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  • Mirwaiz meets Basit; expresses gratitude for Pakistan PM’s support

    Srinagar: A meeting between a delegation of Hurriyat Executive Council led by the Chairman Dr Mirwaiz Molvi Umar Farooq and diplomats of Pakistan led by the recently appointed High Commissioner of Pakistan in India Abdul Basit was held in the premises of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
    The meeting which lasted for two hours was held at the request of High Commissioner Abdul Basit on the sidelines of a reception given by the Pakistan High Commission in connection with the Pakistan National Day (Youm-e-Pakistan)
    According to a statement issued to KNS, in the meeting High Commissioner Abdul Basit conveyed a special message from the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharief to Hurriyat leadership in which while reiterating the complete support of Pakistan on the Political and Diplomatic front for a just and permanent resolution of Kashmir Issue, it was assured to Hurriyat Leadership that in any dialogue process with India on Kashmir the people of Kashmir will be taken into confidence and that the government of Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure the participation of Hurriyat Leadership in the dialogue.
    In his message Main Nawaz Sharief has further said that Pakistan is aware of the sentiments, aspirations and difficulties of the people of Kashmir and the resolution of Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir is part of Pakistan’s National Policy.
    Nawaz Sharief has expressed hope that whichever Political Party comes into Power in India after elections, keeping view the sensitivities involved, will take adequate and solid steps to start a result oriented dialogue process to address the long pending Kashmir Issue.
    During the meeting chairman Dr Mirwaiz Molvi Umar Farooq while expressing gratitude on behalf of the people of Kashmir to Pakistan for its Political, Diplomatic and Ethical support to the just and peaceful struggle of the people of Kashmir, said that all bilateral efforts to settle Kashmir issue so far have not produced any results and only a tripartite dialogue can produce a just and durable solution to the Issue.
    Expressing thanks to Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif for his message of goodwill and unflinching support. Mirwaiz further said that the people of Kashmir have been struggling and offering sacrifices for decades and expressed hope that Pakistan will continue its support to Kashmir’s struggle till a just and permanent solution of Kashmir issue was found.
    Meanwhile Hurriyat spokesman has condoled the demise of the Mother-in-law of Mr G.N. War member of Hurriyat constituent National Front and expressed sympathies with the bereaved family. (KNS)

  • Attempts to divide Kashmir unacceptable: Geelani

    Expresses concern over Pakistan’s ‘inconsistent’ policy on Kashmir
    Srinagar: Huriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Geelani while cautioning Pakistan not to take any step on Kashmir resolution with India in haste, Thursday while holding detailing meet with Pak high commissioner to India Abdul Basit said that any solution aimed at dividing Kashmir will be unacceptable.
    According to the reports received by Kashmir News Service (KNS), Geelani expressed serious concern over what he called ‘inconsistent’ policy of Pakistan on Kashmir. He added that there must be no haste adopted by Pakistan in resolving Kashmir as the same will be disastrous for the cause. “The important thing is the steadfastness for the sustenance of the ongoing resistance movement of Kashmir and the internal stability of Pakistan.”
     The senior separatist also took a jibe on the recent statement of Shehar Yar Khan, stressing that Kashmir’s leadership will not accept any dictation from India and Pakistan over any ‘readymade’ solution on Kashmir issue.
    Commenting over the reports of Pakistan’s decision of declaring India a ‘favorite’ nation, Geelani stated that any such step will be tantamount to rubbing salt over the wounds of people of Kashmir.
    Flanked by chief spokesman Ayaz Akbar and senior leaders including Mohammad Altaf Shah and Raja Mehra-ud-din, the Huriyat (G) chairman remarked Pakistan’s establishment should not pin any hopes on India’s new government and that the former Prime Minister Atal Biharee Vajpayee had no policy vis-à-vis Kashmir.
    Geelani also stated that the ongoing resistance movement in Kashmir has transferred to new generation and that it is getting strengthened after every day.  “Bilateral talks between India and Pakistan must not take place at the cost of peoples’ aspirations and that it is only the implementation of UN resolutions through which Kashmir dispute could be resolved.”
    However, senior separatist leader maintained further that his amalgam in principle is not against the dialogue process provided the same is result oriented and India shuns its traditional attitude on Kashmir.(KNS)

  • Fake currency racket: Prime accused found hanging in custody

    Magistrate initiates inquest proceedings
    Srinagar: Mueer Ahmad Manhas Son of Nazir Ahmad Manhas resident of Kamalkote Uri the prime accused in the fake currency racket unearthed by Police Station Ram Munshibagh was found hanging.
    A senior police officer said that: “The deceased was the kingpin in this fake currency racket. And a board of doctors has conducted his autopsy.”
    According to a police statement issued to KNS, the deceased had used pair of socks to hang himself by tying them with one another. The deceased was working in Territorial Army.
    The Tehsildar Srinagar has started inquest proceedings, the police statement added. Body of deceased has been sent for post-mortem and Principal Medical College has constituted a team of doctors for conducting post-mortem in presence of Magistrate. (KNS)

