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Srinagar: Incarcerated Hurriyat Conference (G) leader and Muslim League chairman, Masarat Alam Bhat was Wednesday released after bail was produced to the jail authorities however, he was immediately re-arrested by Bandipora police in yet another case.
Earlier, the bail, which was upheld by the Session Court Bandipora after rejecting a state petition against it was produced before the district jail Baramulla authorities.
Legal secretary to Muslim League, Shah Riyaz told that the jail authorities let Masarat go, however a police party of Bandipora police station re-arrested him in the jail premises.
Masarat is undergoing detention since October 2010 barring forty days after he was arrested for spearheading then people’s uprising.

Srinagar: Even as smooth campaigning and voting for by-polls to two parliamentary seats in Kashmir valley remains a concern, the state government’s request to the centre for additional companies of CRPF has got a nod.
The Centre Government is sending 54 additional companies of Central Reserve Police Force to enhance security in Anantnag and Srinagar parliamentary constituencies slated to go for by-polls in April.
“54 additional companies of CRPF will be sent to the Valley after two days for deployment of pre-election preparations in Anantnag and Srinagar parliamentary constituencies,” Director General of Police S.P Vaid told KNS.
Vaid said that the police has deployed 25 companies of Armed police in the two constituencies for smooth campaigning and elections.
As per Chief Electoral Officer of the state, Shantmanu, 31 assembly segments comprising 26, 74000 including Kashmiri migrant voters are going to cast their votes during the by-polls.
Of the 3,194 polling stations to be set up in these two constituencies will be set up for voting, majority of them have been declared as “sensitive or hypersensitive”.
Official sources said that when the notification for by-polls was issued for by-polls the state government had requested the Central Home ministry for additional security forces for poll-bound constituencies.
The DGP said that security forces will ensure smooth elections in these segments.
Of these assembly segments, south Kashmir’s Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and some areas in Anantnag present a challenge to the security forces as well as politicians.
These assembly segments witnessed huge and unrelenting protests during the 2016 uprising. Pulwama, Tral, Wachi in Shopian and Kulgam’s Homshalibugh assembly segments have been witnessing protests during gunfights between militants and government forces.
Major political parties contesting the elections have also said that campaigning and voting is challenging due to militancy and the fragile situation prevailing in the valley, especially in south Kashmir. (KNS)

Srinagar: The Urs of the most illustrious companion of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and first Khalifa of Islam Amir-ul-Momineen, Hazrat Abu Bakr-i-Siddiq (RA) was observed on Wednesday with full reverence and religious fervour across the Valley.

The main congregations were held at Aasar Sharif Shehri Kalashpora in Shahr-e-Khaas and Asaar Sharif Hazratbal where devotees from different parts of the Valley participated in the special prayers. Relics were also displayed on the occasion.

Special prayer meetings were also organized at Kaba Marg, Aham Sharief Bandipora, Pinjora Shopian, Khiram Sarhama, Jenab Sahab Soura, Lal Bazar, Dargah Akmilia Hawal and other Masajid and shrines.

The clerics threw light on the life of the companion of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Meanwhile, Mirwaiz-i-Kashmir, Muhammad Umar Farooq, in his message, urged Ummah in general and the Muslims of Kashmir in particular to follow the teachings of this most illustrious companion of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). (CNS)

Srinagar: Kick starting her Party’s campaign for Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, PDP President and Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today said that vote for her party would be an endorsement for transforming Jammu & Kashmir through dialogue and development and getting the State out of the present crisis.
Addressing the meetings of workers from Charar i Sharief and Budgam constituencies here today, the PDP President said ever since her party was launched it worked on a specific political and developmental agenda in which Jammu & Kashmir has remained the focus of attention. She said her Party has been working to get the State out of the quagmire of uncertainty and reminded the workers of many path breaking initiatives taken during the Party’s rule from 2002 to 2005. “That was the first phase of transformation in Jammu & Kashmir under PDP rule and the second phase of transformation is underway,” she told the workers.
Mehbooba Mufti said forming Government in the State in 2015 was not an easy task, though there were many easy options available. She said the Party under the leadership of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed chose a difficult path only to get the issues of the State addressed by the country’s top leadership. She said she is hopeful that many big and bold decisions vis a vis Jammu & Kashmir would be taken by Government of India which would take the State out of despair and despondency.
Asserting that the coming elections provide an opportunity for strengthening peoples agenda of restoration of peace with dignity coupled with development of the State, Mehbooba Mufti said these elections would be an endorsement of Party’s agenda of initiating political dialogue in the State, resumption of friendly ties between India and Pakistan, opening of more Cross LoC routes, facilitating more and more people to people contacts besides providing good governance to people. She asked the Party cadre to gear up and take these elections in that spirit only.
The Chief Minister said tourism sector has the potential to address the unemployment problem in the State in a big way. She said Budgam has huge potential for tourism development and the Government has already decided to develop Yousmarg, Doodpathri and Tosa Maidan as independent tourist destinations in a big way. She said requisite infrastructure will be raised at these places to attract tourists in big numbers which consequently would help rejuvenate the local economy.
Senior leader and Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura in his address said despite the lapse of a working season last year due to unrest many developmental initiatives were taken by the PDP led Government during its two years of governance. He said many more initiatives would be taken in the coming years of the Government and people would themselves judge.
Another senior leader and Minister for Youth Services & IT, Moulvi Imran Raza Ansari in his address appealed party workers to take forward Party’s agenda to people and distinguish between leaders who genuinely want to change their fate and those who keep hoodwinking them time and again.
District President, Budgam, Muntazir Mohiudin and other leaders also addressed the gatherings. (KNS)

