By PTI
SRINAGAR: Police on Saturday said they have arrested seven overground workers (OGWs) of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen from Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Shopian Police arrested seven terrorist associates linked with proscribed terrorist outfit HM,” the police said in a tweet.
They said incriminating materials were seized from the possession of the arrested persons.
A case has been registered and a probe is on.
By PTI
JAMMU: Two persons were killed and four others critically injured when a truck driver lost control over his vehicle that hit and damaged nearly a dozen vehicles inside a vegetable and fruit market here on Saturday, police said.
The accident occurred at the Narwal mandi, when the main terminal market of the city was crowded with early morning shoppers, a police official said.
He said the driver of the truck, bearing a Rajasthan registration number, lost control over the wheel apparently due to a brake failure and the truck hit and damaged nearly a dozen vehicles, including four mini load carriers, three cars and two two-wheelers.
Suraj Prakash (45) of Akhnoor and Bodh Raj (40) of R S Pura were killed in the accident, while four other critically-injured persons were shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital, the official said.
He said the truck driver fled the spot after the accident and efforts are on to arrest him.
By PTI
SRINAGAR: An encounter broke out between militants and security forces on Wednesday in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said here.
Security personnel launched a cordon and search operation at Kandipora in Bijbehara area of Anantnag following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire on the security forces, who retaliated.
There are no reports of any casualties so far on either side, the official said.
By PTI
SRINAGAR: Senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz on Tuesday termed as “misleading” the claim made allegedly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was revoked for the benefit of the people there.
“It is really unfortunate that PM Modi has made a deceptive statement at Kolkata the other day that the abrogation of Article 370 was done by the central government in favour of the people of J&K,” Soz said in a statement here.
“How can PM Modi take the people of J&K for granted who are actually deeply distressed on the illegal abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution,” he added.
The Congress leader said the “most evil aspect” of the abrogation of the special constitutional provisions was that the Union government enacted “this wrong act all by itself, although the people of Jammu and Kashmir happen to be the first party to the agreement”.
He said the world knows that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are “deeply angry” about the “one-sided unconstitutional measure”.
“The people of Kashmir have already indicated, in an ample measure, that they will struggle for restoration of the autonomy of the state as enshrined in the Article 370 of the Constitution of India,” Soz said.
Without naming anyone, the Congress leader said there are some politicians in Jammu and Kashmir who are trying to mislead the people of Kashmir by stressing on the restoration of the statehood “which essentially is not the same thing as restoration of the autonomy to the J&K state”.
“On the restoration of statehood, the Modi government is committed through its statement to this effect, on the floor of Parliament,” he added.
By PTI
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday sought a report from the government within two weeks on a plea filed by PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti over delay in issuance of passport to her.
Mehbooba had applied for a fresh passport in December last year after its expiry on May 31.
However, her passport application has not been cleared till date due to want of a police verification report.
Hearing the petition, Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey noted the submissions put forth by the PDP president through her counsel Jahangir Iqbal Ganai and granted the central and J&K governments two weeks time to file a response or objections in the case.
However, the court made it clear that the pendency of writ petition would not form any impediment for the police agency to expedite the verification process.
In the petition, Mehbooba said her passport expired on May 31 last year and accordingly she applied for issuance of a fresh passport before the authorities concerned on December 11, 2020.
Mehbooba’s counsel submitted that as per circular instructions issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the passport of an individual is to be issued within 30 days but in the instant case, despite lapse of three months, passport has not been issued to the petitioner due to the pending police verification.
The 60-year-old politician was put under preventive custody on August 5, 2019, the day the central government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into union territories.
She was released in October last year after the Union Territory administration revoked the charges under the Public Safety Act against her.
By PTI
JAMMU: A day after the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit adopted a resolution to form the next government in the Union Territory, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday pooh-poohed the resolve and said “I will see how it is going to happen”.
He also criticised the BJP for allegedly dubbing him and other leaders as “Pakistani” during election time and urged the people to stay away from the “politics of religion and hatred”.
“They (BJP) are making noises that we are coming (to power). They will never come,” the former chief minister said addressing a function to mark the International Women’s Day at the NC headquarters here.
At a two-day working committee meeting at Katra in Reasi district, the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit adopted a resolution on Sunday to form the next government in the union territory of its own whenever the Assembly elections are held.
“They say we will form the (next) government. I will see how it is going to happen. Will they come from the sky? We are standing in their way and how you will remove us. The National Conference has a history of sacrifice and lives in the hearts of the people,” Abdullah said.
Without identifying anyone but apparently referring to the BJP, he said “they are creating hatred” among the people to win the elections.
“When the elections come, we are dubbed as Pakistanis despite the fact that we have spent ourselves to keep the Indian flag high and thousands of our workers and leaders have sacrificed their lives.
However, when the elections are over, we become Indians…I am surprised,” he said.
Advising the party workers to keep away from the politics of hatred and religion, he said all religions are equal and no religion is bad.
“It is a man who is bad and not the religion. Had we known our religion in real sense, we would not criticise any other religion…We have to teach our children the right knowledge of the religion,” he said.
He asked the National Conference (NC) workers to identify and reach out to the women who have the urge to serve the society as “we have to think how we can build our future and make J&K a prosperous state.”
“You have to speak to the people and educate them about the false propaganda. Tomorrow they will come chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and you line up and vote for them without taking into consideration what they have been doing.
