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SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 06: A group of officers from Army, Air Force and Navy undergoing higher command course at College of Air Warfare Secunderabad today visited Police Headquarters, Srinagar and had an interaction with Director General of Police, J&K Shri Dilbag Singh and all the senior officers of department.

At the very outset Shri Suraj Kumar Jha Air Vice Marshal, Commandant of the College of Air Warefare in his introductory remarks highlighted the aims and objectives of the visit of the course participants. He thanked the Jammu and Kashmir Police particularly the Director General of Police for considering their request of an interaction to get acquainted with the role of J&K Police it played in maintenance of law and order as also its fight against the terrorism.

While taking part in the interaction the Director General of Police Shri Dilbag Singh thanked the visiting officers for good words for the force. The DGP said that he was proud of heading a force where the connect between the jawans and the officers is very strong. He said that this bond is sustained further and strengthened by our grievances redressal mechanism already put in place such as orderly rooms and darbars.

DGP J&K said that his team of officers at different levels looks after the welfare of the personnel whenever they are in need. He said that a number of welfare schemes are in place in the J&K Police which take care of the needs of the police personnel particularly when in distress. He said that out of our own departmental resources and with government assistance we take care of the martyrs, their families, jawans and officers who get injured in encounters with terrorist and law and order. We also take good care of our retired police personnel as well. This all has resulted in making our jawans confident and has resulted in the success of the J&K Police. He said that J&K Police enjoys a close rapport with the people helps in law and order management.

The DGP also stated that the Police enjoys very cordial relationship with all forces and there is perfect synergy between the security forces and police in the State. This fact has been recognized even by the senior functionaries in the MHA & MOD. With regard to fight against the terrorism the DGP said Pakistan has been sustaining terrorism in the State and the large number of terrorists have been moved to the launch pads across the borders. He said that there have been attempts of infiltration as well.

The DGP said that social media has been used by Pakistan for radicalization of young minds which remains a big challenge for all of us. He however, expressed the faith that J&K Police alongwith security forces will rise to any challenge as it has done in the past.

During the interaction ADGP CID Dr. B. Srinivas, ADGP Armed Shri S.J.M. Gillani, ADGP Security, L&O Shri Munir Ahmad Khan and IGP Kashmir Shri S.P. Pani and other officers responded to different queries from the visiting trainee officers.

Earlier, ADGP Coordination PHQ Shri A.K. Choudhary welcomed the team of the visiting officers and said that as part of their one year course the participants are taken to forward areas of J&K and North-East. He also highlighted the aim of the tour.

Senior officers who participated in the programme included Shri A.G. Mir ADGP (Hqrs.) PHQ, Shri M.K. Sinha IGP Crime, Shri Alok Kumar, IGP Traffic, Shri Surinder Kumar Gupta, Director SSG, Shri S. Ahfadul Mujtaba MD Police Housing Corporation, Shri V.K. Birdhi DIG CKR and Shri Naseer Ahmad, Director Police Telecommunication.

AIG (Prov. & Tpt.) PHQ Shri Mubassir Latifi gave a power point presentation regarding the J&K Police, its functioning and its fight against the militancy as also maintenance of peace and order in the State over the years.

Vote of thanks on behalf of the visiting officers was presented by Group Capt. Shri M.K. Chaubey.

In times of communication gag, uncertainty, patients crave for free medicine, help; Restrictions in first 15 days didn’t allow us to serve people this time, say NGO workers

Srinagar, Sep 06 : Unlike 2016, the Non-Government Organizations (NGO) have not established their tents outside the Valley’s major hospitals here to assist the patients amid the continuous shutdown and cellular and internet gag in Kashmir. With this, a huge chunk of patients and attendants are craving for free medicines and help as seen during the summer agitation of 2016.

Kashmir Valley is observing spontaneous shutdown since August 05, 2019 after the central government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.

Such a shutdown has been witnessed in the Valley in past as well including the year 2016, 2010 and 2008 for separate reasons.

In 2016, the NGOs had put up their tents outside the Valley’s prominent hospitals here to assist the people especially those who were being shifted to the hospital for treatment after receiving grave injuries during the clashes at different places.

However, during the current spontaneous shutdown, no NGO has installed their stall with medical aids and other food stuff for the patients as well as their attendants so far.

Though the attendants have been facing immense hardships since the Valley is facing communication blockade and need of such NGOs has gained the momentum here but no NGO could be seen assisting the people in open like 2016 agitation.