Gwalior: Aijaz Ahmad Naik, CSIR-SRF at School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University, Gwalior bagged 1st prize and young scientist award in Life Science category at 32nd Madhya Pradesh young scientist Congress 2017 organized by Madhya Pradesh council for science and technology. He hails from Amirabad Tral village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The award included a merit certificate and a cash prize of 25 thousand Indian rupees.

In addition, the awardee is entitled with a six month fellowship to work in any national laboratory, contingency grant and travel and other allowances by the M.P council for science and technology.

Aijaz Naik is working on the developing brain core specialized in glial cell research under the supervision of Prof Ishan Patro and Dr. Nisha Patro.

Aijaz Naik has been addressing how long term maternal protein deprivation affects the astrocyte and oligodendrocyte formation and turnover in the developing brain and how such early life stress affects the behavioral and cognitive abilities of the F1 generation.

His research involves dissecting embryonic and postnatal Sprague Dawley rat brains.

The researcher is of the view that early life fetal programing due to stressors regulates later life brain functioning and increased risk for early onset neurological complications.

Aijaz Naik has published some of his reports in high impact neuroscience journals and has many awards to his credit.

Recently he has been awarded with best paper for poster award from Indian Cell Biology society.

He has also presented his research work in Japan and attended an imaging workshop organized by Biomedical Research, AIST Tsukuba, Japan.

Jammu: Taking strong exception to the demand of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to revoke the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) from certain areas, the BJP today said such laws are imposed due to the pressing demand of the situation and not “just for fun.” However, the party put the onus on the state government to create a conducive situation where such laws are not required.“The laws like AFSPA are not imposed in any part of the country out of any fun. The states should create conditions where they are not required,” BJP’s national general secretary Ram Madhav said while reacting to the demand of Mehbooba. Madhav was in Jammu to participate in the state election committee meeting to get a feedback from local leaders regarding the forthcoming Lok Sabha byelections and Legislative Council biennial elections.Addressing a function in Delhi on Wednesday, Mehbooba had argued that the AFSPA should be revoked from some areas. Appealing for a “window of peace,” she had stated, “We should not shy away from the fact that we need to start revocation of the AFSPA from some places and see what is the impact?”After Mehbooba’s demand, Ram Madhav, who is the architect of the PDP-BJP alliance in J&K, said, “when the necessity for these laws will be brought to end by the state governments whether in J&K or the North-East, and the situation changes, such laws automatically get scrapped.”Apparently blaming the state governments, including the coalition regime in J&K, for not creating a situation conducive for withdrawal of such laws, Madhav said, “state governments should ensure better security, law and order to ensure the AFSPA-like laws are not needed. The state governments should contribute in creating a conducive situation where there is no need to impose such laws.”On Thursday, BJP national vice-president and in-charge of J&K affairs of the party, Avinash Rai Khanna, had also opposed Mehbooba’s demand. “The BJP stand is very clear that the AFSPA can’t be withdrawn until peace is restored and situation is normal in the state. The Centre is monitoring the situation very closely and will take a decision at a right time,” Khanna had told mediapersons at Srinagar.

Party high command to take call on bypolls

Ram Madhav made it clear that the party high command will take the final decision on contesting the Lok Sabha byelections in J&K. He said after holding detailed discussions with local leaders, he had suggested to the BJP state unit to discuss the issue with the PDP leadership so as to evolve a consensus between the two coalition partners. (Tribune News Service)

Srinagar: After a delay of nearly a month, the University of Kashmir (KU) has begun the admissions for the academic session 2017-18, for which the common entrance test is scheduled to take place on April 1.The University of Kashmir had started the admissions during the last academic session from February 20. But this year, there has been a little delay due to the last year’s unrest, which wasted five precious months of students.The students can apply online for various undergraduate and postgraduate courses from today and the last date for the submission of forms is March 27. According to the notification, the tentative date of the entrance examination is April 1.“This year there has been a delay in admissions due to the delay in exams of undergraduate courses,” said Controller of Examinations of the university Prof Salam Bhat.