“We forewarned you about the happenings but nobody paid any heed at that time. This is just a beginning, you will see what is going to happen next… the farmers are on the roads, prices have skyrocketed, unemployment is on the rise. They have ruined everything,” he said.
Abdullah asked District Development Council (DDC) members, especially women, to work with the administration for the benefit of all.
“You have been voted by people, both men and women. You have to work for all including those who have voted against you,” he said.
By PTI
JAMMU: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are praying that the recent agreement between India and Pakistan on ceasefire holds as it will bring them some relief.
Peace is in the larger interest of the region, he said.
“Hostilities on borders bring only agonies and miseries to the dwellers, halt agriculture and economic activities, and impact the way of life of every segment of society,” Abdullah said while addressing NC workers in Udhampur.
On February 25, India and Pakistan announced that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors “in the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders”.
Abdullah, Member of Parliament from Srinagar, said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are praying for the success of this measure as it will bring them some relief.
Both the countries are spending a substantial portion of their budgets on defence procurement, thus compromising on the welfare of their poor populations, he said.
Peace is in the larger interest of the region, especially as the people of the two countries have been yearning for good relations, he added.
Invoking the words of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that “you can change your friends but not your neighbours”, Abdullah said either the two countries can grow their friendship and prosper, or continue the enmity but then there will be no prosperity.
According to a joint statement issued by India and Pakistan on February 25, the two sides reiterated that the existing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings will be utilised to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding.
On the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution, Abdullah said it is not just a Kashmir-centric issue and much more important for the regions of Jammu and Ladakh.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister exhorted the NC cadre to reach out to people and work for their betterment.
The strength of the National Conference comes from the people, who are the real fountainhead of power, which is not to rule but to serve the masses, irrespective of caste, creed, colour and religion, he said.
Abdullah said people’s massive support for the NC despite numerous challenges reflects their deep faith in the party which has always cherished the pluralistic ethos that has been the force that binds regions and religions.
“We have to maintain, sustain and promote this spirit for making Jammu and Kashmir a better place to live in,” he said.
By PTI
JAMMU: JK BJP leader Ashwani Chrungoo urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to enhance the monthly relief provided to Kashmiri migrants from Rs 13,000 to Rs 20,000.
“The price index has gone high a number of times over the last five years, and consequent price rise in almost all fields of public purchases has also touched new heights. This has disturbed the domestic budget of the displaced community of Kashmir. It has become very difficult for the relief holders among them to make both ends meet,” he said.
Chrungoo, in-charge, Department of Political Affairs and Feedback, Jammu and Kashmir, requested that the relief amount per family per month be enhanced to Rs 20,000.
“There are less than 22,000 relief holders who are dependent on the monthly relief. It would be a great gesture on behalf of the government to provide this sort of help to the relief holders on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri,” he said in a letter to the Union home minister.
The BJP leader said overaged youth who could not be accomodated under the prime minister’s employment package need monetary assistance from the government to ensure their economic subsistence.
“It can be done by means of monetary compensation, interest free loans and one-time working capital for creating new working business units that can earn profits in due course of time,” he said.
“I also make an earnest request to announce a package of reservation of 4,000 jobs for the youth of the displaced community in the central government employment for posting in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
By PTI
SRINAGAR: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday advocated a “peaceful struggle” for the “restoration” of democratic and constitutional rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a convention of senior party workers of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, Mufti said the people of Kashmir should not let despair decide their destiny, but rather strengthen their resolve, unify their ranks and “articulate their pain vociferously”.
Mufti claimed more youngsters were joining militancy, emphasizing that gun was no solution to any problem.
“We should always keep peaceful means as our lodestar and not lose sight of the fact that there are elements who wish to bracket us as violent and extremist so as to delegitimise our aspirations and our struggle,” she said.
Mufti pointed out how farmers mobilised and successfully rallied the whole world behind their cause, saying the discipline underpinning the movement was something worth emulating.
“Apart from robbing us of our constitutional rights, we have witnessed the loot of our resources and our economy being crushed,” the PDP leader said.
The horticulture sector, which forms the backbone of the Valley’s economy, has not been spared either, she alleged.
“By allowing apple produce from Iran to flood the market and our own crop destroyed by supply of spurious pesticides, the nefarious designs are being implemented. This also seems to be a part of the scripted scheme to pulverize our economy,” Mufti said.
The former chief minister said the need was to stand up in unison and struggle for rights, identity and the future of the coming generations.
Mufti reaffirmed that dialogue and reconciliation as envisioned by PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the only way to bring about peace and prosperity not only to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but the whole of subcontinent.
Mehbooba Mufti said she would continue to advocate dialogue between India and Pakistan no matter how disliked the idea be with “some vested interests”.
“We have always advocated dialogue and reconciliation. No matter what they said till yesterday, today we see them only emulating our roadmap as inevitable. The recent joint statement of DGMOs of Indo-Pak armies is a case in point. We want them to take this forward to the highest levels and also engage with the people of Jammu & Kashmir constructively respecting their dignity,” she added.
Thanking the party workers for their unflinching support to the party, the PDP president lauded their efforts that culminated in a robust win for the party in the-recently concluded DDC elections in the district.
“Pulwama is the heartbeat of PDP and your unwavering support is the source of personal strength to me. And my first visit to your district after being re-elected as the party president is a reaffirmation of my love for you,” she said.