This year, the number of injured persons shifted to Srinagar hospital was not high but still patients who are suffering from different ailments are presently admitted in the hospital.

However, witnesses said that one of these NGOs had erected their tents outside LD hospital where they were seen assisting the patients as well as their attendants.

Nazir Ahmad, a worker of one of the NGOs told that they couldn’t provide assistance to the people during this period due to the lack of cellular connectivity. “We were not able to contact our people to get prepared for the assistance and to make the medicines and other things available for the patients,” he said.

Another worker, Aabid Ahmad said that the government had imposed restrictions in most parts of the Valley for 15 consecutive days from August 05, which was another reason for not getting able to assist the patients.

However, he said that NGOs have been helping the people in different manner now; they have been assisting the people locally through different means. “The NGOs will never stop their work. They have worked in the past and will work for the people in future as well. But, the only thing is that their actions and plans could be different in serving the people,” he added.

(Inputs from KNO)

People say effect of smoke emanating from Shells after clashes lead to chronic cough, chest pain

GowharNazir

Srinagar 06 Sep : As the spontaneous shutdown in Kashmir enters into the second month, various crowd control measures used by the Security Forces to quell the protestors in Srinagar areas especially in volatile downtown has resulted in a major irritating tool for the elderly and sick patients having heart and chest ailments.

According to news agency , security forces use pepper gas, tear gas and stun grenades to deal with the protestors, but the thick smoke cover that fills the air, especially in evening hours, results in a massive trouble for the elderly and sick patients. Many witnesses said that new born and kinds too development irritation due to the unabated use of tear gas and pepper shells.

As most of the victims of these hazardous gases complain about the serious respiratory disorder, nausea, headaches, skin irritation, etc. As per the journal on respiratory complications, the Medical Council of India has pointed out in their reports that, “The excessive inhalation of the pepper and tear gases can cause complications of breathing on babies and old age patients and in some cases exposure to those gases can cause death of the victim.”

Nazir Ahmad, a patient suffering from COPD told ,”I face a lot of complications whenever these gases are used against the protestors in our locality as the inhale of these gases suffocates me and at the same time I feel a strong chest pain.”

He told that he was exposed to those gases several times and from that experience he suffered a lot. It usually took three to four hours for me to recover from the effect of these harmful gases.

Dr. Khalid a Pulmonologist told ,” The effect of the pepper and tear gas poses a great life threat to the elderly patients and kids as well. Whereas most of our patients complains about their respiratory complications whenever they get exposed to such gases.”

He told that exposure to such gases worsens the respiratory system of the patients who suffers from various chronic disorders like COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases.

He further told that, “The excessive use of the pepper and tear gas canisters must be shunned by the forces in order to ease the complications of the old age patients who are suffering from chronic disorders.”

Another Doctor wishing anonymity from the CD Hospital told ,” I understand that the use of the pepper and tear gas canisters are of great use while dealing with the mobs or crowd control operation but at the same this can prove fatal for the babies and the old age patients.”

He told that the use of these gases are strictly restricted in many countries on the basis of medical complications resulted from the exposure of these harmful gases.

(Inputs from KNO)

No Congregational prayers at historic Jamia Masjid for 5th straight week, uncertainty prevails across Valley, separatist, mainstream leaders remain caged, Soura residents stage protest rally

Srinagar, Sep 06 : For the fifth consecutive Friday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration didn’t allow the congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar even as curbs were imposed in parts of Kashmir, especially downtown parts of Srinagar. The top mainstream and separatist leaders continued to remain confined to their homes for the 33rd straight day.

According to news agency, pools of concertina wires were placed on all the major roads of Srinagar’s downtown areas that include Mahraj Gunj, Safa Kadal, Nowhatta, Rainawari, and Khanyar.

Witnesses told that huge deployment of security forces was made in downtown parts with heavy deployment of security forces personnel wearing riot gear to deal with the possible Protestors

For the fifth consecutive Friday, the Srinagar administration didn’t allow congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid, Srinagar. Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq continues to remain under house detention since August 5 so is the aged separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani and others. At least 50 mainstream leaders were detained post abrogation of Article 370 and they have been lodged in sub-jail Centaur.

In civil line areas, no restrictions were in place. Eye-witnesses said that private vehicles were plying normally in the uptown Srinagar that include Raj bagh, Jawhar nagar, Lal Chowk, Dalgate and other areas.

