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‘Raids on JK Bank on RBI intervention, JK Ruling elite involved in corruption will face action soon’

Srinagar, Jun 12: Governor Satya Pal Malik Wednesday invited Kashmiri militants to give up the arms and said they were ready to hold the talks.

“There is unemployment across the country but unemployed people (elsewhere) in the country do not pick up weapons against the government. There is something more here. The basic thing here is that the leaders have not told people the truth. People have been misled and shown false dreams, which will never be fulfilled,” the Governor said at a press conference attended by all his four advisors, chief secretary and administrative secretaries of all the government departments here at SKICC.

According to Kashmir News Service (KNS) correspondent, the Governor said that the people have been shown the dream of ‘azadi’ (independence) and sometimes that of autonomy. “When these things did not work, they were shown the dreams of paradise through radicalisation. I want to tell the youth that they have two paradises — one is Kashmir and if they become good Muslims, they will get the other one also,” he said.

He said dialogue is the only way through which they can get what they want within the ambit of the Constitution.

He said India cannot be made to bow through violence.

“Take everything from us, we will give our life, but through love and dialogue. For that (PM) Narendra Modi is ready, we are ready. Come to the dialogue table and take it forward,” he said.

Srinagar, Jun 12 : Former legislators Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, Engineer Shiekh Abdul Rasheed, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and Ghulam Hassan Mir met in Srinagar to discuss the prevailing political scenario in the State.

According to a joint statement issued to KNS, the meeting focused on the issue of Delimitation as is being reported by the media. The leaders felt that any such move without following the due process can further alienate the people and will weaken the secular fabric of the state.

They urged the State and Central Governments not to vitiate the atmosphere by such attempts which will also be in violation of the Constitution. They said that such issues must be left to the elected government of the state to discuss and decide.

The former legislators appealed the people to stand together for protection of the constitutional guarantees and appealed all political parties and members of civil society to unite for this common cause.

The leaders said they want to assure the people that they will not allow any design to dilute the sanctity of the state constitution and the aspirations of the people. (KNS)

Srinagar, June 12 : Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said tourism sector was affected in Jammu and Kashmir due to wrong projection of Kashmir situation by Delhi based Television Channels.

But he added that a number of measures are in the pipeline, including arranging festivals, roadshows, upgrading infrastructure and other adding other facilities to attract more tourists from across the country and abroad.

Advisor to Governor Khurshid Ahmad Ganai who was present at the press conference said it is true that footfall of the tourists this year was less as compared to last year. However, he said, the situation has started changing for good as number of tourist arrivals have witnessed increase.

Ganai who is incharge of tourism said a number of steps are being taken to attract more tourists. The tourist arrival has already started picking up.

He also said due to negative reporting by some Delhi TV channels arrival of tourists had witnessed decrease this year. However, he said some television channels are now doing good work and projecting the Kashmir situation rightly.

However, state Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam said after the Pulwama attack on CRPF in February this year the arrival of tourists from different parts of the country and abroad declined. However, he said from April the footfall of tourists had started increasing considerably.We expect good season ahead, he said.(Agencies)

Srinagar, June 12 : The intermittent sometimes heavy rains continued to lash Valley since Tuesday morning, bringing the temperature down in Kashmir.

The rains began on Tuesday morning and will continue intermittently till today evening.

The rains in the Valley led to dip in the temperature due to which higher reaches of north east kashmir recieved light snowfall.

According to data available to the weather conditions in Kashmir would improve from tomorrow morning.

The light rainfall would continue intermittently till today evening following which there will be improvement in the weather.

Data added that in plains the weather would improve from midnight, while in higher reaches it will start improving from Thursday afternoon.(with agency inputs)

Srinagar, 12 June 2019 (GNS): After overnight incessant rains, the water level in the Jhelum crossed ‘alarm mark’ of 18-ft in south Kashmir’s Sangam gauge at 2 p.m.

“The water level recorded at 1400 hours was 18.21 ft against 18-ft flood alarm mark and as soon it crosses 21-ft mark, flood is declared,” an official of Irrigation & Flood Control Department – IFC, Kashmir told GNS.

The water at 2 p.m. at Ram Munshi Bagh in Srinagar, was 13.44ft against the alarm level of 16 ft and flood level of 19 feet, the officials said.
He said that the water level was at 8.76ft, almost 6-ft below flood level at Asham in northern Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Regarding some tributaries, the official said, the water level in Vishow Nallah at Khudwani was 7.77m, 3.14 m in Rambiyara Nallah at Wachi while the nallah Lidder at Batkoot was at 1.59 m. (GNS)

Srinagar, June 11: Deputy Mayor Shiekh Mohammad Imran on Tuesday said that he will extend full support to all the investigations to ensure transparency.

He said he is fully supportive of all investigations to ensure transparency and adherence to income tax laws.

“I extend my full cooperation to the Income Tax Department. “I am a law-abiding businessman and will continue to ensure the laws are upheld,” he said

SRINAGAR: In a rare move, India voted in favour of a decision introduced by Israel in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that objected to granting consultative status to a Palestinian non-governmental organisation, after the Jewish state said the organisation did not disclose its ties with Hamas.

Israel introduced at a meeting of the ECOSOC the draft decision “L.15” on June 6 titled “Application of the non-governmental organisation Palestinian Association for Human Rights – Witness for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council” that sought to return to the NGO Committee Witness’ application for consultative status, a very rare occurrence.

The decision was adopted by a recorded vote of 28 in favour to 15 against, with five abstentions. Countries voting in favour of the decision were Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Council decided to return the NGO’s application as the organisation failed to present important information when its credentials were being considered during the Committee on Non-Governmental Organisations earlier this year, according to a record of the meeting on the UN website.

