News Analysis India

Tag: Kashmir

  • ED files chargesheet against Farooq Abdullah

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has charged Farooq Abdullah, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and others for financial irregularities in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. The agency has filed a supplementary charge sheet under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, before the court in Srinagar.

    The charge sheet was filed against Abdullah, Ahsan Ahmad Mirza, Mir Manzoor Gazanffer and others. The court has issued notices to the accused for appearance before the PMLA Special Court on Aug. 27. The supplementary charge sheet was preceded by three provisional attachment orders where movable as well as immovable assets to the extent of `21.55 crore belonging to the accused were attached.

    NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has charged Farooq Abdullah, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and others for financial irregularities in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. The agency has filed a supplementary charge sheet under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, before the court in Srinagar.

    The charge sheet was filed against Abdullah, Ahsan Ahmad Mirza, Mir Manzoor Gazanffer and others. The court has issued notices to the accused for appearance before the PMLA Special Court on Aug. 27. The supplementary charge sheet was preceded by three provisional attachment orders where movable as well as immovable assets to the extent of `21.55 crore belonging to the accused were attached.

  • Amarnath Yatra suspended from Jammu due to inclement weather

    By PTI

    JAMMU: The Amarnath Yatra has been suspended from Jammu due to inclement weather conditions and no fresh batch was allowed to proceed from here to the base camps of the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

    A flash flood triggered by a cloudburst near the cave shrine on Friday afternoon has led to the death of least 16 people. Around 40 people are still missing.

    “Amarnath Yatra has been suspended from Jammu to twin base camps in Kashmir due to inclement weather. No fresh batch was allowed to move towards Amarnath” an official said.

    The annual 43-day pilgrimage commenced from the twin base camps — Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal — on June 30.

    ALSO READ: Undeterred by Baltal tragedy, Amarnath pilgrims continue to throng Jammu in hordes 

    Over one lakh pilgrims have offered prayers at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice ‘shivling’, the officials said.

    A total of 69,535 pilgrims have left in 10 batches from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for the Valley since June 29, the day the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. The yatra is scheduled to end on August 11 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

  • Terrorist gunned down, jawan hurt as Army foils infiltration bid in Kashmir

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The soldiers of the Indian Army have foiled an infiltration attempt where a group of terrorists were trying to cross the Line of Control with Kupwara, Kashmir.

    Sources told The New Indian Express, “Infiltration bid has been foiled on LOC in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara area of North Kashmir 1 terrorist killed and one Army jawan also injured.”

    As per the sources, “there were three terrorists trying to infiltrate” and in the ensuing gunfight a soldier of the local Army unit got injured and “is in critical condition.”

    There has been the input of increased infiltration attempts and the security forces, Indian Army, Central Armed Police forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police have raised their anti-infiltration and also counter-terror operations.

    The forces in Jammu and Kashmir operate in a grid system for quick reaction and to cover maximum ground.

    Amidst the information of the infiltration bid sources in the Army view this and a few previous attempts as part of a plan to push more terrorists into Kashmir as the snow has melted due to summer season.

    As reported by this newspaper a few days back 120 militants eliminated in security operations in Kashmir till June 29 this year, 32 were foreign terrorists.” Only 55 terrorists were killed in the corresponding period in 2021 of which two were foreign terrorists

  • First assembly polls in sight, Congress set to replace its J-K chief

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  In a bid to end factionalism and revive the party ahead of first Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, the Congress is looking to replace its J&K Congress chief, Ghulam Ahmed Mir.

    Sources said meetings of party leaders were held in New Delhi to discuss the change. In the meetings, AICC general secretary (org) KC Venugopal, in-charge J&K Rajni Patil and Mir, discussed the probable names to take up the post.

    Six names three each from Kashmir and Jammu — are said to be under consideration for the post in J&K Congress, which is ridden with factionalism. While Vikar Rasool, G M Saroori and Manohar Lal are the candidates from Jammu, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Tariq Hamid Karra and Ghulam Nabi Monga are in the race from Kashmir.

    The party may prefer a leader from Jammu region in view of the changed political scenario and increase of seven Assembly seats in the region after the revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K state in 2019. According to sources, Rasool, a former minister, is the top favourite as he is accepted by all and is also close to former J&K chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

    He was one among the dissident J&K Congress leaders who had written a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi seeking Mir’s removal. Mir was appointed to the post in 2014. During his tenure, the party did not fare well in 2014 Assembly polls and he himself lost the parliamentary election from the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in 2019. 

  • J-K: Four militants killed in separate encounters in Baramulla and Pulwama districts

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  Four local militants, including one involved in the recent killing of a police officer, were killed in two encounters in Kashmir on Tuesday while police attached four houses in Srinagar allegedly used for harbouring militants.

    A police official said acting on specific inputs about the presence of militants, a joint contingent of police, CRPF and Army launched a search operation in Tujjan village of Pulwama district. During the search operation, militants fired on the search party and in the ensuing gunfight, two local Jaish militants Abid Ahmad Sheikh and Majid Nazir Wani were killed. “The slain militant Majid was involved in the recent killing of police officer Farooq Ahmad Mir,” the official said.

    Another encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Sopore of Baramulla district. In the firefight, which continued for over two hours, two local Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were killed. Both the slain militants had joined militancy recently. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said 118 militants including 32 foreign militants have been killed in encounters in Kashmir this year so far.