A police official told that no untoward incident took place across Kashmir except Soura-Anchaar area where a law and order situation was reported post Friday prayers. Eye-witnesses, however, told that a protest rally was witnessed in Soura and Anchaar area after Friday prayers. The protestors were protesting against the scrapping of Article 370.

Inputs from KNO

Majority of inhabitants remain tightlipped over prevailing situation, Army takes media men to Gulmarg areas, facilitates interaction with locals.

Gulmarg, Sept 06 : “All is well here; we saw nothing adverse here in last one month,” Ghulam Qadir, Sarpanch from Khatim Wali Village of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, who along with other 145 families shift Gulmarg every year in the month of April to October to rear cattle and also work as a tourist guide, told .

However, he was quick to add that the area witnessed frequent searches by army personnel, helicopters, hovering over the sky and heavy deployment of forces in last one month.

The nomadic families were reluctant to speak anything about the untoward incident happened in that part of the Gulmarg in past one month, however, were frequently saying their only source of livelihood has lost after no tourist- local, non-local and foreigner has visited the place.

Qadir told that the famous tourist destination saw no visitors from last month, but pretended to be clueless about the ongoing crisis in the area- citing lack of means of any communication after the center revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

On Friday a dozen of journalists working with local and national media visited the Nagin I, Nagin II and Nagin III area of Gulmarg, where at least 145 families temporarily live in Dhokas. The visit was planned and centrally guided by Army to Butha Pathri, but journalists were not allowed to visit beyond Nagin III- the place three kilometers far from Butha Pathri.

Army officers present on the spot didn’t utter a single word about the present ongoing crisis in the area. However, after visiting other spots of the famous tourist resort, the countable number of civilian presence had a different story to tell. The fear is visible on their faces.

Initially, they refuse to talk about the present situation in the area, but after thorough interaction, they speak about Army’s large presence in the tourist resort and frequent searches counted by military in hotels and other buildings. “You can observe yourself the situation here, nobody is visiting the place and after 8Pm in the evening one can’t move out of the house,” they told.

Last week, the Army accused Pakistan Army of pushing infiltrators through multiple launch pads on the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K after the August 5 decision to revoke the State’s special status.

The Army also released a video of two recently arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants — Mohammad Khalil and Mohammad Nazim — allegedly from Pakistan’s Rawalpindi area. The Army had launched over 300 search operations in Gulmarg in the past few weeks in the wake of reports of major infiltration bids.

With inputs from KNO

Restrictions were reimposed on Friday in several parts of Kashmir as a precautionary measure with authorities apprehending violence after congregational prayers.

Curbs were first imposed across Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 when the Centre announced its decision to revoke the state’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcate it into two Union territories.

The restrictions were lifted in phases from many parts of the Valley as the situation improved with passage of time.

Restrictions have been again imposed in some parts of Kashmir, including the city, as a precautionary measure ahead of the Friday prayers, the officials said.

The authorities have been imposing restrictions in vulnerable areas of the Valley every Friday, apprehending that vested interests might exploit the large gatherings at big mosques and shrines to fuel protests.

Friday prayers have not been allowed at any of the major mosques in Kashmir for the past one month now.

Normal life remained severely affected in the Valley due to a shutdown which entered the 33rd day on Friday.

Markets and other business establishments remain closed while public transport is off the roads across the Valley, the officials said.

Compared to the past few days, fewer private vehicles were seen on the roads on Friday.

The state government’s efforts to open schools have not borne fruit as parents have kept their children at home due to apprehensions about their safety.

Also, the officials said attendance remained thin in many government offices due to lack of public transport. The offices in district headquarters registered normal attendance, they added.

Press Trust of India

The Delhi Police on Friday filed an FIR against Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement leader and activist Shehla Rashid for levelling false allegations against the Army.

Rashid was booked for sedition on a criminal complaint by Supreme Court lawyer Alok Srivastav who had sought the arrest of Rashid.

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police lodged the FIR under sections 124-A, 153A,153, 504, 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The activist had levelled a series on baseless and fake allegations on the situation in the state after the abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Army has rubbished allegations of torture levelled by Rashid and in a statement had referred to her charges as “baseless”.

She had claimed that Armed forces were “ransacking” houses of common people in Jammu and Kashmir and “picking up boys”. She had alleged that four persons were detained by Army personnel and tortured in Shopian.

