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Bandh in Kashmir on flood relief issue, traders arrested

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Bandh-Kashmir

Srinagar: Several leaders of trade bodies were detained here to thwart planned protests against alleged inadequate rehabilitation efforts for victims of last year’s floods in Kashmir, which observed a shutdown today.

The Opposition National Conference, which had given the call for bandh besides the separatists on the first anniversary of the floods that left nearly 300 persons dead and caused massive destruction, hit out at the Mufti Sayeed Government for the crackdown, saying it was scuttling legitimate democratic protests.

Police took into preventive custody leaders of Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) including Mohammad Yasin Khan and Showkat Chowdhary in a pre-dawn swoop ahead of their planned protest at Lal Chowk. Several separatist leaders including moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, were also put under house arrest.

A police official said the area around Lal Chowk’s historic Clock Tower has been sealed and no one will be allowed to proceed in that direction.

Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in numbers to prevent any law and order situation, the official said.

KEA had called for a shutdown today to mark the first anniversary of the floods and was also planning a symbolic protest.

NC leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah slammed the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government, saying they had made “tall promises” of providing relief to the people “but till this day, we have got nothing”.

He warned that such actions will only alienate the people and accused the ruling PDP of “sabotaging” the relief package for the state.

“In a series of midnight raids Mufti Syed has ensured the arrest of all the Trade Body leaders. Their crime? Unhappiness over flood relief.

“All these people wanted to do was register their dissatisfaction at the absence of any meaningful flood relief. Shame on Mufti the Dictator,” Omar said in a series of tweets.

He also took a dig at Mufti Mohammed Sayed Government’s plan to mark the floods anniversary as revival day.

“If Mufti Sb was so sure people were going to celebrate as his Govt has planned today he wouldn’t have ordered these arrests (sic),” Omar tweeted.

“Shows just how desperate they are for their “celebration” to succeed,” the NC leader said on microblogging site Twitter.

The opposition National Conference marked the day by holding a blood donation camp. Omar inaugurated the camp by donating blood.

Meanwhile, normal life came to a standstill across the Valley due to the shutdown call by traders bodies, mainstream parties and separatists.

Business establishments, shops, schools and other educational institutions remained closed due to the strike while most of the public transport was off the roads.

Kashmir University has postponed all the examinations which were scheduled to be held today.

The attendance in government offices was thin while the roads wore a deserted look.

Shahidul Islam, a close aide of the Mirwaiz, and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik were also placed under house arrest.

A Hurriyat spokesman said Mirwaiz and Islam were put under house arrested early this morning.

Barring for few days, hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has been under house arrest since his return from New Delhi in April this year.

The previous state government headed by Omar had sent a rehabilitation package of Rs 44,000 crore to the Centre but so far the state has received only Rs 5,000 crores, including the Rs 1,100 crore which was in the state Disaster Relief Fund kitty when the tragedy struck last year.

Omar said that a large chunk of the money was deducted by the Centre even before it reached the state.

“They took money for many things in the name of the floods. But those, who suffered losses, did not get anything. Helicopters were used (but) the money was taken from us. Their boats were used here, but the money was taken from us.

“The funds meant for liabilities under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme were taken in the name of floods. Additional special plan assistance, which is given to us by the Planning Commission every year to balance our plan, that money was also added to the flood account and taken,” he said.

(Agencies)

4 guerrillas, 1 army jawan killed in encounter in J&K’s Handwara

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Pakistani-troops-fire

Srinagar: An Indian Army soldier and four guerrillas were killed in a night-long gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, an official said on Thursday.

“Security forces, including troops of the army’s para regiment, Special Operations Group of state police (SOG) and CRPF, surrounded Vilgam (Handwara) village late Wednesday following information about a group of guerrillas hiding in the village,” a police officer told IANS here.

“When the guerrillas were challenged they resorted to firing at the security forces triggering the encounter in which four militants and an army soldier were killed,” he added.

He said search operations were still on in the area, adding that the identity of the militants was being estsablished.

It must be recalled that an army soldier and a separatist guerrilla were killed on Wednesday in Ladoora village of the same district.

(IANS)

Soldier, guerrilla killed in Kashmir gunfight

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Pakistani-troops-fire

Srinagar: A soldier and a Hizbul Mujahideen guerrilla were killed in a gun battle on Wednesday in a village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said.

