and subsequent protests in Kulgam, the joint resistance leadership or JRL asked the people to ready themselves for an uprising.
Addressing a joint press conference where JRL leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani, under house arrest, spoke via phone in presence of JKLF chief Yasin Malik the three called for a shutdown and protests for Thursday against the latest civilian killings.

“Tomorrow (Thursday), entire Kashmir will observe a complete shutdown. After (Zuhr) afternoon prayers, people in their respective areas should stage a protest against the killings in South Kashmir. In the evening, a complete black-out should be observed to protest these killings,” Malik told reporters.
Addressing reporters over a phone line, Syed Ali Geelani said New Delhi had given its forces in Kashmir unbridled powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to kill people.
“It is in fact a license to kill civilians. Forces don’t only kill the civilians but also blind them by using lethal pellet guns,” Geelani said, adding it was not possible to remain silent on the killings of teenagers.
“We want to convey to Delhi that no matter how tough they will go on implementing its repressive policies, we will not surrender.”
Mirwaiz said repression has pushed Kashmiri youth to the wall and frequent “bloodbath” was routine.
“What is the option with us other than to come out on roads,” the octogenarian leader said. “We appeal people of all walks of life, traders, lawyers, doctors, to be mentally ready for mass uprising to press for the final solution of Kashmir,” the Mirwaiz said.
“They started operation all out but that’s actually operation wipe out aimed at killing every Kashmiri.”
After the press conference, the JKLF chief, along with dozens of JRL activists took out a protest march from Abi-Guzar to main road of Residency Road where they were detained by police. Malik was later lodged at the central jail in Srinagar.

Jammu: Days after bunch of lawyers from Kathua obstructed Crime Branch and tried to prevent it to file a charge sheet against the rape and murder accused, Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Thursday said that the Law will not be obstructed by the irresponsible actions.
Crime Branch has already filed a charge sheet against 8 accused who raped and murdered a little Bakarwal girl Asifa in Rasna area of Heeranagar. Some BJP backed supporters are trying to defend the rapists demanding transfer of case from Crime Branch to CBI.
Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister today tweeted: “The Law will not be obstructed by the irresponsible actions & statements of a group of people. Proper procedures are being followed, investigations are on the fast track & justice will be delivered. #JusticeForAsifa”

Srinagar: Authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar city on Thursday to prevent protests against the killing of four civilians in Kulgam clashes on Wednesday.
The police said restrictions were imposed in Srinagar’s old city and also in the uptown areas falling under the jurisdiction of Maisuma and Kralkhud police stations.

Canceling a cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday in Jammu, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti returned to Srinagar on Wednesday to take stock of the situation in the aftermath of the killings.
A shutdown has been called by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a separatist conglomerate headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik.
Geelani and Mirwaiz have been placed under house arrest while Yasin Malik is in police custody. (With IANS inputs)

New Delhi, Apr 11: Amidst the recent spurt in violence in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed with him the security situation in the state and how to bring back normalcy, officials said.

During the 20-minute meeting, the two leaders discussed the initiatives taken by the Centres representative Dineshwar Sharma in holding talks with a wide cross section of society.

The chief minister briefed the home minister on the prevailing law and order situation and the steps taken to restore peace in the Valley. The situation along the border with Pakistan, which often witnesses attempts of infiltrations by militants and cross border firings, also came up for discussion, the home ministry official said.

The meeting came in the wake of growing demands for a CBI probe into the gangrape in Kathua and incidents of militant violence and encounters with security forces.

They also discussed how to ameliorate the misery of the civilian population, who often face firing from across the border, and the implementation of the prime ministers development package, another official said.

There has been a spurt in the violence perpetrated by militants in the Kashmir Valley.

Srinagar: Two army men and a CRPF trooper were injured in an ongoing gunfight with militants in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Wednesday.
An official said that the gunfight broke out in Wani Mohalla area of Khudwani at 11 pm after forces launched a cordon-and-search operation.