“The Economic and Social Council decides to return the application of Palestinian Association for Human Rights – Witness to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations,” it said.

Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Danny Danon, introducing the draft decision, said NGOs bring a very important perspective to the United Nations. While a consultative status gives a non-governmental organisation special standing at the United Nations, it also comes with the responsibility of providing a full picture of its activities.

When the Palestinian Association for Human Rights had presented its credentials, Israel posed no objection, he said, adding that shortly after the end of the session, the UN learned that the organisation omitted several important facts, including its ties with militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.

He said the organisation promotes Hamas’ goals in Lebanon and in light of this new information, Israel submitted the draft to allow the Committee to seek further information.

The representative of India, noting the important work NGOs contribute to the UN, said that given the current information available, her delegation voted in favour of “L.15”, according to the information on the UN website.

India’s position on the Middle East Peace Process has been consistent and clear. India supports a negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel as endorsed in the Quartet Roadmap and relevant UNSC Resolutions.

India has also always played a proactive role in garnering support for the Palestinian cause in multilateral fora.

Following the vote, a press release by Israel’s Permanent Mission to the UN said the Palestinian organisation, registered in Lebanon under the name “Witness”, ostensibly deals with the rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. However in recent months, Israel’s security establishment has revealed that “Witness belongs to the Hamas movement and acts on its behalf against Israel as part of a network of institutions and organisations the terrorist organisation operates outside the Gaza Strip.”

Last March, Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Benjamin Netanyahu signed an order declaring “Witness” a terrorist organisation in Israel.

The press release added that diplomatic outreach was made with many foreign ministries in order to thwart support in the world’s capitals for Witness.

The joint political activity bore fruit, and in the vote held today in ECOSOC, 28 out of 47 countries in the Council objected to granting the terrorist organization the special status,” it said.

“Thank you #India for standing with @IsraelinUN and rejecting the request of terrorist organization “Shahed” to obtain the status of an observer in #UN. Together we will continue to act against terrorist organizations that intend to harm,” Deputy Chief of Mission at Israel’s Embassy in New Delhi tweeted.

Consultative status to an NGO is granted by ECOSOC upon recommendation of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs, which is composed by member states.

The Committee on NGOs reviews new applications for consultative status twice a year, in January (‘regular session’) and in May (‘resumed session’).

The Committee does not decide but only recommends. These recommendations, contained in one report for the January session and one report for the May session, are reviewed by ECOSOC in June and July respectively. In most cases, ECOSOC decides to approve the recommendations made to it by the NGO Committee. In very rare cases, it does not.

40 civilians killed, nine at encounter sites, eye on summer months now, say security officials

Srinagar, June 11 : First six months of year 2019 have given a reason for security agencies operating in Kashmir to boast on something—killing of 115 militants—including 38 militants from the Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit that carried out the deadly suicide attack on the CRPF men resulting in the killing of CRPF men.

This is for the first time since 2016—when the new age militancy became a major attraction for the youth, especially those living in southern districts of Kashmir, to pick up arms that such a huge number of militants were killed in Kashmir. While as year 2017 and 2018 showed a tremendous surge in the local militant recruitment, the year 2019 so has proved to be a “major success”, official figures available with KNO.

Ever since the security grid of Kashmir—police, army and the CRPF—started major assault against militants—in January this year, for the first time since 2017, 115 militants have been killed in the first quarter of the year 2019.

“Of the 110 militants killed this year so far, 38 alone belong to Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit including its four top commanders. The Jaish militants who masterminded the Lethpora, Pulwama suicide attack were also killed,” a senior security expert who is privy to the figures revealed to KNO.

Similarly, the official said that other militant outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Ansaar Gazwatul Hind also bore the brunt in a series of “successful operations” launched by the forces on the basis of credible “human and technical intelligence inputs.” “The killing of AGH chief Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Zakir Moosa was indeed a great, rather a big success,” the official told KNO.

The figures, according to the official, also revealed that due to intense counter insurgency operations launched by the forces against the militant leadership, the local militant recruitment also witnessed a significant dip. “This year only 40 boys picked up gun and we succeeded in bringing back six boys, who joined back their families while as six were killed and five others apprehended, who are undergoing a thorough mental therapies and counselling sessions,” the official said.

About the civilian killings, the official said that less than 25 civilians were killed this year so far that include nine youth who were part of protests at the encounter sites. “Even though we witnessed violent protests at a few encounter sites this year that saw the fatal injuries to some boys, but the figure is far less than the previous years,” the official told KNO.

He said among the 115 militants killed this year, there was a foreign component as well. “Some 25 foreign militants were also killed this year. But what is interesting is that one of the foreign militant was killed on LoC this year so far,” he said.

The official, however, said the summer months were challenging and “there was no question of lowering the guard.” “We are maintaining a tight vigil on the borders and also in the hinterland while as multi-layer security cover will remain for the smooth conduct of annual pilgrimage of Amarnath commencing from July 1,” he said.(KNO)

Sopore, June 11: Gunfight broke out between militants and government forces in Wadoora Payeen village of Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Tuesday.

Official sources told KNO that contingents of Army 22 RR, SOG Sopore, 177 and 179 CRPF, 92 BN, Baramulla QRT and Police cordoned off Wadoora Payeen village in the wee hours.

As the forces intensified the searches, the hiding militants in the area opened fire, leading to a gunfight, which was going on when the report was last filed.

The Army has already rushed more reinforcement in the area, they said. A police officer told KNO that the cordon was launched following specific inputs about in the village.

Sources said two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants are believed to be trapped in the area. Meanwhile, mobile internet service has been suspended in Sopore.(KNO)