Security forces surrounded a house in Ladoora (Rafiabad) village early on Wednesday morning after learning that militants were hiding there. This triggered a fierce gun battle between the two sides.

The soldier from the Rashtriya Rifles and a militant died in the gun battle, a police official told IANS.

The slain militant was later identified as Riyaz Ahmed, a resident of Sopore. Officials later said he was the only militant holed up inside the house.

(IANS)

Another Pakistani terrorist caught alive

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encounter-story

Srinagar: Another Pakistani terrorist was caught alive on Thursday following a fierce gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, making him the second terrorist from Pakistan to be held this month.

The terrorist was identified as Sajjad alias Abu Ubadullah, 22, a resident of Muzaffargarh district of Balochistan, Pakistan, a senior police official said.

Sajjad was caught a little over three weeks after Pakistani terrorist Naveed was arrested on August 5 following a terror attack on BSF troopers on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Naveed had taken three people hostage who overpowered him.

It was not immediately known how Sajjad was caught.

The gunfight started on Wednesday afternoon after the army intercepted a group of militants in Toot Mar Gali of Nowgam sector in Kupwara. They had sneaked into India from Pakistan.

Three separatist guerrillas were killed by the security forces on Thursday.

“The gunbattle is still going on,” a senior police officer told IANS.

The militants managed to break the cordon after being challenged by the army, triggering a gunfight on Wednesday on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

(IANS)

‘Not an Indian by birth’, Geelani says getting Indian passport ‘compulsion’

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Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani (Photo: AFP/File)

Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani (Photo: AFP/File)

Srinagar: Earlier, Geelani had told a news agency that he left the nationality column blank in his online application for the passport.

Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani Friday said that getting an Indian passport for travelling abroad was a compulsion and that he was “not an Indian by birth”.

After stepping out of the passport office at Boulevard in Srinagar, Geelani told waiting newsmen that “I am not an Indian by birth. It’s a compulsion that we have to travel with an Indian passport.”

Earlier, Geelani had told a news agency that he left the nationality column blank in his online application for the passport.

Police sources said that the octogenarian leader was released from house detention early Friday morning and that he was allowed to proceed to the passport office to complete the formalities.

Geelani, according to Hurriyat Conference, applied for the passport to see his ailing daughter in Saudi Arabia.

Geelani’s application for a passport had created a political furore which saw coalition partners, BJP and PDP, bitterly divided.

While the state unit of the BJP demanded an ‘apology’ from the leader for his ‘anti-national’ activities, PDP had said that it was a ‘humanitarian issue’ and that the Hurriyat leader should be issued a passport.

(Agencies)

Jammu tense as Sikhs stage protests defying prohibitory orders

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Sikh protesters sit near burning tires during a curfew in Jammu on Friday. Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in parts of Kashmir city on Thursday following clashes with hundreds of Sikh protesters after bullets fired by police killed one person and injured two more.

Sikh protesters sit near burning tires during a curfew in Jammu on Friday. Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in parts of Kashmir city on Thursday following clashes with hundreds of Sikh protesters after bullets fired by police killed one person and injured two more.

Jammu: Defying prohibitory orders, Sikh youths took to streets for the third day today as protests spread over removal of posters of Khalistan militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a day after a youth was killed and seven injured in clashes with police over the row.

Authorities clamped Section 144 of CrPC, which bars gathering of more than four persons at a place, in the entire Jammu district and curfew like situation prevailed in violence-hit areas of Satwari-Ranibagh-Gadigarh-R S Pura belt and elsewhere.

Groups of Sikhs blocked the Jammu-Pathakote highway and burnt tyres. Protests were held at Digiana belt and people raised slogans against the police and the government. Similar protests were held in Poonch, Kathua and Rajouri areas.

Streets wore a deserted look in Jammu city today and business establishments remained closed. Mobile and internet services were also suspended in Jammu. Schools and colleges in several districts of the region were closed.

Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength in sensitive areas of Jammu city.

The situation “is tense but under control” in Jammu city, police said.

Army late last night staged flag march in parts of Jammu following violent clashes.

“Army carried out flag march in the violence hit belt on road from R S Pura to Satwari due to the prevailing situation,” PRO Defence Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

He said that the district administration had requisitioned the Army to instill confidence in the people.

A youth, Jagjit Singh, was killed yesterday and seven others including three policemen were injured in a clash between police and a large group of Sikhs youth who blocked roads here against removal of a poster with a picture of late militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

The condition of the three policemne has been described as critical by doctors, police said here.