“During the search operation, some gunshots were heard after which an encounter started. The gunfight is still underway,” he said, adding three forces’ personnel wounded in the firefight were evacuated to an army hospital.
Two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba are believed to be trapped inside a house.
Authorities on Wednesday suspended Internet services in twin districts of Kulgam and Anantnag.
Meanwhile, clashes have erupted near the site of the gunfight between the forces and the protesters.

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police has registered an FIR against people for obstructing Crime Branch sleuths in filing a chalan in the infamous Asifa rape and murder case in Kathua court on Monday.
Speaking to KNS, DGP S P Vaid said that a case has been registered. He added that Jammu and Kashmir Police has done it’s job and the case was now in Court.
He however said that it was unfortunate that some people were trying to give it religious and regional tone. DGP said he doesn’t agree with the people who are trying to give it a religious tone.
DGP further told KNS that charge sheet has been filed yesterday and today morning. (KNS)

Srinagar: A low intensity earthquake jolted Jammu and Kashmir on Monday although there were no reports of casualties or any damage.

A state disaster management department official said: “An earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale occurred at 6.06 a.m. on Monday.

“The epicentre of the quake was in Punjab’s Amritsar district.”(IANS)

The government had decided to hold the elections from February 15, but the “unilateral decision” was shot down by opposition parties during a meeting about holding the polls.

Srinagar: The state government is likely to go for Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the annual Amarnath pilgrimage which starts on June 28 and will last 60 days this year, government sources said, two years later than these were due.
“The (Panchayat) polls will be held once the (Amarnath) yatra concludes,” said an official.

In February this year, the “fragile situation” in Kashmir forced the government to quietly put on hold the village body elections indefinitely following unanimous view of the opposition parties that conditions were not right.
The government had decided to hold the elections from February 15, but the “unilateral decision” was shot down by opposition parties during a meeting about holding the polls.
The opposition parties at that time had said the government announced the polls without assessing the ground situation.
Now, the ruling PDP-BJP government has decided to hold the electoral exercise after completion of AmarnathYatra, hoping the situation would improve by then.
The two-year delay in reconstituting the defunct Panchayats has cost state around Rs 3200 crore in central funding under the Panchayat Raj system, said a top government official.
“But given the tough times we have been through it would be advisable to start the exercise in last quarter of the year,” he said.
The last Panchayat elections were held in 2011 after a gap of 10 years and 80 percent turned out to vote.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s government has come under criticism for not being able to conduct fresh polls since.
“The tourist season has just begun. We will have it (election) towards later part of this year,” said minister for Panchayat Raj. Abdul Haq Khan.
During past three years the government has been thinking of reconstituting the Panchayat system following a constant push from both union home ministry and Raj Bhavan, officials say.
There has been no major governmental activity since April 2017 when at eight civilians were killed on the day of by-polls to Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency, in clashes between protestors and government forces at many polling booths.
There are a total of 35,096 panch constituencies in the state, 18,785 are in Kashmir province.
In December, the police had said it was impossible for them to provide security to each contesting candidate after militant group HizbulMujahideen threatened to attack contestants with acid.

Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Arabian authorities closed the twitter account on Friday morning of Sheikh Saud Al-Shuraim, one of the Imams in the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

Al-Shuraim had posted comments about political and social issues in the Kingdom and criticised what he believes are violations of Islamic teachings.

The Imam was born in Riyadh in 1964. He has held several senior academic positions, including the Dean and Specialist Professor at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah. He is also a judge at the High Court in the Holy City.

His fellow Imam at the Grand Mosque, which houses the Sacred Kaaba, is Sheikh Abdul Rahman As-Sudais, who is loyal to the policies of the Saudi royal family. While Al-Shuraim has been praised by Muslims within and beyond the Kingdom over his courageous stances, Al-Sudais has been criticised for his “blind” support for the ruling House of Saud, which is regarded by many as irreligious.