  • ECI visits J&K, reviews election preparedness

    Commission looking into complaints from different political parties: Sampath
    Abide by code of conduct strictly: CEC asks political parties
    Jammu: Chief Election Commissioner of India V.S. Sampath on Thursday said that the commission is looking into complaints on violation of code of conduct filed by different political parties from the state.  
    Talking to reporters in Jammu, Sampath who was accompanied by Election Commissioner Dr. Nasim Zaidi and Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi directed the political parties to strictly abide by the guidelines set by the Election Commission. He said any violation of the code of conduct will not be taken easily by the election commission.
    Asked about the complaint against National Conference leader and minister Sakina Itoo whose video showing ‘religious exploitation’ went viral on social networking sites, Sampath said that the commission takes due cognizance of the complaints received by it. He said the Commission is looking into all the complaints filed by different political parties and anything can be said only after going through these complaints properly.  
    Sampath also informed that the commission has already directed the administration to see to the complaints of poor conditions of roads across the region.  Earlier the Commission started their visit with the meeting with the representatives of recognized national and state political parties.
    The Commission held a series of meetings with the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Special DGP and Home Commissioner. CEO, J&K, Umang Narula accompanied the ECI during the meetings. The Commission also held a detailed meeting with the Returning Officers/DEOs and SSPs regarding the election preparedness and obtained the necessary feedback from the viz-a-viz election preparedness and other related issues. (KNS)

  • Can’t stop sympathizers from voting: Jamaat chief

    Srinagar: Reiterating election boycott call, Kashmir’s socio-religious organization Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI)Thursday said that its cadre won’t take part in upcoming parliamentary polls but the group can’t stop sympathizers from voting.
    Talking to GNS over phone from New Delhi, JeI chief, Muhammad Abdullah Wani said: “The Jamaat’s Majlis-e-Shura (Central Advisory Council – the main decision making body of the party) has announced that the party won’t participate in the upcoming polls. We have directed our cadre not to vote for any mainstream party as all of them are same for us.”
    Wani, however, said: “Though we have called for boycott, but we can’t stop those who are going to vote even if the person will be Jamaat’s sympathizer.”
    Elaborating further, the Jamaat chief said:  “A Jamaat cadre is accountable to the organization but a sympathizer isn’t.”
    Wani, while reacting to National Conference leader, Mustafa Kamal’s allegations that Jamaat will vote for Peoples Democratic Party in the elections, said: “I don’t know from where he gets such information. It is baseless and far away from the ground realities.”
    “In 2008, two Jamaat members from Doda had been found involved in casting their vote but strict action was taken against them,” he informed.
    “Last time we took part in elections under the banner of Muslim United Front (MUF) in 1987 but since then we haven’t participated in any election,” he said.
    He said Jamaat believes that long pending issue of Kashmir should be solved according to United Nations resolutions or tripartite talks between India, Pakistan and Kashmir. (GNS)

  • Pakistan HC to India welcomes Kashmiri separatists

    Nawaz Shareef wants better relations with India: Basit
    New Delhi: While welcoming the Kashmiri separatist leadership invited by Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to participate in the celebrations of Pakistan day, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Wednesday said that prime minister Mian Nawaz Shareef is keen to have good relations with India.  
    According to KNS correspondent in Delhi, Basit and his wife received the Kashmiri separatist leadership including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Moulana Abbas Ansari, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Aga Syed Hassan, Mehraj-u-Din Kalwal, Ayaz Akbar, Zamrooda Habib, Fareeda Behanji, Yasmeen Raja and Mohammad Abdullah Wani and Ghulam Nabi Waseem.
    In his brief welcome address, Basit said that that Pakistan seeks friendly and cooperative relations with all its neighbours, including India. He underlined the significance of the composite dialogue process for settling all outstanding issues between the two countries in a peaceful manner.
    The Hurriyat Conference (M) executive council led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq is scheduled to meet Basiton Thursday morning at 9: 30 am. Besides Mirwaiz group, sources said the other factions of the Hurriyat Conference and JKLF are also likely to meet Basit on Thursday. During these separate meetings the separatists will discuss the present political situation in Kashmir and are likely to press for intensive efforts from Pakistan to resolve Kashmir issue.
    While talking to media on the sidelines of the function in Pakistan high commission, Mirwaiz has told media persons that he wants people of India to elect a government which can resolve the Kashmir issue. The Hurriyat (M) chairman has also reiterated that people of India should understand that Kashmir is neither a law and order nor any administrative issue which can be managed through certain administrative initiatives.
    “I told them (media persons) that Kashmir is a political issue which needs to be resolved politically. I said that Kashmir problem is like  festering sore in the sub continent and there should be tri partite talks between India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri leadership for a permanent solution to this problem,” Mirwaiz told KNS.
    Pertinently, Basit presented his credentials to President of India, Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan (President House) in New Delhi on Wednesday.  The ceremony was attended by the officers of the Ministry of External Affairs, Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Pakistan High Commission, quoting sources, the KNS correspondent said. (KNS)