The incident sparked off more protests in the region despite appeals for peace by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and his deputy Nirmal Singh.

Singh today voiced confidence that things will be controlled “within a short span of time” and said talks were being held with community leaders.

“Restrictions have been imposed under section 144 CrPC in entire district as a precautionary measure,” Deputy Commissioner, Jammu ,Simrandeep Singh told PTI.
Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said an investigation will be held into the incident and the guilty will face action in accordance with law.

“It is very unfortunate that this situation has emerged in Jammu and in particulare area. The administration is on the job and we are meeting the people there, the leaders of the community and we hope that the situation shall be brought under control,” he said.

“I appeal to the people specially the leaders of the community that they must maintain peace and communal harmony because it (protests) is not in larger interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and India also,” he said

“We are investigating the whole thing and whosoever is held responsible shall be dealt according to law,” he said.

Expressing deep sorrow and anguish over the loss of a precious human life during protests by the members of the Sikh community in Jammu, the Chief Minister had said that while it is the responsibility of the police to maintain law and order, at the same time Standard Operational Procedure (SOP) should be strictly adhered to avoid such tragedies during public protests.

(Agencies)

UPA hanged Afzal Guru for political reasons: Omar Abdullah

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He said no as he had signed the paper and warrant has been issued and asked me to deal with the implications.”

omar-abdullah

New Delhi: The controversial hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had been carried out for “political reasons” by the UPA government which had informed him “only hours before,” former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said today.

Out for a dinner with his sister at a Delhi restaurant, Omar received a call from the then Home Minister SushilkumarShinde informing him that he had signed the papers for Guru to be hanged early next morning and asking him to make law and order arrangements.

Even as a last minute effort, Omar told PTI, “I asked the Home Minister whether he was sure that nothing can be done.

He said no as he had signed the paper and warrant has been issued and asked me to deal with the implications.”

Pointing out that the cases of assassins of Rajiv Gandhi and Beant Singh had been handled differently, he said, “the fact is whether we like it or not he was hanged for political reasons. It’s a fact.”

“I had said I will not pass judgement on it until I see how Government handles other cases… I have seen other cases. Look how they handled assassins of Beant Singh and Rajiv Gandhi and look how they jumped this guy up the queue.

“Clearly what other conclusion can you arrive at other than this that they wanted to deny BJP another handle to beat them with in the general elections and, therefore, the easiest two people to be hanged were AjmalKasab because he was a foreign national and Afzal Guru. Whether I like it or not, but they did it,” he said.

Guru, who was at serial number 28 in the list of condemned prisoners, was hanged on February 9, 2013. A controversy broke out as his family got news of his hanging on television.

Omar Abdullah’s National Conference was part of the UPA government at the time of the hanging and his father, Dr Farooq Abdullah, was a Cabinet Minister at the Center. The alliance continued till the General Elections of May 2014.

Omar, working President of National Conference which lost power in the December 2014 Assembly elections, termed the Guru issue a ‘sword of Damocles’ hanging over him, saying he had been apprising the Centre from time to time about the implications of Guru’s execution.

“The Afzal Guru execution was something that was discussed all through my tenure. Because we knew it was like a sword of Damocles hanging over us. So from time to time the implications of it were conveyed to the Government of India both to Mr P Chidambaram and to MrShinde,” he said.

The implications were always conveyed to the Centre but the concerns multiplied when Kasab, lone survivor of the terrorist team which created mayhem in Mumbai on 26/11, was hanged, he said.

“The general feeling was this that once they have done this, Guru is going to be next and I did place my reservations on record at the time as to what the implications of this would be,” the former Chief Minister said, adding that he was “told that a decision hasn’t been taken but it is being contemplated”.

(PTI)

Masarat Alam says did not wave Pakistani flag, but finds nothing wrong in others waving it

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masarat-alam

by Junaid Kathju, Rising Kashmir

Srinagar: Muslim League chairman and senior Hurriyat (G) leader Masarat Alam Thursday said he did not find anything wrong in people waving Pakistani flags during Syed Ali Geelani’s rally in Srinagar yesterday.

“Even though I didn’t personally wave any flags but if people did wave such flags, I don’t find anything wrong in it,” Alam told Rising Kashmir.

He said waving Pakistani flag in Kashmir has been the part of the “freedom movement” in Kashmir and it has been going on since 1947.