In a series of tweets, Shehla attributed to “people” as saying the Jammu and Kashmir Police department has no law and order situation.

“They’ve been rendered powerless. Everything is in the hands of paramilitary forces,” read a tweet by her.

According to Shehla, while petrol and diesel are available in the region, “people have started running out of medicines now”.

India Today

Firdous Hassan

Srinagar: For the last 10 years, Mohammad Ramzan, 60, had switched over to farming after his Tonga (horse cart) services became redundant with the advent of modern transport.

Last time he pulled his Tonga was in 2016 when he ferried a pregnant woman from his native village to the nearby hospital as there was no transport available given the groundswell that ensued the killing of Hizbul Mujahedeen commander Burhan Wani.

On Thursday, he, however, returned to his old avatar of being a Tongawala as Kashmir has come to a grinding halt after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5. Shops and business establishments are shut and public transport is off the roads.
“I feel happy that my services bring some respite to the people who wait in scorching heat for a cab. Frankly speaking, I am not sure whether I will continue with this service. But one thing is clear that I will be operating Tonga till situation improves,” he said, refusing to be photographed.

Welcome to Kashmir post Article 370, obsolete Tongas have reappeared on the north Kashmir roads as public transport continues to remain off the roads across the valley.

Around half a dozen Tongas are currently operating in North Kashmir’s Pattan to ferry people from main town to the nearby villages. Similarly, a few horse carts also operate from Palhalan to Goshbug and Naidkhai areas where public transport services have come to a halt.\
Tongawalas said they don’t face any trouble in ferrying the passengers. “What will they break? We don’t have window pans,” quipped Ali Mohammad, a Tongawala. “We mostly ferry people who are in dire need of medical attention or any other emergency.”

Tonga service has also been extended to newer areas in the apple rich town of Sopore. “Very few Tongas used to ply from main Sopore town to Noorbagh. But for the last one month Tongwalas have extended their services to other villages as the area remains shut with no access to public transport,” said Muneer Ahmad a local shopkeeper.

Via Kashmir Monitor

New Delhi : Authorities should allow journalist Gowhar Geelani to travel freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On August 31, immigration officials at the Indira Gandhi airport in New Delhi stopped Geelani, a Kashmiri broadcast journalist who has frequently reported from Jammu and Kashmir state, and told him he was not allowed to travel to Germany, according to news reports and the journalist, who spoke with CPJ.

Officials told Geelani that the Jammu and Kashmir state government had “flagged the issue” of his travel, but declined to give him any more details on why he was barred from leaving the country, he told CPJ. Geelani said he has a valid passport and visa, and he told digital news outlet Scroll that the immigration officers said there was no issue with his documentation.

“There is no reason why Gowhar Geelani, who had all the right travel documents, should have been prevented from traveling abroad,” said Aliya Iftikhar, CPJ’s senior Asia researcher. “Authorities should immediately cease all forms of harassment and intimidation against journalists covering the situation in Kashmir.”

Geelani was planning to fly to Germany to attend a journalist training program as a prerequisite to joining German broadcast agency Deutsche Welle’s Delhi bureau, he told CPJ. He previously worked as an editor with the agency in Germany, and has recently worked as an independent journalist and commentator based in Srinagar, he said.

Last month, Geelani published Kashmir: Rage and Reason, a book on the Kashmir conflict and its history.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees the country’s immigration authorities, did not immediately respond to CPJ’s request for comment via email.

For the past month, there has been a political crisis in Jammu and Kashmir, with an ongoing communications blackout and reports of journalist detentions, as CPJ has documented.

Srinagar : A person arrested in Handwara on Wednesday was later found dead in lockup, a police spokesperson said on Thursday.

The deceased Reyaz Ahmad Thekri son of Salam u din Thekri resident of Nandpora Malikpora Qalamabad Handwara, as per police, was involved in case FIR No.57/2018 U/S 379, 353, 323RPC, 6 Forest Act, and was arrested by Police Station Qalamabad, Handwara on Wednesday.

He, as per the spokesperson, was lodged with other accused persons in the police station but was later found dead in the toilet attached with the lockup.

“The preliminary investigation suggests that the accused hanged himself. Since the death took place while the accused was in police custody, Magisterial Enquiry u/s 176 CrPC besides post-mortem by a team of doctors was conducted. The body was handed over to the legal heirs,” the police spokesperson said.