  • 1171752 registered as electors in Sgr Parliamentary Constituency

    Srinagar: The District Election-Cum-Returning- Officer, (Deputy Commissioner) 2-Srinagar-Parliamentary Constituency, Mr. Farooq Ahmad Shah has said that as on date as many as 11,71,752 electors have been registered in the constituency, which include 6,15,259 male and 5,56,493 females voters.
    He was addressing a Press Conference at Banquet Hall, Srinagar today. He said that 1546 polling stations have been established for conducting Parliament Election 2014 in the Constituency, out of which 1021 polling stations have been identified as hypersensitive, while as 470 sensitive polling stations in the Constituency.
    The DEO further informed that all necessary arrangements have been put in place for fair and smooth conduct of parliamentary elections adding that Election Control Room has been established in Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Srinagar with telephone numbers, 0194-2476145, 0194-2452182 and 0194-2472580 (Fax).
    Besides, Media Centre has been established at Banquet Hall, Srinagar equipped with all necessary facilities he added and maintained “A Complaint Redressed Cell has also been established in the office of Deputy Commissioner’s with Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Srinagar as Nodal Officer with a toll free help line No 1800 180 7051 has been set up for registration of any complaint”. (KNS)

  • Lab technician hangs self, youth jumps into Jehlum

    Srinagar: A government employee allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself inside Gousia hospital here in Khanyar area of down town Srinagar Wednesday evening.
    Official sources told GNS that Farooq Ahmad Bhat son of Ali Mohammad Bhat of Khalishpora area of Old city who is working as a lab technician at Gousia hospital, Khanyar this evening hanged himself in his room inside the hospital.
    The colleagues of the technician after spotting him hanging in the room, they immediately rushed him to the SMHS hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, sources said.
    A police official confirmed the incident said that we have registered a case under 174 CrPc and further investigations have been taken up.
    In another incident, a 25-year-old youth committed suicide by jumping into river jehlum near Maisuma, a police official told GNS.
    “A police team was instantly rushed to the spot and quickly retrieved the body of the youth”, a police official told GNS, adding that the identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained.
    He said that a case has been registered in this regard and further investigations area going on. (GNS)
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  • Health department performs first hip replacement surgery

    Srinagar: Doctors at Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir (DHSK) achieved yet another feat by performing revision of total hip replacement. This is first of its kind that such an advanced set up surgery has successfully been performed at JLNM Hospital, the apex hospital of DHSK.
    According to an official statement issued to KNS, a 50 year old male patient was operated for revision of total hip replacement at JLNM Hospital as on April 2, 2014 by an operative team which included Dr. Irshad Tabasum, Dr. Najeeb Drabu (Orthopaedic Surgeons), Dr. H Tandon (Orthopaedic Surgeon, Apollo Hospital) Dr. Arifa, Dr. Muzaffar (Anaesthetists) Surjeet Singh and Habibullah (Theatre Staff).
    It is pertinent to mention here that JLNM hospital has already performed a knee replacement surgery prior to this also. Director Health Services, Kashmir Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman has appreciated the administrator JLNM Hospital Dr Mohammad Iqbal and the operative team for attaining this remarkable feat.
    He emphasised on the team to continue performing advanced surgeries with zeal and assured them for all logistical support so that quality health care is being availed by the needy patients at peripheral hospitals of DHSK. (KNS)

  • Wamiq Farooq killing case

    Court directs police to execute warrants
    Srinagar: The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir get the arrest warrants executed against two accused police personnel allegedly involved in Wamiq Farooq killing case.
    The Court has also taken strong exception to the report filed by SSP in the matter terming it ‘nothing but repetition of earlier report’. “The report, on perusal, reflects nothing but delay tactics adopted by police to execute warrants against accused.”
    The court has said that ‘no plausible and satisfactory explanation has been tendered for non execution of warrants against accused, rather it appears that police intends to provide escape route to the accused persons from court appearance’.
    “This court is not satisfied with the report filed and so in order to procure attendance of accused persons coercive means are imperatively required to be followed,” reads the court order.
    The court has directed:  “In this backdrop, non bail able warrants of arrest are issued against accused persons and same be sent to IGP Kashmir Zone for getting executed on accuse persons without any delay.”  The court is scheduled to hear the matter on April 16. (KNS)