“By seeing the same sentiment, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru promised plebiscite to Kashmiri people which were never fulfilled. Yesterday was only the reminder of that promise,” the separatist leader said.

On FIR being lodged against him for alleged provocative activities and hoisting of Pakistani flag, Alam said many FIRs have been registered against him in past and there was nothing to worry about it.

“What is new in it? I have been booked many times in past also. One more FIR doesn’t make any difference to me,” he said.

About Tral chalo call , Alam said his party has not yet decided whether to join the rally but being a member of Hurriyat (G), he is ready to be part of any program.

Police Wednesday evening registered FIR against Geelani, Masarat, Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah and other separatist leaders for alleged provocative activities and hoisting Pakistani flag in Hyderpora.

FIR No 92/2015 under sections 13 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 120-B, 147,341,336,427 RPC was registered in Police Station Budgam against the trio.

On March 7, government released Alam from jail after four years of detention. Alam was arrested in Harwan area on the outskirts of Srinagar in October 2010 on charges of spearheading summer unrest in the Valley that year. Over 120 youth were killed in police and paramilitary forces firing in during the unrest.

J & K government must investigate alleged extrajudicial execution of youth in Tral: Amnesty International India

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Kashmiri villagers carry the body of Khalid Muzaffar, a civilian during his funeral procession in Tral. Photo: AP

Kashmiri villagers carry the body of Khalid Muzaffar, a civilian during his funeral procession in Tral. Photo: AP

Srinagar: The Indian chapter of the international human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) Thursday Stressed upon the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure an independent criminal investigation into the killing of a 24-year-old student Khalid Muzaffar by army personnel on 13 April in Tral.

Khalid was killed by Indian army personnel in the Kamla forests in Pulwama district on the morning of 13 April. The Indian army in a press statement said that Khalid was an ‘over ground worker’ for the Hizbul Mujahideen, armed group, and was killed in a gun battle with army personnel.

“The Director-General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, told Amnesty International India that Khalid Muzafar Wani’s brother is a senior member of the Hizbul Mujahideen, and said that the police was investigating whether Khalid Muzafar Wani also had any links to armed groups,” an AI statement said.

Quoting Khalid’s father Muzaffar Wani Amnesty International India, the death of Khalid was a result of a ‘fake encounter’, or staged extrajudicial execution.

“The Jammu and Kashmir government must ensure a swift, thorough and impartial investigation to determine if Khalid Muzafar Wani was killed in an extrajudicial execution. They must also look into the family’s claims that he was targeted because of his brother’s suspected links with a banned armed group,” said Shemeer Babu, Programmes Director at Amnesty International India.

Will facilitate complete reintegration of Kashmiri Pandits in Valley: Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

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Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

Jammu: Describing Kashmir as an epitome of secularism and brotherhood that has withstood the test of time, the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today said the Government is committed to create a favourable environment for return of Kashmiri Pandit community to their homes, so that the void created by their absence in the cultural milieu of Kashmir is removed.

The Chief Minister said his Government is determined to facilitate the return of Kashmiri Pandits as part of the Kashmiri society and not as an isolated community.

Mufti Sayeed was speaking during the Question Hour in the Legislative Assembly today when certain members raised the issue of return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley.

He said the Pandit community provides diversity to the multi-religious ethos of Kashmiri society and the focus of the Government will be to bring them back to their homes.

Describing as misconstrued the impression being created by certain quarters regarding establishment of exclusive habitations, Mufti Sayeed stated that the Government has not acquired any land for setting up any exclusive enclaves. He further said the Government does not favour any clusterization for return of Kashmiri Pandits but their complete reintegration as part of the Kashmiri society. “Some Pandit organizations have also stated that a majority of the migrated community will feel vulnerable if they return to the Valley and live in exclusive zones,” he added.

Urging all political parties to cooperate in facilitating return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, Mufti Sayeed said they are part and parcel of the multi-religious society of Kashmir and their migration over two decades ago was a huge tragedy. “Our emphasis will be on taking all confidence-building measures for their dignified return. We are only taking forward a process which was initiated by the previous Governments,” he said.

Describing Kashmir as a garden with flowers of all hues, the Chief Minister said it is the responsibility of all political parties to play a constructive role in facilitating the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley. “J&K has a history of cultural integration where Gandhiji found a ray of hope when the entire country was burning in communal frenzy in 1947,” he added.

(KNS)

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