    Houses attachedPolice attached 5 houses in Srinagar for allegedly being used for harbouring militants. The action was taken after obtaining legal nod, said police officials

  • Two encounters break out in Kashmir

    Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Tulibal village in Sopore area of Baramulla district following information about presence of militants there, a police spokesman said.

  • None from Kashmir cracks civil service exam, seven qualify from Jammu

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: For the first time in over a decade, none from Kashmir has qualified the civil service exam this year while seven candidates from Jammu region qualified the exam.

    Among the seven candidates who have qualified the IAS exam from Jammu region include three Hindus, two Sikhs and two Muslims.

    However, in a dismal performance, none from the militancy-hit Kashmir has qualified the civil service exam this year.

    It is after over a decade that none from Kashmir has qualified the civil service exam.

    After Shah Faesal topped the IAS exam in 2009, the aspirants from Kashmir had fared very well in the civil service exam and over the years there had been steady increase in their share in the civil service jobs.

    The highest number of 15 candidates had qualified for the civil service exam from J&K in 2018. In 2020, nine candidates had qualified for the exam from J&K.

    Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha congratulated the candidates, who qualified the civil service exam from J&K.

    “A hearty congratulation to all aspirants from J&K who made it to the final list of CSE 2021. Your success will motivate many more young talents of J&K to qualify civil services. My best wishes to all selected candidates. A bright & challenging career in public service awaits you,” Office of Lt Governor tweeted.

    Former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah also congratulated the aspirants from J&K for qualifying the IAS exam.

    “Congratulations to everyone who cleared the prestigious UPSC civil services exams, especially the successful candidates from Jammu and Kashmir. May you serve well – with utmost dedication, commitment, honesty and integrity. All the best!,” Omar tweeted.

  • Terror funding case: NIA seeks death penalty for Yasin Malik

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The NIA on Wednesday sought the death penalty for convicted Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, who had earlier pleaded guilty of all charges, including those under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in a terror funding case, court sources said.

    The agency made the submission before special judge Praveen Singh, while the amicus curiae appointed by the court to assist Malik sought life imprisonment, the minimum punishment in the matter.

    Malik, meanwhile, told the judge that he was leaving it to the court to decide the quantum of punishment. After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its order and is likely to pronounce it later in the day.

    The court had on May 19 convicted Malik and had directed NIA authorities to assess his financial situation to determine the amount of fine likely to be imposed.

    Malik had on May 10 told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him that included section 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act) and 20 (being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the IPC.

    The court had, meanwhile, formally framed the charges against Kashmiri separatist leaders, including Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam, Md Yusuf Shah, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Khan, Md Akbar Khanday, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Abdul Rashid Sheikh and Naval Kishore Kapoor.

    The charge sheet was also filed against Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, who have been declared proclaimed offenders (PO) in the case.

  • Kashmir gets first suicide prevention helpline ‘Zindagi’

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: The first Suicide Prevention Helpline named ‘Zindagi’ to prevent suicides has started functioning in Kashmir, where mental health issues have increased due to the three decades-long conflict and two years of Covid-19 pandemic.

    The Helpline No (18002701008) is the initiative of Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences – Kashmir, GMC Srinagar and NGO SRO Kashmir. The helpline started its operations from May 19 and works daily from 6 pm to 11 pm. These hours, according to psychologists, is the most vulnerable period for self-harm thoughts among those facing extreme mental stress as they feel lonely during the time.

    The helpline named Zindagi (to save lives) offers suicide prevention counseling, first aid, psychological support, distress management, mental well-being, promotes positive behaviour, and psychological crisis management.

    Dr Zoya Mir, Clinical Psychologist at IMHANS told this newspaper that suicides are 100 per cent preventable and “we have to tab on the survival instinct of a person”.

    She said they were planning for months to launch this suicide prevention helpline and all the clinical psychologists and psychiatrists involved in the Helpline have been trained in courses of suicide prevention from experts in Mumbai.

    At present, the Helpline is backed by a team of 14 psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. There is no language barrier, the helpline entertains calls in English, Urdu and Kashmiri.

    “The clinical psychologists and psychiatrists have been trained how to respond on the first stage and how to handle people who have suicidal tendencies,” Zoya said. She said they are receiving almost 10-15 calls per day.

    “We have named the helpline ‘Zindagi’ because our focus is to save people’s lives. We are providing immediate intervention to the patients and also guide them that as a follow-up they should visit the nearest psychiatric centre or Psychologist at their nearest place for the treatment,” she said.

    In the coming days, Zoya said, they are planning to make the Helpline 24×7. They are also creating a provision to evacuate the person having severe suicidal thoughts to hospital.

    Chairman of NGO SRO Kashmir Mohammad Aafaq Sayeed said they are providing technical help to the helpline besides the trained volunteers. He said the Helpline will ensure total secrecy regarding patient’s identity.

    “The psychologists, who are part of this Helpline, don’t have access to caller-ID. Our data is totally secure. Only the HOD concerned and admin has access to the call record,” he said. Aafaq said for availing the Helpline services, the person having suicidal thoughts should himself call the Helpline. “If anybody else on his behalf calls the Helpline, it will not be taken into consideration”.

    “We cannot go there but we help them on that point only by providing them interventions needed to overcome their suicidal thoughts,” he said.

  • BJP using diversionary tactics as it failed to provide justice to people in Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah

    Omar Abdullah said his party will scuttle every attempt of the BJP and will safeguard the rights of the people to start a new phase of development, once it returns to power.